Director Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn
Story by Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer
Premiere Date June 3, 2011
I own the cover seen above.
For whatever reason, we didn’t see this in theaters. I asked my wife and we couldn’t figure out why we didn’t go. I know I was keeping up with news and would have liked to have seen it. I wasn’t doing anything silly by boycotting it or wasn’t going to support a film that didn’t have Kitty Pryde in it. I’m not that much of a loon.
Once it came out on DVD, I made a point of buying it that Tuesday. It still took us until Saturday to watch it but the important thing is to buy it.
Looking at the films that came out Summer 2011, we didn’t see any of them in the theater so it was probably just a busy time.
Vaughn was suppose to be the director of X-Men 3 but had to pass on the opportunity. The only film of his I have seen is Kick Ass.
They decided to not keep the X fade from the FOX logo. That is a shame but it was such a small detail before.
Onto the film!
The film opens as the first X-Men film did. Poland 1944. With Magneto has a boy, at the concentration camp as he is separated from his family. He holds his hand out for them and causes the metal fence to move until a soldier hits him in the head with the butt of a gun.
The man in the window watching the scene unfold is Kevin Bacon as Sebastien Shaw. When they announced Shaw and Emma Frost as the villains of the film, I was excited. Finally a film where Magneto wasn’t the threat – though he is still in the film. Plus, Kevin Bacon!
As a child of the 80s, Kevin Bacon has always been a force in my life. Then I learn of the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game and sough to watch all of his films and see how good at the game I could be. I was much better at it when I was younger. Nowadays, I’ll try to get everyone to Sleepers or JFK and call it a day. Someone once tried to stump me once with Bill Crosby but luckily I remembered Meteor Man that also had James Earl Jones in it.
I, myself, am five degrees of Kevin Bacon. I was in Comic Book the Movie (for like a second, I’m sitting next to Mark Hamill at a panel) who was in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back with Judd Nelson who was in St. Elmo’s Fire with Demi Moore who was in Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon. There might be a faster way.
Kevin Bacon films that I’ve seen are – Animal House, Diner, Footloose, (Planes, Trains and Automobiles if it counts) Tremors, Flatliners, JFK, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Sleepers, Picture Perfect, Wild Things, Hollow Man, Loverboy (which he directed his wife in, also a weird film) and Crazy Stupid Love.
Making the list, along with Sleepers and JFK – Flatliners, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Wild Things and Crazy Stupid Love are all good connector movies. Essentially any film that has Bacon and at least four other big name actors (or actors who would later be big names).
I am such a fan of Flatliners! Probably one of my favorite films that I have yet to own. I’m waiting for an awesome anniversary edition to come out with at least some special feature involving the cast.
We see Shaw for only a split second as lightning strikes and we transition to Westchester, New York 1944 with a young Charles Xavier waking up. He heads downstairs to the kitchen where his mother offers to make him a snack. His mother wouldn’t even know how to make a snack, she would have the maid do it. Then we see a very young Mystique, going by Raven – the codenames will come later. I really don’t care for the nude twelve year old version of Mystique. If only the first movie had her wearing the classic white dress with skull belt, we wouldn’t be subjected to seeing this.
Xavier offers her anything she can find, to eat as well as that she doesn’t have to steal ever again. A friendship is formed!
Back to Poland. Shaw brings in young Magneto to have him display his power before him. Young Erik can’t do it. Shaw brings in Erik’s mother, he will kill her on the count of three if Erik hasn’t moved the coin by then.
Bacon is speaking German during this entire scene. Shaw pauses between two and three as Erik is trying his best to do it. Then Shaw fires his gun and Erik’s mother is dead – which is ice cold! Erik loses his mind and destroys or bends everything that is metal in the room. The guards who were holding his mother are dead but Shaw still stands.
Shaw tells Erik that is anger and pain that allows Erik to focus his power.
We move up a few years. We see the Magneto we will be following in this movie. He is played by, of course, Michael Fassbender. Who I really really like in this movie. I could have gone with an entire movie of just Magneto as he hunts Nazis or grocery shopping. I really need to watch more films of his. I do a weekly search for Shame but none of the movie channels seem to want to air it.
He’s in 300 but I don’t remember him from it. The same for Inglorious Bastards. Him being in Jonah Hex, Jane Eyre and Prometheus makes me want to watch those films.
