June's Film of the Month: X-Men: First Class
I have no problem admitting I'm a fanboy when it comes to superhero movies. And, for me, two of the best examples of the genre are the first two X-Men films. However, the third instalment was pretty mediocre and 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' was an incredibly poor effort. But I'm pleased to report that 2011 sees a return to form for the series.
This latest movie is the best entry in the franchise since 'X2'. On further review (and I will definitely watch it again when it's released on Blu-ray), it may be the best X-Men film to date.
So, here are 10 reasons why 'X-Men: First Class' is an awesome, must-see summer blockbuster...
1) It's produced by the Donners. Richard Donner created the template for the superhero movie with the original 'Superman' in 1978. His wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, clearly recognised the mistakes of the last two films, leading to this semi-reboot.
2) Bryan Singer is back on board. He directed the first two X-Men movies, but had no involvement in 'The Last Stand' or 'Wolverine'. For 'First Class', he co-wrote the story, co-produced with Lauren Shuler Donner and mentored the director.
3) It's directed by Matthew Vaughn. Along with Christopher Nolan, he's one of the UK's finest exports and one of the hottest film-makers currently working in Hollywood. I really enjoyed his last superhero flick, 'Kick-Ass' - but this is on another level.
4) At the heart of every great movie is a great script. 'X-Men: First Class' has a strong, character-led story.
5) Set in 1962, the film evokes a strong sense of period, intertwining real-like events with credible fantasy.
6) The movie doesn't hold back. Some of the action scenes are brutally violent (I'm surprised the studio scraped a 12A certificate from the BBFC) and it explores dark, adult themes.
7) It stars two of the best European actors working in cinema: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. I'm firmly onboard the "Fassbender for Bond" bandwagon.
8) The supporting cast is outstanding - particularly Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy.
9) There's a host of great cameos. I won't reveal the biggest surprises, but watch out for Ray Wise (Laura Palmer's dad), James Remar (Dexter's dad) and Michael Ironside (of 'Total Recall' and 'Starship Troopers' fame).
10) Kevin Bacon's in it - so the film is an essential reference point if you're playing "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."
Quite frankly, if you don't like this movie, I don't think we could ever be friends!
