X-Men: First Class A Lively Orientation Session.

X-Men: First Class

As the old saying goes, if at first you do not succeed, try and try again. In many ways this perfectly encapsulates the X-men film franchise. Of the three previous X-men films, and the Wolverine spinoff, only X2 truly captured the essence of the comics on screen. The original X-men played it too safe while the third film, X-Men: Last Stand, cared more about its special effects that of its plot. As for X-men Origins: Wolverine, well the less said about that debacle the better. As a result my expectations were lowered significantly going into the latest reboot X-Men: First Class.

Set against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, X-Men: First Class highlights the events that first brought Charles “Professor X” Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik “Magneto” Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) together. Shortly after receiving his doctorate, Charles Xavier and his companion Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are recruited by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assist in tracking down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Leader of a group of mutants known has the Hellfire Club, Shaw plans to bring the United States and Russia to war for his own personal gain. While pursuing Shaw, Xavier meets Lensherr who is hunting Shaw to settle an old score. Joining force the two men, along with a team of young mutants, attempt to stop Shaw before he starts another World War.

In many ways X-Men: First Class is best viewed as its own separate entity. The film tries too hard to align itself with the narratives of the X-men films that came before it. This however is a mistake as the continuity errors become apparent the more they reference the other films. However X-Men: First Class is a film that does not need to acknowledge its legacy as it has its own unique voice. Director Matthew Vaughn creates a film that is smartly reinvents the mythology of the X-men while keeping the lighter tone found in the comics.

What makes this film work so well is the strong performances by both Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Although the X-men have always been team based, the story would have still worked if the film featured only Xavier and Lensherr. These two characters are the most interesting aspect of the film. McAvoy may not carry the same commanding presence that Patrick Stewart did in the other films, but he does manage to make the character of Xavier exciting again. The way he conveys Xavier’s struggle between his ideology that mutants and humans can co-exist and his desire to fight side by side with Lensherr comes across well in the film. Fassbender in particular does a fantastic job of providing his own unique take on Lensherr. Bringing a mixture of compassion and coldblooded rage to the role, Fassbender walks the thin line between good and evil displays why Magneto is one of the more compelling villains in the Marvel universe.

The rest of the cast is hit or miss at the best of times. Kevin Bacon continues to have fun in the villain roles he has been taking of late and Jennifer Lawrence does the best she can with the limited script given to Raven. Although the Raven/Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) subplot was interesting, the triangle between Xavier/Raven/Lensherr did not carry the punch it should have. Similar to the comics, the problem with most X-men films is that there are more characters than there is enough time to truly develop them. January Jones’ Emma Frost is not given much to do besides look pretty, and henchmen like Riptide and Azazel join the long list of quickly forgotten characters.

Still, as far as comic book inspired films go, X-Men: First Class manages to make the X-men entertaining and relevant again. Vaughn offers up several exciting action sequences that are designed to highlight each character’s mutant ability. Plus, the overall story works well and actually generates interest in seeing these characters again in a sequel. Is X-Men: First Class better than X2? Not quite. However this is a film that soars when the previous films are ignored.

10 Movies I Enjoyed That Other People Hate

In honour of the new Defending the Indefensible series, which starts tomorrow night at the Toronto Underground Cinema, I decided to highlight some of the films that I enjoy that others consider awful.

The Fast and the Furious – I am not a car buff, nor do I claim that this is by any means an original tale. Yet The Fast and the Furious is one those films that I can watch over and over. The “we are not so different” bromance between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker coupled with the well done action sequences makes this flick a real treat for me. While the franchise has had its ups and downs, I still think the first film is the best one.

Road House – A film about a “world famous bouncer” ? This should be enough of a warning to let you know that this movie will be bad. My experiences with bouncers is that they are anything but famous. Usually they are big guys who a trying to make a little money on the side. Still, there is a cheap charm to the senselessness of this film. You cannot help but cheer on Patrick Swayze as he takes on the bad guys. Plus the addition of Canadian music icon Jeff Healey is a nice touch. Thanks to shows like The Family Guy, Road House is slowly beginning to garner the cult following that it rightfully deserves.

Serial Mom – This tale of a suburban housewife who strives a little too hard to be perfect never really got much love upon its release. I think this is a result of John Waters being ahead of his time with the film. Many of the satirical elements that people found shocking when the film was released, are now popping up on mainstream television, to rave reviews, in shows like Desperate Housewives.

Marked for Death – Why is this one of the best Steven Seagal films ever? Simply because it features some of the worst fake Jamaican accents ever captured on film. Plus Screwface is one of the most unintentionally funny villains to ever grace the big screen. Every line he utters is comedic gold.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle – I hated Dude Where is My Car? but absolutely loved this multi-cultural take on the tradition stoner comedy. Unlike its sequel, one of the things that makes the first Harold and Kumar film so endearing is that they are actually portrayed fairly smart guys. They get good grades and have promising careers ahead of them. This only makes the comedy that much greater when they finally decide to let loose a little.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls – This is nowhere near as good as Russ Meyer’s best works such Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill, Lorna, Mudhoney, and Vixen!, yet Beyond the Valley of the Dolls does have its own twisted charm. It keeps all the moral subtext of Meyer’s other films while sprinkling elements that are just plain absurd. Roger Ebert’s script may not be great, but it does make for an oddly entertaining mess of a film.

