X = Dynamite! First Class lives up to the name...

I was lucky enough to get a chance to check out X-Men: First Class last night, and it’s terrific! Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass) has evolved into a world-class action filmmaker, delivering a brand new origin story that is incredibly involving and satisfying.

What makes First Class special is the casting, which breathes resounding new life into these characters. The real story here is Michael Fassbender, who delivers the most commanding, hypnotic action movie performance in ages, portraying Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto. Having been experimented on during the holocaust, Erik now stalks the earth tracking down former Nazis with brutally efficient zeal. He’s nothing short of phenomenal. Like a Connery-era James Bond, with this movie he moves into the stratosphere of action stars who can actually act. It’s the coolest performance I’ve seen this year.

Equally good is Kevin Bacon in glorious villain mode as Sebastian Shaw. The entire movie is set in the 1960’s – the Cuban Missile Crisis is a major part of the action. With his mod outfits and shag carpeted submarine, Shaw could have been an Austin Powers parody very easily. But he nails this role completely and totally sells it.

It’s interesting to see a young, vital Charles Xavier, embodied by James McAvoy. He’s actually a womanizer as the story begins, but makes sure Xavier stands tall as the conscience and moral compass of the band of mutants he brings together to protect. McAvoy is terrific, as is Rose Byrne. January Jones brings her Betty Draper iciness as Sebastian Shaw’s sidekick, Emma Frost. Jennifer Lawrence was the only underwhelming link for me here, seeming a little awkward and miscast as Mystique.


Make no mistake, Vaughn serves up a rousing, involving origin story epic that does a marvelous job of honoring the comic’s legacy while making it all seem like a fresh new ballgame. But it’s Fassbender who knocks it out of the park.