I am one hundred percent a sucker for the X-Men franchise in all of it's incarnations. The comic series was the only one of the many my brothers coveted as kids that interested me and while I do not claim to have any real definitive knowledge of the myths, origins and intricate back stories and plot lines of the various characters I do know that if they make a movie with X-Men in the title I will go and see it. I know that this movie played ( per usual) fast and loose with the beginnings of Charles and Erik and the School for gifted Youngsters but as someone who has long looked past those types of discrepancies I enjoyed the world created for the screen. I don't want to go to far into the ins and outs of the movie as I am not in the mood to spoil anything for anyone else but I think I can say a few things without giving to much away.
I am a big HUGE fan of James McAvoy. He is one of the most under used, under appreciated actors out there and I love to watch him on screen. He is someone who I am readily willing to see and while he is not flashy tabloid fodder he is a box office draw in anything for me. The chance to see him play a young free wheeling lady killer Charles Xavier was worth the price of admission for me. Xavier preaches acceptance for all but has subtle biases that contradict what he claims to stand for. His ability is great and his powers mighty but unlike many he wishes to protect he can hide in plain sight without dishonoring who he really is. His relationship with Jennifer Lawrence's Raven/Mystique was both warming and heartbreaking for despite the obvious devotion they were never going to be on the same page. 
The biggest question mark for me was Michael Fassbender who plays the Eric Lehnsherr later known as Magneto and while it is hard to take on a role held previously played by Sir Ian McKellen I thought he did a great job. Showing the right level of pain and anger that anyone would hold inside them after enduring such a heartbreaking youth. He held the most tender moments of the movie in his hand and his emotions were right on target. His end game was never in question even as he made connections with those he'd ultimately come to betray.
There were a bevy of previously unseen X-Men/Mutants on display and it was nice to finally see some of those characters jump from the pages of the comics onto the big screen. You have January " I look nothing like I do on Mad Men" Jones playing Emma Frost, Zoe " yeah he is my Dad" Kravitz playing Angel and Nicholas "Yes I was the kid in About a boy" Hoult playing a young Hank McCoy/Beast ( not really knew but notable just the same). The head baddie Sebastian Shaw is played with a evil restraint and 60's swagger by Kevin Bacon . I can not tell you how many different 6 degree connections have been made within the cast of this one movie. I want to commend the casting directors on that point alone. 
The movie mainly takes place in the 60's around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis ( they get to play fast and loose with our history as well) and of course everyone comes together to keep the bad mutants from helping along the destruction of humanity. The conflict that comes between the first class crew stems from the personal dilemma of whether or not humanity is worth saving. There were a couple of cameos that you must be on the look out for. They tickled me pink and were a great nod to the movies that have come before and I they surely set it up for another installment of this area in X-Men history. Whatever comes next though I am sure I will be sitting in the middle of a dark theater on opening day eagerly waiting to see what they do next. If pressed though I have to say what I am really waiting for is a full length feature starring my favorite Cajun... *fingers crossed* 
No comments:
Post a Comment