Taken – Liam Neeson going to town on the sinister European sex trade...that pretty much sums it up. Similar to The Fast and the Furious, there is something about Taken that I just love. I think it has to do with Neeson playing against type. Normally roles like this are given to the likes of Steven Seagal, Billy Blanks, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. I also like the fact that the action is, for the most part, fairly realistic. The age of Neeson’s character is always kept in mind and we never see him do anything that a man his age would not be able to do.

The Secret of my Success – I was considering placing Doc Hollywood on the list but I enjoyed this Michael J. Fox film far more. Sure the whole rising up the corporate ladder so quickly based on mistaken identity plot line seemed dated even by 1980’s standards. Yet Fox is what sells this movie. His charisma in the film is what makes this film far more enjoyable than it really should be.

Blue Streak – Yes, this is a blatant rip-off of Beverly Hills Cop but I enjoyed it anyway. Martin Lawrence has been hit (Bad Boys, Do the Right Thing, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins) or miss (Bad Boys 2, Black Knight, National Security) on the big screen but given the right roll he can really excel. While I will not claim this to be a must see film, I can admit that I enjoyed watching it.

Wild Things – As my wife often tells me, sometimes we all just need a good trashy novel. This is exactly what Wild Things feels like with it multiple twists and overtly sexual themes. Throw in a cast that features Matt Dillon, Bill Murray, Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards; and you have a recipe for a fun pulp movie. While the pool scene is the most talked about aspect, the film offers several other guilty pleasure moments.

Movie Marketing Monday

X-Men: First Class

X2 was the only film that I actually like in this franchise. The one thing that has my interest about this reboot is the casting of James McAvoy as Professor Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto.




Jane Eyre

Fassbender pops up again in this star-studded film. While I enjoy the Jane Eyre story, I wonder if there will ever be a big screen remake of Wide Sargasso Sea?

TIFF10 Review: Super

Super

If you have listened to my guest spot on the Super edition of The Dark of the Matinee’s TIFF podcast, Wicked Little Town, then you already know I am quite fond of James Gunn’s latest film. If you have not had a chance to check out the podcast yet then I highly recommend you give it a spin. The Mad Hatter was lucky enough to score a nice interview with James Gunn after our screening of his dark superhero inspired comedy.

Frank D’Arbo’s (Rainn Wilson) life has consisted of two perfect moments. The first was when he happened to help a cop nab a robber by pointing out which direction the crook ran. While the other moment of note was the day he married Sarah (Liv Tyler). Frank’s perfect world is destroyed when he comes home one day and discovers that is wife has left him to be with a local drug dealer, Jacques (Kevin Bacon). Depressed and seeking guidance Frank gets a sign from the above, in the form of folk Christian superhero The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Thus he is inspired to not only right the wrongs of the world but also save Sarah in the process. Disguised as The Crimson Bolt, Frank delivers his own unique brand of vigilante justice to everyone from drug dealers to theatre line cutters. Frank even gets a sidekick, Boltie (Ellen Page), in the process. While successful at the start, Frank soon realizes that the criminal mind in real-life is far more dangerous, and unpredictable, than it is in comic books.

Super often feels like the dark funnier cousin to the film Kick-Ass. Both films look at the challenges ordinary folks endure when trying to become real-life superheroes. While there will surely be debate over which of the two films works better, Super gets my vote. Kick-Ass tries hard not to be your standard superhero tale, but that is exactly what it becomes in the end. Unlike Kick-Ass, there are no jetpacks, outlandish machine guns etc. Super maintains a certain level of realism throughout the film. Sure there are some over-the-top moments, especially the scene where God touches Frank’s brain and inspires wisdom, yet when it comes to the action the film rarely strays from its goal. Super is all about detailing how the average Joe would handle superhero responsibilities in a world where bullets are real and wounds cannot magically heal by turning to the next panel.

For the first part of the film Frank’s main weapon is a simple wrench. When Frank finally upgrades to a gun, Gunn still keeps it all fairly realistic. Even The Crimson Bolt costume looks exactly the way you would expect it to look if it was made by someone with average tailoring skills. The majority of the costume is one sloppy patch job after another.

The fact that The Crimson Bolts outfit looks so put together last minute only enhances the extremely dark humour the film offers. Super wonderfully plays up many of the superhero conventions, including having a secret identity, finding a place to change in public, etc. for big laughs. Yet is should also be noted that Super offers an interesting commentary on the nature of superheroes. Gunn is making a statement that superheroes are nothing more than off-kilter individuals who take pride in beating up others.

This idea is perfectly captured in the character of Boltie. Boltie gets such a thrill out of inflicting punishment on people that she does not even care if the person actually deserves it. Ellen Page is hilarious as Boltie, she steals every scene that she is in while still bring weight to Frank’s plight. Page, Wilson and Bacon are the reason why I think Super will catch on with most viewers. Despite the brutal violence, the lead actors bring much levity to this dark comedy. Bacon is so good in his role, that I wished he was given even more screen time. The fact that the film gets extremely dark in the last half may not sit well with some, yet it is needed when looking at the film as a whole. If you are willing to stay with the film until the end you will be greatly rewarded, Super is a surprisingly smart and extremely funny dark comedy that will have you looking at the superhero genre in a whole new way.

Is This Hero Super Enough To Save TIFF?

We are at the halfway point of TIFF and it has been another interesting year. As there is still plenty of festival left to go I will keep this post brief. I just wanted to bring your attention to a recent podcast I took part in over at The Dark of the Matinee blog. The Mad Hatter and I briefly discussed the new Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page film Super which had its premier at TIFF a few days ago.

You can listen to the podcast here.