X-Men First Class

[Gaumer]

In a perfect world I would have been happier if Marvel Studios had always put out the X-Men movies instead of Fox. But I was still excited to see the first one and enjoyed the first two. I'm looking forward to First Class, at least on principle alone.

Did they tank the Magneto movie? I thought maybe this was their way of still using some of that story, I dunno.

It seems like FC is going to be sort of Magneto centric so, hopefully its still in the works or at least being bounced around as an idea depending on what FC does $$$-wise

His ties to the holocaust and the similarities of that racism and the mutants lot makes Magneto one of the deepest villains in all of entertainment IMO. He deserves a movie more than Wolvie But that may be the problem: the things make Magneto's story so interesting are hard to put across and still be meaningful. You have to treat that sort of thing with care, the sort of care that is hard to do in an action type movie, I'd think. But we can hope. I do.

Check out Magneto: Testament by Greg Pak for Magneto awesomeness in that context.

http://www.majorspoilers.com/review-x-men-magneto-testament-hc

[Navarre]

I just saw it. X-Men First Class is Navarre-Approved.

The film does what Thor failed to adequately capture: the slow dissolution of friends & brothers to antagonists.

Thor was enjoyable but went the Hollywood route of giving us a burgeoning romance while neglecting what I saw as the real story: Loki's decent to darker places while Thor learned to embrace his innate noble nature. The film only got that half-right.

X-Men First Class took its time, allowing us to explore Magneto's personality, developing his psyche for us to take us along on his path. It also gave us a brash and arrogant Charles Xavier and, like Thor, showed us where pride truly doth goeth before the fall.

Simultaneously, it drew four different threads of character connection from Mystique. This places her as a pivotal character for future films.

Though the box-office receipts are in the "adequate" range right now, the film holds its own. I'll have to give Fox credit this time.

The most important actors all did a very good job. I thought Michael Fassbender was especially good as Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence gave us a layered Mystique.

I had some reservations about the film based on the past X-Movies. But this offers a strong new beginning and I recommend watching the film.

[Gaumer]

I'm still not sure. I'm letting it stew a bit like a good roast before I let loose, if I even do. It was really good and Nav's comment probably reflect my own when I boil it down. I'm just too big a comic fanboy to allow myself to think it was as awesome as it probably was. I should just get over it

Emma Frost, IMHO, was about as close to what I think of when I think of these characters in the flick. Azazel seemed like he was there just to have a teleporter. Nothing wrong with it on the surface, just saying.

I agree it did a great job to show the slow dissolution of friends and brothers, although I don't know if the build up to that makes the relationship mean enough to have what happened mean as much.

I would give it a strong 4.5 adamantium claws (out of 6, of course). Anyone disagrees can "Go F^&$ yourselves"


SPOILER:



I also find it hard to believe that Charles would keep Shaw in the state Shaw was in as Eric did what he did with his arcade token But I was able to hold my doubt at that point simply because I ever so wanted to see the inevitable, which did finally occur. But this glared out at me for being out of character. Again, just saying. I understand that these are not the same characters, just a look at them through different shaded glasses.

[Navarre]

Yeah, I thought about Shaw too. Same reaction. I never claimed it was a perfect film, by any means.

You're just having difficulty liking the film because it wasn't full of Wolverine. 

[Gaumer]

Yeah, I thought about Shaw too. Same reaction. I never claimed it was a perfect film, by any means.

You're just having difficulty liking the film because it wasn't full of Wolverine. 

It had enough for me 1 line and he still stole the show

And, no, not perfect. I wasn't expecting perfect, I, probably, got exactly what I was expecting.

See, with a comic I can just go back and read it again. They'd probably want me to pay another cover price to see the movie again...I could have tried though

[chrysalis]

When Wolverine said his one line the people in my theater laughed and clapped. I had a great audience to view the film with. They really enjoyed the movie and it made viewing the movie that much better. Plus, this was the first time my daughter really got her geek on. I'm glad we shared that together and glad she is turning into a geek. lol

As far as the movie itself goes, I rather enjoyed it. I wondered about the scene in question, but I thought that Xavier kept him in that state because he didn't want Shaw to kill his friend... or so I told myself so it didn't spoil the movie for me. lol

[Navarre]

Yeah, I dunno. He could have spoken through Shaw after Erik put on the helmet. Even take control of Shaw and get him out of there but into custody.

