You Won’t Believe the ONE X-Men Movie That Leaves All Others in the Dust

by

The 20th Century Fox X-Men movie series produced a total of 13 films, varying greatly in quality. Some, such as Dark Phoenix and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, are criticized heavily within the comic book film genre, while others like The Wolverine have niche fanbases. Not a single X-Men movie, excluding those featuring Deadpool, has achieved the level of cultural impact comparable to The Avengers or The Dark Knight, but most of them have dedicated followers. Remarkably, even The New Mutants, which is often perceived negatively, has passionate fans willing to praise it beyond its generally held reputation.

Despite the lack of standout X-Men films overall, it’s quite straightforward to identify which ones stand out as the cream of the crop in the series. Among the mainline X-Men installments, there’s a clear frontrunner that leaves the rest in its wake, with exceptions like Logan. Particularly when considering the less successful films such as Dark Phoenix and The Last Stand. Compared to other mainline X-Men titles, X-Men: First Class is far from flawless, but it offers more energy and enjoyment.

What Makes X-Men: First Class So Special?

Read moreHunt: Showdown Permanently Gets Cheaper, but With a Catch

One significant factor propelling X-Men: First Class above other mainline X-Men films lies in its ability to fully embrace the 1960s aesthetic through its production design and costumes. Unlike a superior film like X2 , which eventually descends into monotonous fights within a dimly lit military base, First Class offers vibrant attire and environments that are uniquely tied to the era of Mad Men and The Beatles. The visuals in this film exhibit an engaging level of character, even extending to the long-awaited appearance of the yellow supersuits from the comics.

Just as the summer blockbuster featuring Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as superheroes proved to be a huge success, I found myself utterly captivated by the star-studded cast of X-Men: First Class. Talents like James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, and Jennifer Lawrence truly shone in their interactions with each other. The chemistry between McAvoy and Fassbender was particularly noteworthy, as they breathed new life into the characters of Xavier and Magneto, offering distinct portrayals different from previous X-Men films. This young ensemble skillfully created intriguing new mutant personas rather than relying solely on past representations.

Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto stands out as a deeply engaging character, struggling between the lure of a promising tomorrow and the desire for vengeance rooted in his past (his initial scenes showing him tracking down Nazis are particularly impressive). The way he conveys this character’s internal turmoil, battling with demons, is equally captivating. Such a powerful performance is seldom seen in other X-Men films, often criticized for underutilizing talented actors like Jessica Chastain and James Marsden.

No Other X-Men Film Features a Proper Ensemble

Read moreDeadpool & Wolverine Director Reveals What Part of Making Sequel Was Most Fun

Remarkably, what stands out most in X-Men: First Class is its bold approach as an ensemble film. Unlike past X-Men movies that primarily centered on Wolverine and Professor Xavier, this film also gives significant attention to lesser-known mutants such as Mystique, Havok, Beast, and others, providing them with their own storylines and screen time. This is a refreshing departure from earlier films in the series. Sadly, subsequent movies like Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix failed to maintain this balance, leaving young characters like Nightcrawler and Storm with minimal involvement.

Briefly, during one thrilling instance, the “X-Men” franchise in the film “First Class” functioned at its peak as an action movie featuring an ensemble cast, just as it should have. The X-Men, whether in comics or other media (like that popular 90s cartoon), are all about showcasing a wide range of mutants instead of focusing on only one or two. Compared to earlier films, “First Class” excelled at capturing this aspect in live-action more than any other main installment within the series. It was refreshing to observe these young mutants working together towards a common objective, rather than ignoring characters like Cyclops as previous movies had done.

Although it’s important to note that X-Men: First Class isn’t entirely free from the issues prevalent in other X-Men movies, its gender and racial politics could certainly use improvement, as well as some of its visual effects and makeup. However, this film managed to coalesce much more effectively than any other X-Men title released up until 2011. This installment beautifully brought the characters’ potential to life, and introduced delightful visual elements reminiscent of the 60s, which added a unique touch to the live-action presentation.

X-Men: First Class is now streaming on Disney+.

Read More

2025-04-13 16:10