I missed out on 12 Years a Slave, probably get around to that film one of these days, especially after it won Best Picture at the Oscars. I know he’s in the upcoming Assassins Creed film and the movie, Frank, sounds super interesting.
These two X-Men films are really going to stand out on his IMDB page.
Erik is in a hotel room, as he is planning his next move. We see his arm, and production made sure his number on his arm matches older Magneto from the previous films.
Geneva, Switzerland, 1962.
Erik is following the gold, he is hunting Shaw’s current location.
Oxford University, England.
If it wasn’t obvious how different Magneto and Xavier had it growing up, it is now.
We see Xavier and Mystique – played respectfully by James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence.
McAvoy, I don’t really know. We love the American Shameless and we gave the British version a chance, the pilot was too similar so we chose to abandon it. We kept noticing the differences and we just prefer the one we met first – though we recognize that the British one came first. McAvoy plays the Jimmy / Steve role in that series, he is only there for the first 13 episodes from what I’ve read. Which I was tempted to just watch those episodes. Maybe one of these days.
McAvoy is Mr. Tumnus in the first Narnia film, which he must love being reminded of that. I’m now interested in watching Last King of Scotland now that he’s in it. I know Forest Whitaker won Best Actor for the role but it didn’t seem like my type of movie. Same for Atonement, I am sure I haven’t seen one of Keira Knightley’s films. I came close with Anna Karenina but the production of the film threw me off. I do love that book, and should try to get pass the first fifteen minutes.
I didn’t see Wanted. He is the voice of Arthur in Arthur Christmas, which I saw most of when my nephews were watching it.
Now, Jennifer Lawrence, on the other hand, I’ve seen a slew of her films. Winter’s Bone, her performance in it was good but the film was a hard watch. Still want to watch Beaver as I like Jodie Foster (for the most part) and the cast and story seems interesting. Hunger Games, I’ve seen both films. In Catching Fire, she looks different in almost every other scene of the film. It made me realized that I’m not sure I can picture Jennifer Lawrence in my mind, besides the posters and she looks different in each poster. Am I the only one who notices that? Maybe I’m crazy.
Silver Lining Playbook, I really liked. Should own it but one of these days. American Hustle, I really need to watch as I love almost everyone in the main cast. I would have made a point of owning it first week if Amy Adams or Christian Bale won their Oscars.
Jennifer Lawrence’s opening monologue from her episode of Saturday Night Live may be my favorite monologue ever. She does this run down of smack talking all of her fellow nominees for Best Actress and ends each one with a nice compliment. It is amazing, and made better by her actually winning her Oscar.
Thanks to YouTuber Jasmin Lehmann for hosting the video. The subtitles are only midly distracting – I imagine she has them on screen for the copyright issue or something. Either way, glad I have this blog so I can find that easily – and not have to go to YouTube and search for it. There was other ones but they were filmed off of their televisions and poor quality so no wonder Lorne Michaels has left them up. Her episode wasn’t that bad but the monologue is the true gem.
This is probably the best five minutes of her career, definitely the funniest.
Also, I really like how healthy Jennifer Lawrence looks in First Class.
Both actors play their roles pretty great. I think McAvoy does a great job of Xavier but I don’t think he could carry a film on his own. But that isn’t the role he is asked to do.
At a local pub, Xavier hits on broads with how sexy mutations are. They are groovy. It works for him.
Later in their shared apartment, Raven is in her blue Mystique form (which I like how limited they have her in this state as it must have made filming so much easier) and she gives us our first “Mutant and Proud” that will creep up again towards the end of the film. She mockingly says it now.
She asks if Xavier would date her, he tells her that any man will be happy with her. She repeats the question but emphasizing in her blue form. He gives her a, blue? Well, she is his oldest friend, so he can’t be dating her. It isn’t very convincing and she should feel comfortable in her true form, she shouldn’t have to hide, filming be dman!
I like how Raven claims some small victory by stating that she is Xavier’s only friend, which knocks him down a peg.
Erik, at the Bank scene. Erik is super intimidating and then add the powers on top of that. I wouldn’t have put up a fight at all. I will repeat it here, magnetism is probably the most powerful power one could have. That’s why Chronicle was such a good film. Really shows what jack arse teenagers would do with the greatest power in the world.