I think Charles just wanted to see his buddy do a cool coin trick.

[Gaumer]

Yeah, I dunno. He could have spoken through Shaw after Erik put on the helmet. Even take control of Shaw and get him out of there but into custody.

I think Charles just wanted to see his buddy do a cool coin trick.

lol

Joker and Harvey Dent all rolled into one. And its goes over big at parties.


I was waiting for a witty line: "Tails I win; Heads you lose"

[Navarre]

"Hey, Shaw. Want to coin a phrase? Go ahead, think of a phrase then..."

[chrysalis]

Maybe he was hoping his fried would do the right thing.

[@lantis]

I am surprised you thought it succeeded where Thor failed Navarre.  I felt it had a similar problem where I didn't feel that Eric and Charles were particularly close friends.  No more than any of the other mutants at least.  It was an all right movie, and I liked that they wove the plot into actual historical events as nicely as they did.

The thing I wonder about is how they got off the island considering that the governments of both countries wanted to kill them.  If they really wanted to wipe them out they could have just left them stranded.

I also saw the Shaw pause as Charles not knowing for sure what Eric was going to do and hoping that he would change his mind at the last second and embrace the good inside himself.  They did try to play Charles as being naively optimistic so I guess it makes sense.

[Navarre]

I felt Charles and Erik were close. I think it is more than Erik wasn't the sort to show that easily.

For example, when Erik could have left with the CIA documents but returned, I didn't take that as him only seeing an opportunity for himself. Instead, I think he was moved by the fact that he knew Charles could have made him return/stay/relinquish but didn't.

It was perhaps the first time Erik had been treated with true respect as an individual instead of what he could do. He wasn't forced into something for "the greater good" (as the Nazis would have put it). He was allowed to choose.

I think his choice reflected his respect for Charles and his own desire to belong in a "family" (something perhaps not even understood by himself). I think we saw more of Erik than Erik saw of himself and completely understood it. That is why I thought it worked.

[Gaumer]

I felt Charles and Erik were close. I think it is more than Erik wasn't the sort to show that easily.

For example, when Erik could have left with the CIA documents but returned, I didn't take that as him only seeing an opportunity for himself. Instead, I think he was moved by the fact that he knew Charles could have made him return/stay/relinquish but didn't.

It was perhaps the first time Erik had been treated with true respect as an individual instead of what he could do. He wasn't forced into something for "the greater good" (as the Nazis would have put it). He was allowed to choose.

I think his choice reflected his respect for Charles and his own desire to belong in a "family" (something perhaps not even understood by himself). I think we saw more of Erik than Erik saw of himself and completely understood it. That is why I thought it worked.

You're as optimistic as Charles was. I think Eric finally saw the fatal flaw in his new friend at that moment and knew that all he would have to do is follow Charles to the goal they had in common.

[Navarre]

You're as pessimistic as Erik was. I think you hold no faith that normal humans and afro-sapiens can live together in peace.

You'd wear the helmet but it'd mess up your hair.

[Gaumer]

You're as pessimistic as Erik was. I think you hold no faith that normal humans and afro-sapiens can live together in peace.

You'd wear the helmet but it'd mess up your hair.

I doubt it would fit Telepathy blocking helmets and afros do not mix

I'm not saying there wasn't some struggle for Erik in his desire for revenge and making friends. But in that moment when Erik was running off and Charles stopped him, I think Erik saw that his move to stay with Charles fit into both of those items on Erik's to-do list: make friends; get coin into brain revenge.

Which fit perfectly into the story.


I do agree with @lantis in my feeling that although the relationship was dealt with in the right tone by the end of the movie I didn't feel the two had built enough of a relationship to have that make sense.

But, with that said, I doubt the two of them strengthening that friendship while on their search for other mutants would not have been too entertaining. No one wants to watch two guys play chess for 45 minutes to reinforce the guy on guy love...wait, that came out wrong.