X-Men: First Class
Disappointing. After reading reviews that this was one of the better X-men movies, I was looking forward to rediscovering the sense of excitement, discovery and coolness of the first two films. Not to be.
The characters are tired. Magneto is really not that interesting anymore. Neither are any of the other enemies. A man who can turn himself into a whirlwind? A red Nightcrawler? A woman who can mutate into diamond hardness? A lady with dragonfly wings? Kevin Bacon as a mutant who can absorb energy and then release it's potential in other forms? Bah! Give me Lady Deathstrike, Toad, or Sabretooth anyday.
The film is really hurt by the loss of it's three biggest stars: Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman. It's hard to make up for the charisma and class these stars bring to the screen. Jennifer Lawrence, great in Winter's Bone, is miscast. She doesn't have the sexual dynamism Rebecca Romijn brought to the character of Mystique. McAvoy and Fassbender, who can be great in the right roles (See The Last King of Scotland and 300 respectively), have their potential put to waste here. It becomes another uninspired, explosive filled, paint-by-numbers, comic book movie.
With the end of the usual overwrought CGI climax, I thought to myself: when was the last time I was really impressed with a CGI scene? Was it at the end of the first Jurassic Park? That's a long, damn time ago. Please directors: take note.
The one character I found myself interested in was Banshee. Now there's some real inspired powers. I would watch a spin off Banshee movie over an X-Men: Second Class or X-Men: Senior High any day. And the young actor playing Hack McCoy nailed the sensitive, shy, scientist role well until he transformed into Beast. Whereupon he intimidates by growls and snarks in true doggy form. *sighs*
But apparently I'm off the mark with the IMDb ratings this movie has garnered and the rave reviews it has received. As for me, I am finished with the franchise. So while others are flocking to the theater, spending their dollars on the next sixth, sure-to-come installment of the X-men movies, I'll gladly sit in my La-Z-Boy, crack a beer, put my feet up and play the DVDs of the first two movies. And reflect on the franchise's glory days of old.
Disappointing. After reading reviews that this was one of the better X-men movies, I was looking forward to rediscovering the sense of excitement, discovery and coolness of the first two films. Not to be.
The characters are tired. Magneto is really not that interesting anymore. Neither are any of the other enemies. A man who can turn himself into a whirlwind? A red Nightcrawler? A woman who can mutate into diamond hardness? A lady with dragonfly wings? Kevin Bacon as a mutant who can absorb energy and then release it's potential in other forms? Bah! Give me Lady Deathstrike, Toad, or Sabretooth anyday.
The film is really hurt by the loss of it's three biggest stars: Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman. It's hard to make up for the charisma and class these stars bring to the screen. Jennifer Lawrence, great in Winter's Bone, is miscast. She doesn't have the sexual dynamism Rebecca Romijn brought to the character of Mystique. McAvoy and Fassbender, who can be great in the right roles (See The Last King of Scotland and 300 respectively), have their potential put to waste here. It becomes another uninspired, explosive filled, paint-by-numbers, comic book movie.
With the end of the usual overwrought CGI climax, I thought to myself: when was the last time I was really impressed with a CGI scene? Was it at the end of the first Jurassic Park? That's a long, damn time ago. Please directors: take note.
The one character I found myself interested in was Banshee. Now there's some real inspired powers. I would watch a spin off Banshee movie over an X-Men: Second Class or X-Men: Senior High any day. And the young actor playing Hack McCoy nailed the sensitive, shy, scientist role well until he transformed into Beast. Whereupon he intimidates by growls and snarks in true doggy form. *sighs*
But apparently I'm off the mark with the IMDb ratings this movie has garnered and the rave reviews it has received. As for me, I am finished with the franchise. So while others are flocking to the theater, spending their dollars on the next sixth, sure-to-come installment of the X-men movies, I'll gladly sit in my La-Z-Boy, crack a beer, put my feet up and play the DVDs of the first two movies. And reflect on the franchise's glory days of old.
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