Last Vegas, Neveda.
The club that the CIA are watching is the, Atomic Club. Get it?
Rose Byrne plays Moira MacTaggert. Who I really like in this movie, and not just because she gets down to her underwear in the first scene. Oh, did we really make women wear all of those undergarments in the 60s? No wonder women went on the attack from this decade forward. I would want justice as well!
Moira is a CIA agent instead of a scientist in this film, also gone is the Scottish accent.
I’m not that familiar with Byrne has an actress as I didn’t watch Damages. I tried the pilot and I didn’t take to it. She was the assistant to Natalie Portman’s queen in Star Wars : Attack of the Clones, Dorme. The name rings a bell but I’m sure she was wearing that white face during her scenes. She’s in Casanova which I want to see as David Tennant is in it. She’s one of the soldiers in 28 Weeks Later, which as soon as I read the title, her face appeared in my mind’s eye so I guess I do remember her from it.
She’s in Get Him to the Greek, which I still say that the best part of the movie is every single scene that has Sean Combs in it. If someone wanted to make a YouTube video of just him, I would totally watch that. So I don’t remember her in it at all but the film does lend itself to cameos. Also, not enough Jason Segel involvement.
She’s the one of the members of Bridesmaids. I am one of the few who didn’t care for that movie at all. I like the ending song but Hold On by Wilson Phillips is one of the best songs of all time.
She’s in Place Beyond the Pines, which I should watch as I like Ryan Gosling (the Gos) since I time I saw him build a house. I’ll look for it and record it off one of the movie channels.
Moria sees Colonel Hendry go into the club. Colonel Hendry is played by Glenn Morshower, who whenever I see on a show, I say “It’s Aaron from 24!” as my wife and I love that show and we really like Aaron Pierce on it. I’m such a fan of his that when he was on Revolution and they only showed the top of his head, I said it was Aaron from 24. Then two scenes later it was him! He was also on the West Wing, to which I usually shout “West Wing represent!” whenever someone on the show shows up anywhere else (even non-main cast members) – I’m a real treat to watch shows with – but him being on 24 trumps the West Wing shout out. He’s also in Air Force One (he gets type casts a bit) and Star Trek Generations.
So the CIA agent with Moira notice that the girls who are going into the club are wearing only their underwear. Moira strips down, surprising her fellow agent. She is using something the CIA didn’t give her. An odd line but Byrne pulls it off.
Once in the club, we are treated to January Jones as Emma Frost. Which, I still wish they went with Alice Eve in the role as she would have been sexier in it but I get them going with a more known actress in January Jones. Jones does look good as Emma, also in her underwear, but there is something lacking that I can’t quite place. She does a great Emma though, perfect attitude for the part.
I first saw January Jones in American Wedding as Alyson Hannigan’s character’s sister. I don’t remember her from Anger Management nor Full Frontal – but I saw that second film when I was probably too young for it. You’ll think with how much of a fan of the Uncanny X-Cast, I would have seen Love Actually by now. One of these days, I will.
I vaguely remember her from, We Are Marshall. At least, I know there is a blonde in the diner, and I can only assume that is who she is. Finally, of course, I don’t watch Mad Men. You’ll think I would has I’m a huge Alison Brie fan as well as Jon Hamm but my wife started the show without me and I have no time to watch shows without her (or I do but I’m watching the three shows she doesn’t watch) so I have completely missed out on the phenomenon that is Mad Men.
I do love how the Hellfire Class (only really represented by Shaw and Frost – from the comics) are the villain in this movie. The X-Men do have other villians besides Magneto. Pretty excited about Apocalypse going to be the villain of the official First Class sequel (Days of Future Past is a sequel to First Class but it works more as Star Trek Generations – giving the fans a chance to see everyone in a film together than a proper sequel). I do worry that Apocalypse is going to be shown as a white dude wearing a blue business suit but time will tell on that.
Before the CIA was concern with mutants, they were mostly worried about communists, which is why Moira was watching the club for Hendry. Which Hendry and Henry sounds too alike, they should have changed Hendry to some other name. They quit talking about Hendry by the time McCoy shows up but still.
Shaw wants Hendry to place nuclear missiles in Turkey. They keep referring to them at Jupiter missiles but that’s what they are. Hendry doesn’t want too.
