Mutants are people, too – X-Men: First Class review

This review is LONG overdue. I saw this movie almost 3 weeks ago. For a number of reasons, I have procrastinating on this, and I hope I still have a clear picture of the movie to draw from. Here goes…

X-Men: First Class is Magneto’s story first and foremost. The character is interesting enough, but here he has a palpable angst, brought to life by Michael Fassbaender. Erik Lensherr, Magneto’s “secret identity,” is a Holocaust survivor, an educated man with proficiency in many languages, and a mutant who can manipulate metal. He watched his mother suffer during the holocaust, and he has had anger issues ever since. He meets womanizing telepath Charles Xavier, who tells Erik that he can be taught to control his powers. Charles and Erik are soon recruited by the government to bring down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a mutant terrorist who is trying to incite World War III by launching a conflict between Russia and the USA. After the government hangs Charles and his team out to dry, he sets off on his own with several young mutants under his care. He and Erik work together to establish their school. But Erik has a connection to Shaw that could alter the outcome…

Fassbaender and McAvoy are wonderful here, and they bring a lot to their respective roles. Bacon enjoys his villainy, and Lawrence is heartbreaking as a teen who isn’t comfortable in her own skin.

In terms of action, it’s here, and it’s well-paced. CG does not dominate, and everything looks pretty fantastic. My only complaint is that Beast seems to have difficulty with his prosthesis when he speaks.

X:FC is as good, and maybe in ways better than, X2. It’s a story driven film, and should be seen. Be on the lookout for random glimpses at other mutants.

Kick-Ass: artful gore, American Pie-style humor…one of the best superhero films yet!

It’s impossible to talk about “Kick-Ass” without spoiling some of the geeky gory goodness contained within. It’s not exactly a deconstruction of superheroes as much as it is a story about what might happen if some random people, each mentally unbalanced in his or her own special way, decided to act as though they WERE superheroes and actually take on crime lords and corrupt cops. Out of that comes both superhero movie parody and comic-book homage, as well as some fascinating characters and exciting, harsh action sequences that verge on Tarantino-level violence. Some will hate it. In fact, I know a handful of people who do. In my very humble opinion, though, Kick-Ass is a fantastic variation on the superhero movie genre.

I’ll avoid giving away plot points, but let me just introduce you to the central characters. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is the lonely teenager who eventually becomes Kick-Ass. Dave’s hormones are typically in overdrive, and he reads comic books. As Kick-Ass, he is the closest of our heroes to having superpowers. Through a complicated accident, Dave has lost several nerve endings in his body, and much of his skeleton has metal reinforcement. In a nutshell, he can be hurt badly and not feel it. Also, his major bones are hard to break.

Damon MacCready (Nicolas Cage) has been training his 11-year-old daughter, Mindy (Chloë Grace Moretz), to be his sidekick for most of her life. They’re a variation on Batman and Robin, except that Batman’s secret identity is more Ned Flanders than Bruce Wayne, and Robin is a girl who has totally lost her own identity in her father’s revenge quest. Big Daddy even looks like Batman, and talks in the same stilted rhythm that Adam West used in the 1960’s TV show. Hit Girl is essentially a female Robin in appearance, with the addition of a schoolgirl plaid skirt and a purple wig…yikes! Hit Girl gets some of the best lines and most impressive action sequences.

Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) becomes The Red Mist, a spoiled brat who has a tricked out car. The superhero ID isn’t nearly as interesting as Chris himself, who is the attention-starved son of Frank D’Amico, the crime boss who is also the object of Big Daddy’s hatred. The elder D’Amico is played with delightful wit and timing by Mark Strong. (GEEK ALERT: Strong will appear as Sinestro in next summer’s Green Lantern!!!)

The joy of watching this movie the first time for me was not knowing exactly how it was going to unfold. I want to leave that surprise to you, the uninitiated viewer. If you’ve already read Mark Millar’s comic series, the movie maintains the tongue-in-cheek tone, yet retains its heart. There are moments of hilarity, shock, and genuine emotion. All of the actors are well-cast, and the pacing is pretty even. Even the exposition doesn’t really lag. I hope that the sequel can deliver a story of equal or better quality. This is definitely my favorite superhero movie of the year.