Film Review: X-Men First Class

X-Men First Class

9/10

OK, I'll admit it. Until about 2 weeks ago, I was content to let this one pass me by and catch it on DVD.  Having watched endured Wolverine and accidentally watching X3 with my brain engaged, I wasn't totally 'into' another X-Men film.  A step too far, I thought.

Even the trailer, as promising as it was, couldn't completely tempt me.  The cast seemed fine, yes. And the premise (the Cuban Missile Crisis) was intriguing.  But I wasn't 'grabbed'.


Then, something totally weird happen.  I paid attention to the reviews.  And they were all pretty much unanimously positive.  Not just positive; gushing!  Had I judged too harshly?  I don't tend to pay attention to reviews, until AFTER I've watched a film (more to see how/if the critics agreed with me) but now I got the hook.  So I decided to go and see it.

And I'm SO glad I did.

The acting was top-notch throughout (McAvoy and Fassbender were outstanding - other than the latter's Irish brogue coming to the fore at the denouement) with the only exception being January Jones as Emma Frost/White Queen.  But I think she was there more as eye-candy than for her acting prowess and in that regard, she was fine.

The other mild negative (and it's more nit-picking than anything) was Beast.  Nicholas Hoult was more than adequate as Henry McCoy but once he'd mutated, the make up seemed a little 'off'.  If he'd had the same make up as Kelsey Grammar from X3, it would have been a LOT better.

Other than those minor points, it's all thumbs up.  The effects, the action sequences, Rose Byrne in her underwear, Michael Ironside and the best cameo imaginable ("Go fuck yourselves" - haha)...

So that's two Marvel films so far in 2011.  Both have been 9/10.  Does this bode well for Captain America - or will it avoid the hat-trick?  July will tell....