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X-Men: First Class discussion thread

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GrnMarvl14

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So the latest comic book movie is out, and it's yet another X-Men movie. And, quite easily, the best one yet.

I had low hopes for this movie when the first promo images surfaced, and while the trailers helped allay some of my fears and raise my hopes, I was still a bit surprised to see the reviews for this film being generally positive. Apparently, I shouldn't have been surprised. This movie delivers. Big. From the beginning until the end, this movie doesn't stop being a big, deep film. It slows down in the right places, only to ramp up when you aren't quite expecting it. And while you know (roughly) how the film's going to play out...it doesn't do so in a boring manner. You may know how things are going to end, but the twists and turns that take you there are new and fresh. The plot is phenomenal, with the not-yet-X-Men facing off against the Hellfire Club (with a third faction led by Agent Stryker of the CIA, with agendas that play against both sides, clearly get inherited by his son), with the fates of Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique playing heavily into how the plot moves, with all three being introduced early, and choices they make coming back to affect them later in the film. We see a clear action/consequence from all of them, and even the smallest decision carries through.

The casting was also great. MOST of the characters felt real, though a few just seemed to serve as set decoration (which was disappointing). Though there were a few surprises, with a couple of actors from the original films briefly showing up to reprise their roles (sort of, in one case. And to great effect in the other).

There were some less-than-stellar points to the film (young Magneto screaming "nein" just seemed comedic. Riptide and Azazel seemed to serve no real purpose than cannon fodder. And Angel wasn't much better. Darwin was a great character, but how his story ended was very disappointing. Turning Shaw into Mr. Sinister felt awkward, making Emma's choice of joining him seem much darker and a tad confusing), but there were a lot of pleasant surprises (Havok and Banshee were phenomenal. Beast's storyline was great, and made his relationship with Mystique work in a way I wasn't expecting. Magneto as a Nazi hunter makes me yearn for a film just based around that). And this movie did what the original trilogy truly failed to do: Show why Xavier runs a school. Not just say he does, but show him doing so. Show him teaching them to control their powers, actually working out solutions, and striving to make them better. Magneto's journey through the film was another great anchor for this film, making it seem as much his story as Xavier's (if not more so), and had a bit of a Darth Vader feel to it.

Easily my new favorite comic film, and I'm genuinely hoping for a sequel. Would love to see more new recruits at Xavier's (and more Banshee and Havok), the relationship between Azazel and Mystique (assuming they're still going with those two being Nightcrawler's parents), and some new villains (and maybe Riptide can return and actually say something).

Anyone else seen it? What's your take on it?
 
Haven't seen it yet, though from what I've heard from both critics and fans, it's supposed to be really good. Can't wait to watch it myself!
 
If it's any better than X-Men 3, I think I'll be happy about it.

Seeing it later this week.
 
Holo-Chan said:
If it's any better than X-Men 3, I think I'll be happy about it.

Seeing it later this week.
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it is. Yeah, I'd have to agree that this a great film and is easily the best of 2011. Magneto was definitely my favorite part of this movie.
Wolverine's cameo was fun to watch.
 
I saw it on Friday, some parts didn't fit in with the first movie, so it was kind of strange... I am just assuming it is doing it's own timeline. (Also separate from Origins Wolverine movie, wasn't Emma Frost in that too, but younger...? and Professor X was older at the end of that) However, truth be told, the more we can forget about the original trilogy's universe the better (especially after the 3rd movie).

I liked it, but I don't think I liked it as much as GrnMarvl did. The main characters, Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Beast, Shaw, Frost, Moira were done incredibly well, but the others felt a bit more typical in a way xmen characters are made/treated (or they felt like their characters were defined by their powers). Normally that would be okay, but because the other characters were done so well, it made them stick out more as stale. I really didn't care that
Darwin died in this because his character was almost background to me
.

