X-Men First Class: Best movies of 2011, pick 4
Matthew Vaughn’s directorial contribution to the X-Men franchise is a prequel, narrating Magneto and Xavier’s whole raison d’être. X-Men First Class makes Pinstripe Magazine‘s list at number 4 of our Best movies of 2011 reviews.
What starts in a Polish ghetto as an anti Semitic thread weaves through the narrative into full blown action sequence climaxing with the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960’s, engineered by Shaw whose aim it is to provoke a full scale nuclear war amongst the humans.
During which, we are able to sit back and get sucked into a super-hero fantasy world which is played out by an ensemble of big names – Kevin Bacon, at times looking like a 70’s pimp, heinously stepping out of Fantasy Island or the Bond franchise, all that’s missing is the cat; Emma Frost, seducing the Kremlin’s communist elite with her Barbarella psychedella number; James McAvoy as the Darwinist nerd from Oxford and then there’s Fassbender as Magneto…
Magneto’s darker streak drives the split amongst the mutants and as he takes revenge on Shaw by piercing his brain with a Reich issued coin. The sub plots and supporting roles never intrude with this goal and it is perhaps the strongest story line in the movie, along with Magneto trying to win Raven over to his darker cause and turn her against Xavier.
The training sequence of the mutant recruits is entertaining and hints at an Obi-Wan meets Rocky Three’s “getting stronger” sequence. It’s an entertaining mid point of the movie where the kids go wild, running around, creating havoc like Motley Crue and even flying around like Tekken’s Ailsa Bosconovitch doing her Willow the Wisp routine.
At points, Xavier comes across as too powerful and omnipotent and his moral outlook, unlike many super-heroes, is never fully elucidated. It is with some satisfaction, we align ourselves with Magneto and follow his journey and see how personal his vengeance is. The Old Boy/ Marathon Man tooth routine in the banker’s office is intense but thankfully, Vaughn spares us the hammer torture routine.
With its origins as a commentary on social consciousness and comparing the unforgiving Magneto to Malcolm X and the more exonerating Xavier to Martin Luther King, Pinstripe Magazine rates this a definite pick of 2011. An average script with above average cast delivering high-octane thrills and effects.
Check out another must see movie The Inbetweeners: Best movies of 2011, pick 3
Sal Kapoor
Bringing you the latest and best from the movie world.
