X-Men: First Class Part 2

They even made the blue and gold costumes rock.

Late to the party, I finally got around to watching X-Men First Class. I was totally blown away by the film. It’s almost a shame that this film wasn’t made first. Instead of Banshee flight lessons they could have used Angel (Warren Worthington). Instead of Havoc learning to control his death beams, they could have had Cyclops training with his visor. I could bitch and moan but they took B and C listers and made them kick ass. The minor continuity problems with the other films don’t matter as long as you don’t think about them too hard. The only real problem I had was that they didn’t shave James McAvoys head. I now have to ask: What X-Men film are we getting next?

First Class’s strongest feature was that it aligned with real history evolving the superhero narrative around the Cuban Missile Crisis. So let’s say the X-Men, X2: X-Men United, and X-Men Last Stand took place vaugely in the 90’s when the first movie came out, and First Class took place in the 60s there is about 30 years of history to play with. Xavier wasn’t the saintly professor he becomes in later in the movies. He was a bit of a rowdy young guy, willing to manipulate and mind wipe innocent people including a woman who loved him.  I got the vibe that despite his desire for peace and acceptance he isn’t as universally tolerant or compassionate as he would become later. It would be interesting character development for Xavier to become a better person if he met and was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Other historical evens they could incorporate, in a non chronological order, are the moon landing and the space race, the fall of the Berlin wall, hostages in Iran, Vietnam, Watergate, and the civil rights movement. Xavier living through these events could make him understand humanity, the good and the bad, and dedicate himself to inspiring good.

Conversely I would love to see Magneto cross the “Moral Event Horizon”. Sure he killed Shaw, but he was a Nazi who murdered his mother, and tried to start World War Three. Yea, he did try to destroy the Russian and American fleet, but they tried to kill him after he’d saved their lives.  He was almost a superhero in this film, but broke the unbreakable rule: though shall not kill.” It’s always a cliché in a superhero story that if the hero wants to kill the villain, someone will say you can’t do that or you will be just like him.” Now, I want to see Magneto making those same choices which turn him into a comic book Nazi. He should make darker choices until he fully crosses over into full blown, irredeemable villainy. Of course Xavier will always be there, looking for hope, but I think that the X-Men movies were all pretty good (with the exception of Last Stand). Even Wolverine’s solo film was well done. I don’t want to see that continuity thrown out.  I think they should apply the same logic to any subsequent movie that first class used.
Continuity works as long as you don’t think about it too hard. I want to see Xavier recruit young Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Storm. All three were shown to be veteran X-Men. If they were important recruiting them could cause some major problems between the opposing sides of the mutant debate.  I want to see the issues with William Strikers son get played out. Maybe Jean Grey is vital to stopping Striker’s son. Each were the only ones more powerful than Professor X.

First Class was character driven, and brought the X-Men back to basics. I almost don’t care what they take from the comics as long as the Second Class, takes itself just as seriously.

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