X-Men: First Class

I have so much to tell you :-) But after leaving the cinema, my head is spinning and I'm unlikely to get anything coherent out of myself. Anyway, I'm impressed with the grandeur, thoughtfulness, and color. The moment Charles shed a tear when he entered Eric's head, I shed two. I was almost rolling on the floor during the few minutes when the "youngsters" learned to control their abilities. So, Vaughn has clearly scored again for me and I look forward to all his future endeavors. Yes, X-Men just knocked Inception out of my top 10. (29/06/2011)

Two men with a nearly brotherly bond, the fascinating teenager Mystique and the birth of several legends. And by its very nature, once a small, modest spin-off about Magneto, which under Vaughn's hands grew from a mutant matchmaker to the most anticipated blockbuster in recent months. When then the vengeful Erik Lensherr chases after the most sinister world gang against the backdrop of the Cold War, and the freshly graduated Charles Xavier teaches mutants how to deal with themselves, a well-deserved chill runs down your spine. Whether it's the story, the effects, the action, or the perfect actors (for me, McAvoy is the clear ruler). This tragedy has a clearly defined ending from the beginning, but by being able to stir up almost all emotions to the maximum, it reaches for the position of one of the comic book kings. (07/06/2011)

I self-critically admit that I expected more from Vaughn than he could realistically do. When the magnetic Fassbender and the musing McAvoy are on the screen, it's as dark, immersive, and adult funny as I'd hoped. First Class has a very serious soul - it revolves around collective guilt, revenge, and the right to rule the world. The best scenes are not the action scenes, but the ones which are most conversational, where it stands out how far the creators can descend and how suggestive this comic book saga can be. The more realistic and mature the X-men look, the more they have trouble dealing with the "teenage" element. Fortunately, Vaughn kept some distance and perspective, yet I was not interested in the first class with the exception of the mentors, and it seemed that it was makeweight. This wasn't the case in Singer's day. It's like all the energy and attraction falls on the central duo. However, this is rewarded with absolutely devastating energy, and although the film sometimes breathes heavily, in the end it offers emotions and depth related to the legendary duo. It's just the comparison with singer's coherence and composure that prevents me from being completely enthusiastic. Anyway, I'd be very surprised if a more stylish and soulful spectacle came to movie theatres this year. (31/05/2011)

Phenomenal! Vaughn brings the series back to where it originally started. As a comic book movie that uses its brain where others flex their muscles, it doesn't for a moment compromise on the audience-appealing spectacle, which doesn't lack wit, exaggeration, and... action. It is mature in its acting, plot, and direction, with no dead spots or lapses in pace. I’ll have more to say (hopefully) after the second viewing. Now I am just reveling in the memories of a film that was satisfying in every way. PS: There is nothing for me to add the second time either. Except that Fassbender rules like nobody’s business. Perfect in every detail. (03/06/2011)

Very retro and very stylish younger brother of Singer’s original X-Men. To start with I would like to say that Vaughn is a genius, because such an incredible amount of story, twists and character development are combined in this compact unit. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if the movie were three hours long and the director added those scenes that definitely ended up on the cutting room floor. The action is first-class. And no shortage of shots that will have your eyes on stalks and even some pretty decent tricks (with the coin) are included to help the story and not just to look good and appear in the trailer to attract the audience to the movie theater. Almost all the characters are well-developed, no doubt about that, but First Class relies mainly on Fassbender and his Magnet (people are swines, I would have gone with him). He is roughly equally important as Wolverine was for the part one and he is at very least equally iconic, if not more. Logan’s appearance would have pleased me more if I hadn’t already read about it in almost every review. McAvoy’s Charles isn’t bad either, very surprising both for his playboy behavior and for his no-nonsense approach to the role. Almost all of the baddies have something to them, and mostly the mysterious Kevin Bacon (you can see how much he enjoyed himself) and the chillingly beautiful January Jones. Otherwise, it’s a clever summer hit that does honor to the brand and I wouldn’t mind looking back into the past like this again some day. (03/06/2011)