First Class By Name, First Class By Nature

When I saw the new superhero sequel X-Men First Class, I found the question wasn't 'Is the film any good?' but instead, 'How does it compare with X2?' The question of quality is answered pretty quickly with a story that's amongst the very best comic book adaptations yet made for the bigscreen, but it's the nagging thought that the new film is better than Bryan Singer's 2003 X-Men sequel which saw superheros be taken much more seriously than before, balancing character with action with intelligence.

Comparing the two, side by side, it's easy to see Singer's trademark slow editing and the way he directs actors to much more restrained performances than Kick Ass's Matthew Vaughan does, as well as giving his first two X-Men movies a more slow burn, adult thriller tone. And in some scenes Vaughan emulates Singer's style, keeping things mature in tone and grounded with respect to the performances. But he also allows himself to deviate from the established tone to deliver a film broader, not only in narrative scope, but in tone as well.

1/ The film is fun, and much funnier than previous X-Men movies. James McAvoy's Xaviour is far removed from Patrick Stewart's regal portrayal, making him a cocky, lover of the ladies who likes a few drinks down the boozer, and he ensures much of the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The recruitment scene is laced with humour while the naming sequence, as the young recruits choose their superhero names, is almost cartoon like in it's staging.

2/ There's some powerful, iconic or memorable sequences, some dark (Erik's Marathon Man style persuasion of a Swiss Banker), some emotional (Erik's training breakthrough), some dangerous (the outstanding Argentinian revenge sequence), some touching (the Raven/Hank relationship), and some uplifting (Banshee's first flight). And then there's the gobsmacking...Magneto using his newly unlocked powers to raise a submarine from the ocean. In fact, the climax to First Class is one long parade of thrilling moments as the team triumphantly conquer their fears and master their powers.

3/ With the exception of the Wolverine vs Deathstrike fight from X2, the action is much more exciting and more varied than what's come before. Whether it's Erik's attack on villain Sebastian Shaw's yacht, the Hellfire Club's invasion of the Men In Black CIA facility, the Russian mansion raid or the action stuffed finale...the set pieces are dramatic, involving and original.

4/ The cast is superb from top to bottom with Michael Fassbender perfectly complementing McAvoy in a performance that's just as charismatic as his counterpart, but with a determined intensity rather than a posh superiority. In fact, this is the film that finally makes Fassbender deservedly A-list, and the one which clearly dictates that he's the front runner to the James Bond crown when Daniel Craig finally hangs up his hat in a few years.

5/ There's some great cameos from the coolest Hollywood character actors around like James Remar, Michael Ironside and Ray Wise. Plus Rebecca Romjin shows her face for a neat appearance while a certain adamantium touched mutant appears to beautifully deliver the one 'F' bomb you're allowed in a PG-13 release.

6/ The entire cast are wonderful. Jennifer Lawrence exudes a confident sexuality and a hidden vulnerability as a young Mystique, Nicholas Hoult balances his outward geekyness with a simmering frustration of his condition and Kevin Bacon has fun with his playboy super-mutant. January Jones, the ever-gorgeous Rose Byrne and Jason Flemyng get short changed in the running time, but this is really a Professor X and Magneto movie, so their lack of meaty dialogue is understandable.

7/ Style wise this is a very cool movie. The early 60's globetrotting evokes the Connery Bond era, which is echoed in Fassbender's ruthless, Bondian performance. Weaving the plot with the real life events of the Cuban Missile Crisis is inspired. Not only does it add an air of authenticity to proceedings but those events are gripping by themselves...adding a mutant superhero plot just heightens the drama further. The 60's trappings are downplayed for the most part, so it retains a contemporary vibe, much like the Men In Black film series.

8/ The effects work is mostly excellent, especially those provided for the Missile Crisis climax by Peter Jackson's WETA outfit. Others are a little underwhelming, perhaps down to the rushed production schedule, but none as bad as Wolverine's wobbly claws in the disgraceful X-Men Origins feature. There's some retro tunes thrown into the soundtrack, particularly Gnarl's Barkley's hit 'Run' and Henry Jackson's Hans Zimmer-esque score is one of the few recent blockbusters with strong recognisable themes and music cues that work as independent tracks, separate from the film.

Overall this is a fantastic summer blockbuster that has it all; smart, fun, amusing, cool, exciting, thought provoking and touching. It's what summer movies should be all about. For me it ranks alongside X2 as the best X-Men movie (I love the original but X2 trumps it in every way). Singer's film is tonally too different to give it a fair comparison, but as a piece of entertainment it's equally as gripping as X-Men First Class.

Finally, at long last, it's great to be able to say that Twentieth Century Fox have released a great movie. It's their best since Peter Weir's Master & Commander in 2003 (although I Robot, Die Hard 4.0, Borat and of course Avatar, and that's to be commended. Is this the turn to quality we've been hoping for? Possibly. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes looks pretty darned cool and they've got Cameron Crowe's WE Bought A Zoo, James Mangold's Wolverine and Ridley Scott's Prometheus on the horizon. Only time will tell. But one has to remember this is the same studio that's pinning it's hopes on a third Chipmunks sequel this Christmas. We're not out of the woods yet.