DVD
REVIEW: X-MEN FIRST CLASS
09/15/11
OVERVIEW:
Before they were superheroes, the fate of humanity depended on an extraordinary group of youngsters who went on to become X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Based on the international bestselling Marvel Comics franchise, this box office hit bursts onto Blu-ray and DVD Friday, September 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. For the first time ever, “X-Men” fans will have the power to choose a side between Professor X and Magneto with two versions of premium collectible Blu-ray packaging. Also exclusively on Blu-ray, fans receive access to over two hours of special interactive features PLUS ten Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics including a never-before-seen “X-Men: First Class” backstory— redeemable through each Blu-ray’s unique packaging code.
SYNOPSIS: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS brings together the epic scale and action of a summer blockbuster with a character-driven story that unveils the beginning of the X-Men saga – and a secret history of the Cold War and our world at the brink of nuclear Armageddon. As the first class discovers, harnesses, and comes to terms with their formidable powers, alliances are formed that will shape the eternal war between the heroes and villains of the X-Men universe. Like all great X-Men stories, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS takes on ambitious themes and issues while offering a rich and personal look at an unusual superhero team.
FILM REVIEW:
Professor Charles Xavier: Listen to me very carefully, my friend: Killing will not bring you peace.
Erik Lehnsherr: Peace was never an option.
Yes, Magneto has always been driven, but not by means of seeking peace. He is driven by an anger, a vengeance, an obscure sense of insecurity perhaps and he is striving to make things right . . . his version of it. Of all comic book villains, Magneto is probably the most unique. He has a certain justification in his actions. He is not evil for the sake of being evil. His goal is to protect his kind, but at any cost and somewhat proactively. Michael Fassbender stood out above everyone else in this picture with his role as Erik
Lehnsherr, Magneto. He really gave new life to the character as well as a new connection with the audience. James McAvoy is not that far behind and he is always a treat to watch in action. He is arguably the best choice to precede Patrick Stewart as a young Charles Xavier. Both these guys were very well chosen for their respective roles.
This is a well made, good quality movie. It is a good story, with a good script, a good cast that gave good performances, good action and the whole movie is not all action which is also good, so a little bit of good drama, a little bit of good humor too, good special effects, and it’s a good prequel. So let’s summarize . . . it’s good! As far as prequels go, off the top of my head, my favorite is still the latest Star Trek movie, but this one is close and pretty darn good. Okay, I’ll try not to use the word good for the rest of this review. Having this X-Men set during the Cold War, more specifically the Cuban Missile Crisis, really added to its realism. It made it a lot more identifiable and relatable. But for me, the best and most interesting part of this prequel is how well it ties with the rest of the series. Without giving anything away, let’s just say that a lot of questions are answered. Along with that, however, a lot of new questions arise. The only drawback of this film is that at times it got a little cheesy, especially when dealing with the younger recruits of the First Class. One of the best performances of the bunch is given by Nicholas Hoult who plays a young Hank McCoy, Beast. He gives a new perspective on that character. Similarly, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique does the same for her character. We get a lot more background on Moira MacTaggert played by the exceptional Rose Byrne. But by far, the creepiest performance is given by Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw. Of course he does a fine job with his role, cold and calculated. Also, be on the lookout for a particular cameo that brought the house down during the screening I attended. It was excellent. I would say that Director Matthew Vaughn is on a role; Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, and now this. Not a bad resume for the first four movies in his directing career. X-Men fans, you will not be disappointed with this one.
Film
Review
By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
VIDEO:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
AUDIO:
English 5.1 Dolby Digital (some special features in 2.0 Dolby Stereo) Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround, French 2.0 Dolby Surround
Subtitles - English Spanish French- Optional
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Children of the
Atom: Second Genesis and Band of Brothers
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