In the background, we get to see Alex Gonzalez as Riptide. He is never called, Riptide in the film. I saw the entire film the first time, and whenever he was on screen, I kept trying to figure out which character he was suppose to be. Riptide of course, is one of the Marauders during the infamous Mutant Massacre storyline. He is the fool that Colossus crushes the neck of in retaliation for hurting Kitty. Well, Harpoon is the one who hurts Kitty but Riptide tries to protect Harpoon and gets killed in the process. It is awesome.
I do like how Gonzalez suits up for the role. Very business like.
Shaw motions over to Riptide (who in my notes I kept calling Whirlwind – who is an Iron Man villain but I couldn’t think of any other wind villains) to create a whirlwind (that didn’t help) and he does so. Which blows Hendry back against a wall.
Moira is watching all of this through a slot in the wall.
We see that film Emma has her second mutation, diamond form. It looks pretty decent here, much better than Wolverine Origins. Which that is a whole thing with how can these two be the same character but Vaughn didn’t want to worry about all of the continuity stuff like that (just like a new comic book writer) he wanted a fresh start on the X-Men franchise, a spy film and a movie set in the 60s. Which he got to do all three, so that’s pretty impressive!
We see the final member of the Hellfire Club, Jason Flemyng as Azazel. Which is a cool visual of a character to see and it must have made Chuck Austen some money. Who knows if a relationship between the he and Mystique will be hinted at during Days of Future Past. Production must have really wanted to reuse the teleporting effects from X-Men 3.
Flemyng is also in films I’ve seen but don’t recall seeing him in them (doesn’t help that he’s red in First Class) such as Rob Roy and Stealing Beauty. Apparently he is one of the many cameos in Spice World. I saw From Hell but I’m sure I fell asleep during it and have no intention to ever rewatch it. Rock Star, I was tempted to rewatch as it was on Showtime or some channel and I wanted to see Mark Wahlberg drive the batmobile again. Maybe I will record it next time I see it is on.
Here we go. He’s Dr. Jekyll in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Is he the only one to show up in two different Alan Moore adaptions? Maybe?
He was in Kick Ass, so that makes two Vaughn films.
We see the American War Room, straight out of Dr. Strangelove. Moira is trying to warn CIA Director McCone that Hendry is working against American interests in Vegas when she is told that he is sitting there in the War Room. McCone is played by Matt Craven, a great character actor. He’s been in A Few Good Men, Timeline and Public Enemies – he is also type cast as this type of role.
Hendry changes his vote to place missiles in Turkey.
Cut to Oxford. Xavier has earn his Professor title. He tells Raven that he isn’t technically a professor until he has a teaching position. We are shown that Moira is following Xavier.
Villa Gesell, Argentina. It is this scene that I realize how large the scope of this film is, it really is quite the international film.
Magneto is hot on the trail! He gets to a bar where the two people he needs to direct him to Shaw are.
How amazing is this Magneto, he uses his powers so effortlessly. How fast he is with that knife trick and controlling the bartender’s gun, incredible!
Fassbender is full of such charisma! As excited as I am about Ellen Page in Days of Future Past, I’m really looking forward to Fassbender in the film. Especially after the second trailer shows him even more casual with his powers. McAvoy looks like he gets to do some good acting in that movie too.
How nervous the two Germans at the table, good acting from the day players.
Scene ends with Erik referring to himself as Frankenstein’s Monster and looking for his creator. So points for referring to himself as the correct character.
Xavier is drinking beer, he’s not murdering people. Moira asks him about his thesis on mutations. He starts to hit on her like she was a regular broad. He then reads her mind, and knows that she is serious about mutants. I like how Moira asks if anything is wrong, as from her perspective, he’s just staring at her touching his temple.
Miami, Florida.
Shaw talks to Hendry. Hendry tells him that he hasn’t spoken to anyone regarding their deal. Then he pulls out a grenade t kill the mutants. Shaw grabs the grenade and explodes it. We see how Movie Shaw’s powers work. Sort of the same, he absorbs kinetic energy but instead just doing it, the movie shows his absorption by this sort of wave effect. Also, Shaw reveals that his power keeps him young. That’s the boring part, the fun part is what he can do with that power once he has it. He touches Hendry and poor Hendry explodes.
CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virgina.
