‘X-Men’ franchise gets a stirring, thrilling reboot

e were expecting “X-Men: First Class” to be fun and entertaining – but, we didn’t know Matthew Vaughn’s anticipated prequel to Bryan Singer’s mutant saga would exceed our expectations – it’s as smart as it is thrilling!

The movie goes back to how it all started for best friends-turned-arch enemies, Professor X aka Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto aka Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), and how their friendship develops as they train a band of young mutants to fight the despotic Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon).

The film turns Charles’ and Magneto’s back stories in the ’60s into gripping tales of woe, revenge and redemption as they seek Mutantkind’s place under the sun – and, oh, what a ripping yarn Vaughn spins!

The CIA is supposedly on the mutants’ side, but bigotry and man’s inherent fear of the unknown don’t make it easier for Charles and his embattled team to accomplish their mission.

Adding excitement and thematic pertinence to the production’s eventful (and combustible) narrative is the escalating tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that could lead to – gasp! – World War Three!

Themes

It’s interesting to see how the production introduces its provocative themes (Nature vs. Nurture, identity, megalomania, etc.), then cohesively strings them up with the stories of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Havoc (Lucas Till), Darwin (Edi Gathegi), Emma Frost (January Jones), Angel (Zoe Kravitz), Azazel (Jason Flemyng) and Riptide (Alex Gonzalez).

The beauty and impact of “First Class’” exposition lies in the fact that the protagonists’ motivations are vividly and movingly depicted and delineated, which results in instant viewer empathy for the characters, whether they’re perceived as “good” or “bad.”

Quest for acceptance

After its razor-sharp first half, the movie speeds up the storytelling even more and amps up the action halfway through. From then on, the action-packed thrills never let up until the movie hurtles into its satisfying finale.

But, don’t be fooled by all the noise it makes. The film is, more than anything, a stirring and troubling meditation on man’s quest for acceptance.

McAvoy and the formidable Fassbender shine in contrasting but complementary styles that result in an odd bit of thespic energy. The former carries his character’s dilemma, while the latter bristles with gut-wrenching intensity!