Movie Review - X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Oliver Platt, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, and Kevin Bacon

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Admittedly, after watching this prequel to the previous X-Men movie incarnations, I'm shocked X-Men: First Class didn't do as well as the others in the franchise.  Maybe people felt like they'd seen it all before, but this well-made actioner is simply the best X-Men movie to date filled with some solid performances, a great 1960s vibe, and some clever, witty references to the movies that came before it.

The year is 1962 and after discovering the full potential of their genetic mutations in the 1940s, mind reader/controller Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and metal-wielding Erik Lehnsherr AKA Magneto (Michael Fassbender) find themselves friends and at the center of a government "study" of sorts headed by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) in order to find more humans with these special genetic abilities.  As if the "normal" human race having issues with these abnormalities wasn't enough to deal with, Charles and Erik also find themselves faced with trying to stop another group of "mutants" headed by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who are out to prove that the mutant population should rule over the regular folk.  To add to the intrigue, back in 1944, Shaw was partnering with the Nazis and ended up killing Erik's mother at a concentration camp.  Needless to say, Erik finds himself on a mission to do whatever is necessary to avenge his mother's death.

While it's certainly true that the X-Men series mirrors the Civil Rights movement, here we get an even stronger (and perhaps more blatant) connection to the X-Men equalling the Jews during the Holocaust.  It's a powerful connection, but one that doesn't quite work perfectly.  Still, the connection to WWII does perfectly provide a wonderful villain in Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw.  While some may view Bacon's performance as perhaps over-the-top, I don't see that as a detriment at all.  I mean, we're dealing with shape-shifting, metal-bending, mind-readers here...over-the-top is de rigueur here.  Bacon is certainly larger than life, but it's obvious he's having a heckuva good time playing a deliciously evil baddie with a slick 60s suaveness.

Michael Fassbender is also quite good as Erik/Magneto -- a tortured guy who has comes to terms with his powers, but not quite with the fact that he lost his mother because of them.  James McAvoy was fine as Charles Xavier, but perhaps a tad bland...then again, the character of Professor Xavier never exactly lights the screen up with his personality.

With some really solid action sequences (including a very exciting final showdown) and a lovely 1960s feel that felt near perfect in its retro-ness, director Michael Vaughn has crafted one of the better superhero movies made in the past decade.

The RyMickey Rating (11/13/11):  B+
Updated Ranking (8/29/15):  A-

Movie Review - Unknown

Unknown (2011)

Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Aiden Quinn, January Jones, and Frank Langella

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Jaume Collet-Serra's last directorial effort, 2009's horror film Orphan, ended up on my Top 20 list of the year.  His 2011 flick Unknown will not share that same prestige, however.  Unknown, starring the newly-turned bad-ass Liam Neeson as a man who, after a horrible accident, falls into a coma then wakes up to find his wife and friends acting as if they don't know him, is a film that just never reaches any levels of excitement.

Collet-Serra tries to formulate some action sequences, but between himself and the screenwriters, there's nary a new idea brought to the screen.  The whole affair just felt like a rehash of any number of movies previously created.  Neeson is a little too nonchalant and bland for a man whose life is being turned upside down and Diane Kruger as the taxi driver who unwittingly was the cause of his coma joins him in that blasé club.  Sure to find a spot on the worst acting of the year awards is January Jones who plays Neeson's wife who appears to have somehow turned on him following his accident.  I don't watch Mad Men, but if her absolutely wooden performance here is any indication of her acting prowess, then I have no need to add that show to my Netflix queue.

After the amusing Taken, I was hoping Unknown would be a nice follow-up somewhat in the same vein (and therein may lie a problem with the promotions department of this film who made it seem that it would be).  Unfortunately, it's not even remotely as enjoyable.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-