I also felt that there were too many nods to the audience, I mean it's cute one or two times in a film, it's like finding an Easter egg in a game or being in an inside joke, but all the bald jokes and cameos goes a bit overboard if you ask me.
Wolverine's was great though, It was funny and never broke character or universe, so it was one of the better cameos that I've ever seen. It lead me to wonder if he will have cameos in Captain America and Avengers as well... although those are different studios or so I've heard.I will say I was surprised they let him drop an F-bomb, Wolverine seems to always be so controversial because he's a legitimate bad-ass, but also very much imitated by small children all over. So I was more surprised to hear him say that, than to see him smoke cigars in the first movie (which drew some controversy then)

Also, for some reason, the beginning and the end of this movie stood out the most.
The training was great to show and have, but I think one has to admit the results working together and having the CIA turn on them, as with Magneto's Nazi hunting in the beginning was significantly more exciting. I don't know if that is bad or good, but it just made it feel not always as good though out the whole movie to me. Again it is probably because of quality of other parts being so good

Also, Yes, I wasn't around in the 60s, but I wish it were a bit more period. Maybe it was extremely accurate, but it just felt slightly... off. It had the Gogo clubs, technology, and outfits of the time, but there were some places that just felt more modern than retro. Angel comes to mind as one example. I don't know, I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't feel enough.

It was a very fun movie, I don't think it's the best superhero movie, but comparing it to X3 the last stand would be an insult. (So go see it!) I did leave hoping for a sequel, it really makes you want to explore the different ideas of Professor X and Magneto. I think you could compare this movie to the first or second x-men movie and argue that it is superior to them, I'm more indecisive on that, but it is a good movie.
 
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bell02+ said:
I saw it on Friday, some parts didn't fit in with the first movie, so it was kind of strange... I am just assuming it is doing it's own timeline. (Also separate from Origins Wolverine movie, wasn't Emma Frost in that too, but younger...? and Professor X was older at the end of that) However, truth be told, the more we can forget about the original trilogy's universe the better (especially after the 3rd movie).
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Well, it's weird that they seemed to show it's connected to the others (by the cameos from actors from the first trilogy), but you're right that between Emma being there and Magneto/Xavier appearing together in Wolverine (and Xavier walking in Wolverine), it sort of confuses matters. But maybe they can clear things up in a sequel.

I liked it, but I don't think I liked it as much as GrnMarvl did. The main characters, Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Beast, Shaw, Frost, Moira were done incredibly well, but the others felt a bit more typical in a way xmen characters are made/treated (or they felt like their characters were defined by their powers). Normally that would be okay, but because the other characters were done so well, it made them stick out more as stale. I really didn't care that
Darwin died in this because his character was almost background to me
.
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Well, as far as the spoiler goes, I definitely agree with you, and that's one of my big complaints: It just didn't seem to matter in the overall plot. And it should have.
 
Saw it yesterday. Better than X-Men 3 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I generally liked it. First off, let's get the obvious out of the way and say that it totally didn't follow comic book canon or historical accuracy, but that's quite alright in my book as long as the story's good, and here it was in parts, while some parts were kinda meh.

Good points

- I really felt in the 60's. They really recreated the atmosphere and the look of the sixties. The costumes and so were the sets, very Connery Bond at times.
- I loved Michael Fassbender as Magneto. He really made the role come alive and really gave the character some depth, and made him really sexy. :p
- I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Beast, I thought they had great chemistry and both were faced with the same problem but sought different solutions, had different views.
- Everyone had some funny moments.
- Really gorgeous scenary porn throught the film.

Bad points

- Filler characters were filler... and I'm talking on both sides here. Havok, Banshee, Riptide, Azazel and Angel were really blah. The first two especially should have been more developped.
- What was the point of Darwin again?
- Not enough Ho yay between Xavier and Magneto. They're young, they're hot, I should feel more heat than that between the two. XD
- Xavier and Moira... did they have any scenes that set up their romance and feelings for each other... noooooooooo they did not. It felt kinda forced.
- Ok, and this is my biggest pet peeve about the movie: EMMA FROST. Rant time. She is such a cool bitch in the comics. She's what Macchiavelli would have been if he'd been a girl, dressed in monochrome white and cared a lot about shoes. She's sarcastic, witty, bitchy, and hilariously so. She's has so many layers in the comics, so much more sides to her, that... omg... the movie just underused her critically, often reducing January Jones to the be pretty with barely any clothes on and sit around doing nothing. She just lacked the deviousness, the cunning, the intelligence of her comic book counterpart and was reduced to being Shaw's lapdog. They dropped the ball so much on that. Urgh...

