After a disappointing third installment in the franchise and a below average origin story with Wolverine, it seemed as if the X-Men series would finally get back on track with First Class, but unfortunately the movie took a turn for the worse. This film follows Professor X and Magneto before they become the wise and powerful mutants most people are familiar with, starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the lead roles, respectively. The first half hour or so is so intriguing that it's hard to believe that the film could change so drastically from an early James Bond type adventure to a laughingly corny superhero flick that we've seen too much of in the past.
First Class begins just as 2000's X-Men with a scene involving Erik Lehnsherr, later to become Magneto, in Nazi invaded Poland. It goes deeper into what happened that day, however, and Erik is taken into the custody of the main villain, Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon. At first Bacon manages to pull off the bad guy persona, and as he torments the young child into wielding his powers, the audience truly feels the boy's agony. After this torture and the murder of his mother, years go by and the main source of entertainment comes from Erik's quest for the man who ruined his life. He travels to different locations, bouncing around the globe, similar to that of a classic Bond film, and one scene in particular stands out above the rest in which Erik shows off his remarkable power in a bar located in Argentina. This is the most noteworthy moment, but it gets lost in the rubbish that is to come.
Fassbender's performance involving the struggle over the control of a mighty gift is certainly the best part of the film and it is believable that he is to become Ian McKellen's Magneto. McAvoy's portrayal of Professor X is also convincing at first, but when the film flips on its ear to become a joke, he is no longer tolerable just like the rest of the cast. The supporting characters are what make First Class feel more like coach. The transition from awesome to unbearable is so distinct, I almost said "Uh oh" out loud. After Xavier and Erik recruit new mutants, in a montage including a pretty funny cameo, the team of youngins go around their isolated room coming up with cool superhero names. This cheesy scene was so aggravating I was hoping that Kevin Bacon and his minions would arrive sooner and wipe them all out. When he finally does drop by, the X-Men realize they must train in order to stop him.
As can be seen in the film's commercials, the story revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis, which apparently started because both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were fooled by Sebastian Shaw alone. It really makes both parties look completely idiotic. So now it is up to the mutants, who the humans have a deep hatred for, to solve the issue. Cue the next corny montage of training and coming to the understanding that we can do it guys! As if that's not bad enough, Mystique is flirting with everyone, including an incredibly annoying Beast, as well as Erik who convinces her that she is beautiful. As if.
If you're looking for some solid action sequences, this isn't a bad place to start for the summer. However, if you recognize what is really happening around the explosions, it's quite pathetic. Why the butterfly stripper can't be stopped with a single bullet, let alone huge red rings shooting out of Havok is beyond me. It's obviously not a spoiler to hear that Professor X somehow ends up in a wheelchair. Brace yourself for that groundbreaking scene. If you recently watched the third X-Men film you'll notice that he's old and still walking. Guess that one didn't match up, huh?
Anyway, the movie had such potential with a strong performance throughout from Fassbender and a decent start from McAvoy and Bacon, but they grow to become so insufferable. Other than a good beginning and January Jones' cleavage every few minutes, there is not much to see besides special effects. I know that we've learned everything necessary to understand Magneto's origin, but if the film solely followed his quest for revenge, this installment could've been a lot better. I'm sure Marvel will go back to one mutant at a time with Deadpool or whoever is coming up next, but it's a shame that several characters at once couldn't work and such great talent went to waste.
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