X-men: First Class - (June 3rd, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $56,000,000
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $98,894,000
Gross Revenue: $173,480,046
Budget: $160 million
Director: Matthew Vaughn
In order to re-energize the flailing X-men film franchise, 20th Century Fox had a considerable marketing challenge, in that, they had to sell this newest film to two distinct groups of people who had an axe to grind. First, there was the general public, who not only had to be convinced that a fresh start would be able to return a high level of quality to the superhero team that had suffered under some less-than-award-winning entries that were still very fresh in everyone’s memory bank; but also that an X-men film could survive without Hugh Jackman, as Wolverine would not be a central character of this entry in the series. Second, there were the comic book fanatics, who were screaming for blood ever since the character roster and storyline were announced, both clear violations of what is often considered sacred comic book canon. To appease both groups, 20th Century Fox engaged in a unique mix of guerrilla and mainstream marketing; not only using social media to release the first trailers on Facebook and YouTube for the overtly dedicated who would seek the material out (individuals like myself), but also releasing numerous billboards and engaging in promotional partnerships that would paint First Class as a summer blockbuster with wide appeal…my personal favorite was the Farmers Insurance X-Change Student commercial. Another huge draw involved the names attached to the project; producer Bryan Singer knows how to treat the X-men series with respect, director Matthew Vaughn is well regarded in superhero geek circles for his work on 2010’s Kick-Ass, and even the presence of Academy Award nominated Jennifer Lawrence was sure to build some positive buzz. I myself was most excited for the inclusion of two actors known for some of my favorite movies, James McAvoy (2008’s Wanted) and Michael Fassbender (2007’s 300 and 2009’s Inglorious Basterds). As the second of four superhero films dropping during the 2011 Summer Movie Season, I had understandably high hopes for X-men: First Class.
In an almost exact replication of the opening scene from 2000’s X-men, this prequel starts in 1944 at a German concentration camp where young Erik Lensherr discovers the power to control metal after he is separated from his family; meanwhile, in a New York mansion, young Charles Xavier (who is gifted with the power of telepathy) meets a homeless young shape-shifter, Raven, who he invites to live with his family. Fast forward to 1962, and an adult Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) is now hunting Nazis to exact revenge for the atrocities he was forced to endure as a child, while Xavier (James McAvoy) is publishing his thesis on genetic mutation and living with his foster sister, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence). On a larger scope, the United States is currently on the brink of nuclear war with Russia, and it is revealed that the rising tensions on both sides are being manipulated by a powerful group known as the Hellfire Club; each member of this “club” has a special power and is led by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) a man with the ability to absorb energy and someone who also has sinister ties to Erik’s past. Realizing the threat that Shaw ultimately poses, young CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) recruits Xavier and Raven to help stop the Hellfire Club. After Xavier crosses paths and forms an alliance/friendship with Erik (who is also hunting Shaw), the two work to identify and recruit a new class of human that has reached the next stage of evolution and, like them, has gained a special ability and earned the designation of “mutant.” After settling on a team to join their fight and choosing code names to represent their unique abilities, Xavier (now called “Professor X”) and Erik (now called “Magneto”) work with Raven (now called “Mystique”), “Banshee” (Caleb Landry Jones), “Havok” (Lucas Till), “Beast” (Nicholas Hoult), “Darwin” (Edi Gathegi), and “Angel” (Zoë Kravitz) to try and stop Shaw from engineering nuclear war through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Though Xavier and Erik disagree on humanity will ultimately react to the existence of mutants (Xavier naively wishes for peaceful coexistence, while Erik only foresees persecution and internment), the two friends decide to do all they can to save the world with their new team, the first class of “X-men.”
If it isn’t already obvious by my overly detailed review, I absolutely adored X-Men: First Class, which, though it easily could have been a complete disaster, ended up delivering a deep, exciting, and thoroughly energetic superhero film. By juxtaposing actual historical footage related to the Cuban Missile Crisis and seamlessly integrating aspects of the conflict into the storyline, Matthew Vaughn brings a sense of realism and emotional weight to X-men: First Class, making this prequel far more than just another entertaining tribute to comic book lore…it is a genuinely good film in its own right. Perhaps the most enjoyable element of First Class has to do with its expanded characterization of already established characters; thanks to the original trilogy, audiences simply know Xavier as the squeaky-clean good guy, Magneto as the maniacal villain, and Mystique as the cold assassin. Yet, in First Class, different sides of these familiar faces are revealed in a truly memorable way; Xavier at one point apparently had no problem exploiting his power to pick-up women, while Mystique was genuinely self-conscious about her appearance and Magneto wanted nothing more than to avenge his family…who wouldn’t sympathize with that? Don’t get me wrong, Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen were fantastic as the original actors behind Professor X and Magneto (respectively), but James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender more than stepped up to the challenge, using considerably strong acting talent to not only embody the true spirit of the individual characters but also bring a cool and intense friendship between the future enemies to life.
Were I a pettier film critic, I could unleash my inner comic book geek and begin listing every element of X-men: First Class that didn’t sync up 100% with the source material (as I did, rather loudly, after X-men Origins: Wolverine), and believe me, there were plenty to choose from, but the changes made were done in such a respectful manner that the original spirit behind the entire series (both in print and on film) was kept intact. If I had to come up with anything truly negative to say about X-men: First Class, I can admit that there were a few corny moments present (Xavier and Magneto’s hand gestures to signify their powers came off a little funnier than I think was intended), and that the energetic pacing of the story stalled in a few noticeable instances, but for every complaint, there are just more praiseworthy elements to highlight. Besides Kevin Bacon’s turn as the kind of villain you love to hate, the special effects, action sequences, and soundtrack, are all astounding; these aspects combine for more than enough to keep even casual fans on the edge of their seats with goose bumps (watching Magneto lift a submarine out of the water was awesome), all while small references to the previous films and the original comics will have even the most skeptical of comic book purists giggling…watch closely for two very clever cameos from some very familiar X-men. I was a little upset by the lack of the post-credits scene which is usually standard fare for a Marvel film, as well as the apparent lack of a cameo by X-men creator/comic book deity Stan Lee (after three viewings, I still didn’t spot him), but again, such small transgressions are not enough to dampen my opinion of this surprisingly well-done adventure. As I said in the “Short and Sweet” review, X-men: First Class may not have dethroned The Dark Knight as top comic book/superhero film of all time, but it nabbed second place so quickly that I’m sure both Iron Man and Spider-Man 2 got some pretty severe whiplash.
Sadly, despite the efforts of 20th Century Fox, the quality of X-men: First Class was in no way reflected at the box office; the prequel/spin-off may have taken top spot its opening weekend, but a $56 million debut is the lowest of any entry in the entire X-men series and relatively unimpressive for a summer superhero adventure. Apparently, either moviegoers still haven’t forgotten or forgiven some of the weaker films in the franchise, or audience loyalty to Hugh Jackman was higher than anyone previously believed. Still, post-release marketing efforts are desperately trying to get the numbers up; even going as far as adding a RottenTomatoes.com certification to television trailers (this is the first instance I have seen of any such strategy). International receipts have already combined with domestic gross to cover the $160 million production budget, but X-men: First Class still deserves more. Thankfully, Fox envisions First Class as the beginning of a new trilogy, matching the darker and more mature attitude of the Harry Potter film franchise and the more realistic themes of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series…I’m ready to pre-order my midnight premier ticket for Part II right now. Really, if you need any more convincing to go see X-men: First Class, then you clearly didn’t deserve a movie this good in the first place!
Overall Recommendation: Very High