So yeah, overall, I really like the movie, but more ho yay and more bitchy strategic cunning Emma! : P
 
Saw it today. I thought it was brill but there was a guy down one row and to the right of me who's stupid hairstyle blocked some of the screen!
 
My biggest complaint is that all of the "ugly" or ethnic mutants turn evil or die and all of the "attractive" mutants stay good. Just . . . oy on that.
- What was the point of Darwin again?
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst

It's especially kind of stupid since Darwin's power basically keeps him from dying due to pretty much anything (it just doesn't necessarily make him useful, though).
 
And given that in the comics, he was able to survive in suspended animation as an energy being attached to an energy absorber (akin to Shaw in the film).

Though, really, it opens the door to him returning (maybe he evolved past the state of needing a physical form, ala Wonder Man's ionic form, or Sandman existing as sand, Hydro-Man in various water-related states, etc.).
 
I saw it and thought it great. The fact they decided not to follow the continuity of the other films was a great choice and Wolverine's cameo was brilliant.
 
For a movie where you know exactly what's going to happen, it was actually really good. The dread when Hank was going to inject himself was just... gah.

I liked Rebecca's cameo better than Hugh's.
 
Zalde said:
For a movie where you know exactly what's going to happen, it was actually really good. The dread when Hank was going to inject himself was just... gah.

I liked Rebecca's cameo better than Hugh's.
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Because her cameo was more subtle? Or because you kind of expect his character to be in every one of these?
 
It was actually really good - the X-men aren't Marvel's strongest film property by any means, but I liked what they did with this one. Then again, I'm a sucker for character development/expansion, and the relationship between Xavier and Lehnsherr is played extremely well. All of the other characters have the hints, as well, about the directions of their character development over the next few decades - Beast's inner struggle, Mystique's behavior, and even where humans will go in their treatment of mutants. The Hellfire Club was played fairly well, which is good, and the end direction was a bit of a trade-off for future opportunities, but necessary. Then again, the X-men canon leaves more than enough room to cover that end. I can agree that it was a shame that Emma Frost was dropped about halfway through the movie, but at least she seems like she'll be explored in later films. If we really have to follow the previous movie canon about her appearance, it's easily possible that her Wolverine appearance was set in the late sixties, though Xavier's appearance (bald and walking) is definitely less feasible... either way, it looks like a slightly new canon has been established in one of the two spin-offs. This is fine - whatever allows for a better story.

Rebecca's cameo was a nice, subtle blink-and-you-miss-it ordeal. Hugh's was a what-could-have-been cameo, but it didn't detract from the movie at all. Both are perfectly acceptable cameo.

Overall, a darned good film. If can afford to see it with all of the other fantastic movies coming out this summer, I recommend it.
 
GrnMarvl14 said:
Because her cameo was more subtle? Or because you kind of expect his character to be in every one of these?
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It was less "haw-haw look it's a cameo" and more "Oh, so that's how that happened."
 
Excellent movie and my favorite X-Men movie so far. Really glad they decided to reboot the series and Wolverine's cameo was hilarious. I didn't think Magneto would go in that direction so soon, considering they're planning 2 more movies, but i'm not sad that he did. His relationship with Charles was wonderfully done, better than it ever was in the previous films. Honestly i'm just wondering how this movie relates to Wolverine Origins since a lot of stuff is changed.
 
Personally, as someone who likes when the entire series of movies fits into the same continuity more or less without error, this series infuriates me. The movies are great if you don't know whats going to happen. If you've even seen the original cartoon or read the comics, this series makes you want to beat your head into the wall. Repeatedly. Case in point? X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Must I say ANYTHING else?

As I said, I liked the movie, but the series overall just kinda like pissed me (and I'd imagine alot of the cartoon/comic fans) off after the third one.
 
Eh, at a certain point, you really just realize that you're dealing with multiple realities and that the same rules don't apply in each (though that DOES still leave the Emma issue).
 
I'll agree with that, but it is still totally unforgivable how they handled the Phoenix. Hell, it wasn't even really the Phoenix. It was basically Jean. They made the Phoenix seem to be like a manifestation of Jean's power, and that she is like the source of it, not that the Jean was literally a part of the cosmic entity, Phoenix. Ugh. X3 in general just pissed me off. Then again, I've kinda stopped going to these movies to see the big screen adaptation of the cartoon/comic.
 
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