X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
US, 2011, 135 minutes. Colour.
James Mc Avoy, Michael Fassbender, Bill Milner, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Oliver Platt, Alex Gonzalez, Jason Flemyng, Zoe Kravitz, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones, Edi Gathegi, Lucas Till, Matt Craven, James Remar, Rade Serbedzija, Ray Wise, Michael Ironside.
Cameo: Hugh Jackman.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn.
At last what really happened during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 has been revealed, the mastermind behind the set-up, the action that stopped a nuclear war and the intervention of special agents.
Well, no, not exactly. This is the core plot for this prequel to the X Men series.It’s intrigues and derring-do dreamed up by the screenwriters. But, it is not a bad conspiracy theory if you believe in mutants amongst us – and after four X Men films, don’t we all!
Actually, this is quite an enjoyable action show – and, if I saw it first, then I would be tempted to watch the whole series.
Maybe not everyone was wondering what Professor Xavier was like when he was young or whether Erik Lensherr was a nice young lad or not, but for those who were (as well as for the rest of us), here are some interesting answers. Interesting is not exactly the right word because Charles Xavier was a pampered young man who studied at Oxford and received a Doctorate. Nothing particularly adventurous here. On the other hand, Erik’s life takes us into a concentration camp, separation from his parents, an exhibition of his powers to move a metal gate and the sadistic behaviour of the camp doctor who is fascinated by gene power and superhuman mutants.
Erik as adult is on a mission to find out where the doctor is, only to discover he is a world domination criminal (in the Bond series’ vein), not so easy to wreak revenge on. In the meantime, the CIA discover some mutants and special agent Moira McTaggart? enlists the aid of Charles Xavier. They recruit a number of other mutants and train them to bring their various talents to bear on Sebastian Shaw, the Nazi villain. This requires them to save the US in the aforesaid Missiles of October crisis.
There are plenty of complications along the way, especially the recruiting of Erik and ensuring his participation in the training. However, we do learn how he and the Professor were friends, parted ways and he became Magneto, luring away some of the Professor’s disciples. We also learn how the Professor came to be in a wheelchair who offers a tribute to Patrick Stewart when he remarks that he would probably go bald soon.
As an entertainment, it all keeps moving fast – director Matthew Vaughan (of the questionable Kick Ass) knows how to make an enjoyable film, both serious (a film starting in a concentration camp is not entirely light-hearted) and comic (Hugh Jackman makes the most of his 30 second cameo refusing to be recruited).
The casting is interesting in view of the previous films and the later incarnations of the mutants. Scot James McAvoy? and Irish Michael Fassbender are sound serious actors and bring Charles and Erik to life. Amongst the others are American Jennifer Lawrence as Raven, English Nicholas Hoult as Hank/Beast and English Jason Flemyng as Azazael. Australian Rose Byrne is a sympathetic Moira. And, enjoying himself immensely as a snarling villain – unrecognizable at first as the German-speaking doctor – is Kevin Bacon.
Plenty of action, plenty of stunts, plenty of different locations – and more than plenty of plot. With the humans turning against the mutants, perhaps the writers could be encouraged to do one more X Men with this cast and find a world crisis that they could solve. The 70s and Vietnam suggest themselves. Or, with some make-up, they could assist in the Berlin Wall coming down or the collapse of the Soviet Union.
1. The popularity of the X-Men? series? This film the fifth? The range of audience? Interest in origins? Looking at the previous films in the light of this origins film?
2. The inventiveness of the screenwriters, the childhoods of Charles and Erik, their adolescence, adults? The role of mutants? The 1940s to the 1960s? World crises?
3. Audience attitudes towards the characters, knowing them from the previous films, expectations and fulfilment?
4. The tone: the contrast between the concentration camps and American comfortable mansions? Erik’s experience, the separation from his parents, the camp, his exercising of his powers over the gate, the interviews with the doctor, the doctor’s demands, his inability to move the coin, the doctor bringing in his mother, shooting the mother, moving the coin and his anger moving the whole collapse of the office? The doctor’s delight?
5. The different tone for the film with the mansion, the wealth, Charles as a boy, Raven’s appearance in the kitchen, posing as his mother, her real appearance, the friendship for many years?
6. Erik, his experience with the doctor, going to Zurich, the confrontation with the bank director, the exercise with his tooth-filling? Going to Argentina, meeting the criminals, getting the information, their deaths?
7. Oxford, Charles with the pubs, his friends? His gift for telepathy? His being a mutant but no change on the outside? His studies, the thesis, his graduation, Moira’s arrival, appeal for his help?
8. Los Angeles, the Hellfire Club, the CIA surveillance? Sebastian Shaw? The Nazi doctor in America? His hold over the general, the girls going into the club, Moira joining them? Finding the secret room, Emma and her assisting Shaw? His other henchmen, Azazael and Riptide? Their particular powers? The issue of Turkey and the missiles? The dangers for world peace, Soviet-American? confrontation? 1962 and the build-up to the missiles of Cuba? Azazael and his ability to impersonate the general, with the American meeting? Moira and her giving the information, the CIA ignoring it?
9. The CIA, the bosses, Moira and her place, Oliver Platt as the head of the research unit? Moira in Oxford, Charles going to the United States, the meetings, proving his skills by reading the minds? Platt and his centre? The decision to recruit the various mutants? Hank and his abilities? Erik and his joining? The recruiting of the others, the glimpses of them in different situations, assembling them?
10. The recruits, Angel and the club, her wings? Banshee and his ability with sound? Darwin and his ability to transform? Havoc, in prison, his power with fire? Raven and her transformation into the blue? Hank, the injections, his relationship with Raven, trying to help, the injections, his turning into Beast? Their work together, joking together, the training? Erik and his assisting Charles in the training?
11. Moira, her involvement, the liaison with the government, her love for Charles?
12. Sebastian Shaw, his becoming an American, his past, his interest in genes, his ability to collect energy? With his assistants? Going to Russia, Emma and the general, his sex fantasy? The illusion? Her capacity to read minds?
13. The build-up for the missiles, mutual suspicion between the Soviet Union and the United States? The visuals of their meetings and discussions, their decisions?
14. The insertion of footage from J.F.K. and Khruschev?
15. The setup, Shaw manoeuvring the missiles in Cuba, his presence in the submarine, his helmet to block out people reading his mind? Charles and Shaw, the conflict of minds?
16. The mutants in the plane, the flight, the ships off Cuba, the lines to be crossed? The different captains, the standoffs, orders? The reading of minds, the mutants influencing the decisions? The bombing of the Russian ship?
17. Finding Shaw, Erik and his wanting vengeance, his previous tests, Charles helping him to understand, turning the dish, the place between grief and serenity? Entering the submarine, removing the helmet, his putting it on himself, Raven coming to his help? The Nazi coin, Shaw’s death?
18. The humans turning against the mutants, Moira and her desperate phone call, cut off? The firing of the missiles on the island, Erik and his ability to stop them? To turn them back? Charles distracting him, the explosions? Charles and his being wounded?
19. The battle lines drawn, loyalties and choices? Raven and her going with Erik, her love for him? The previous bedroom scene? Azazael and Riptide going with Erik? His becoming Magneto? The contrast with Charles, his students, the loyalty, his being in a wheelchair?
20. The explanation of the origins of the X-Men? – satisfying and enjoyable?
