X-Men: First Class

Phenomenal! Vaughn brings the series back to where it originally started. As a comic book movie that uses its brain where others flex their muscles, it doesn't for a moment compromise on the audience-appealing spectacle, which doesn't lack wit, exaggeration, and... action. It is mature in its acting, plot, and direction, with no dead spots or lapses in pace. I’ll have more to say (hopefully) after the second viewing. Now I am just reveling in the memories of a film that was satisfying in every way. PS: There is nothing for me to add the second time either. Except that Fassbender rules like nobody’s business. Perfect in every detail. (06/02/2011)

Don’t let my high rating mislead you. Matthew Vaughn doesn’t pick up where Bryan Singer left off; his movie is closer to Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand. What makes Vaughn better than Ratner, however, is the balance between childishness and maturity in telling the story (both are present in Vaughn’s work while Ratner was just childish), remarkably more characters and a much faster pace (at “normal” speed, the film would have lasted three hours) and much more epic, top-notch action, which never seems botched up or over-the-top. This properly colorful eye-candy action-packed blockbuster, which will impress even teen viewers (for whom Singer’s films were too psychological), is made more playful by the fact that its best scene is a few-second-long “go-fuck-yourself” cameo by Hugh Jackman lounging around in a seedy bar. By this, the creators prove that they didn’t choose this direction because they were unable to follow in Singer’s footsteps, but because they know how to perfect this pulp genre and bring more pleasure to a wider audience than anyone before. Of the actors, Michael Fassbender turns in the best performance; I can easily see him as a new Ethan Hunt or James Bond (the second-best scene of the movie, which coincidentally also takes place in a bar, is Fassbender’s in Argentina). Kevin Bacon makes a very convincing villain. James McAvoy is more or less okay, which, however, is not enough for the character of Charles Xavier. The rest of the cast are just their sidekicks, but the cameos by a number of stars (e.g. Platt and Ironside) are nice. (06/01/2011)

I self-critically admit that I expected more from Vaughn than he could realistically do. When the magnetic Fassbender and the musing McAvoy are on the screen, it's as dark, immersive, and adult funny as I'd hoped. First Class has a very serious soul - it revolves around collective guilt, revenge, and the right to rule the world. The best scenes are not the action scenes, but the ones which are most conversational, where it stands out how far the creators can descend and how suggestive this comic book saga can be. The more realistic and mature the X-men look, the more they have trouble dealing with the "teenage" element. Fortunately, Vaughn kept some distance and perspective, yet I was not interested in the first class with the exception of the mentors, and it seemed that it was makeweight. This wasn't the case in Singer's day. It's like all the energy and attraction falls on the central duo. However, this is rewarded with absolutely devastating energy, and although the film sometimes breathes heavily, in the end it offers emotions and depth related to the legendary duo. It's just the comparison with singer's coherence and composure that prevents me from being completely enthusiastic. Anyway, I'd be very surprised if a more stylish and soulful spectacle came to movie theatres this year. (05/30/2011)

Two men with a nearly brotherly bond, the fascinating teenager Mystique and the birth of several legends. And by its very nature, once a small, modest spin-off about Magneto, which under Vaughn's hands grew from a mutant matchmaker to the most anticipated blockbuster in recent months. When then the vengeful Erik Lensherr chases after the most sinister world gang against the backdrop of the Cold War, and the freshly graduated Charles Xavier teaches mutants how to deal with themselves, a well-deserved chill runs down your spine. Whether it's the story, the effects, the action, or the perfect actors (for me, McAvoy is the clear ruler). This tragedy has a clearly defined ending from the beginning, but by being able to stir up almost all emotions to the maximum, it reaches for the position of one of the comic book kings. (06/07/2011)

Somehow I can’t bring myself to give this movie five stars, mainly because I’ve never been exactly fond of X-Men. The movies were great, but I never thought, like with Watchmen, that they were perfect and that I would devour every movie that had the word X-Men in the title. Anyway, I don’t mind X-men and that was also the reason why I gave this movie a go. However, I must say that this film is probably the best thing that could have happened to the franchise, because in addition to great actors, it features an absolutely perfect story, which, if you do not know the source material, you do not know how it will develop in the next moments. And that it will eventually develop differently than is customary in American films? That’s the icing on the cake. If I said a moment ago that actors were great, then I need to repeat that because they were truly divine. That goes for probably everyone who appears in the film, and there are a lot of characters. For example, the one-minute cameo of Hugh Jackman is totally great. The same goes for the special effects. I felt a bit sorry that X-Men weren’t closer to my heart. But if another film is made, which could easily happen, I will think about going to see it at the cinema. It seems that I’ve grown fond of X-Men after all. (12/29/2012)