Xavier is giving an unimpressive impromptu speech about mutations. The CIA folks don’t care.
We see Oliver Platt in the back. Now, I love Oliver Platt almost as much as I love Kevin Bacon. He’s credited as “Man in Black Suit” which is fun.
Oliver Platt was in Flatliners, The Three Musketeers, Executive Decision, A Time to Kill, Bulworth, Lake Placid, Three to Tango, Ready to Rumble, Martian Child (John Cusack’s worst film of that I’ve seen of his), Letters to Juliet. I still need to see, Love & Other Drugs.
On television, he was on the West Wing for eight episodes – West Wing represent! He was also on the Big C, which we really liked until that final portion season, we couldn’t even get through the six episodes. I think we gave up at three. That show would show progress and then jump backwards. It was hard to watch but it had its moments.
Oliver Platt can do practically any type of film.
Xavier has to reveal that he is a telepath. Of course, the CIA Director believes he is a spy and that Moira is a fool for letting a spy in.
At the thirty minute mark, Raven shows her true blue form. That shuts the CIA folks up.
Olivier Platt’s character tells the director that he can house the mutants at his off site base. Platt is very Pro-Mutant.
Moira, off on her own, is in a hallway. All of a sudden, people are frozen in place. Xavier communicates with her telepathically and she agrees to join them at Platt’s site.
Moira has a lead on where Shaw should be going.
I can only imagine this next action sequence takes place in Florida.
Erik has made his way onto Shaw’s boat. Shaw is impress to see him, it has been two decades.
Erik tries to kill Shaw with a knife and Emma catches it in her diamond form. Emma then pushes Erik overboard. Shaw tells her that she shouldn’t use her powers on their own kind.
Emma then senses Xavier on another boat. Xavier is impressed to finally meet someone like him.
Riptide starts taking out the Coast Guard boats.
Xavier senses someone is in the water. Erik is in the water, trying to stop Shaw’s submarine. Shaw had to use his fancy escape submarine (who plans for their boat to be destroyed?) as Erik has taken the anchor of the boat and completely wrecked the upper deck of the boat. I keep typing, boat, but I suppose it is more of a yacht situation.
Xavier dives into the water to try to convince Erik to let go of his hold on the submarine (he isn’t really slowing it down at all) but if he keeps it up, he will surely drown. It is a very interesting way to get these two characters to meet.
Who, by the way, McAvoy is credited as 24 year old Xavier, whereas the Trilogy implies that he was 17 when he first met Erik. But again, Vaughn didn’t want to be held down by continuity and it makes more sense to have him be a little older than 17. What would 17 even be? Barely old enough to be a soldier.
Covert CIA Research Base – fun description
Platt explains that his base’s goal is to investigate paranormal activity. The 60s version of the X-Files.
We see the model of a Pre-Blackbird jet, I’m not sure if they give it a name. I keep calling it the Pre-Blackbird, which isn’t great.
We meet Hank McCoy played by Nicholas Hoult. Hoult was in the Weatherman, who I don’t remember him being in it. He must have been the young son. He was in Warm Bodies, which we liked. I believe my wife liked the book more. Which is typically the case. Decent romantic comedy with a zombie twist. He was Jack in Jack the Giant Slayer, which I have no interest in except to see what Bryan Singer is up to – visually but I now have Days of Future Past to look forward too. The commercials make it look like a real special effects heavy movie, so I’m glad he got more exposure to special effects.
Xavier outs McCoy as a mutant, like a dick. I’m not sure if it was the excitement of meeting more mutants in 24 hours than he has in his 24 years. But still, a dick. Movie McCoy’s power is that he has finger toes, but real finger toes. I wish he had big hands as well but its okay. Poor guy doesn’t even wear special shoes, he just crams his toes into his shoes.
Hank tells Platt that Platt never asked, so this is the first instance of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Hank gets to show off a bit, he even hangs upside down. Erik, Xavier and Raven are all impress.
Raven even is attracted, a little bit. We’ll see over and over again that Hank, if he would just shut up and listen, could have had Raven has a girlfriend but wouldn’t stop looking at her as a cure for his condition. Its painful to watch.
We start seeing where Shaw’s plans are heading as America and Russia are heading towards something, what could it be?
Shaw reveals to Emma his fancy new helmet that the Russians made for him. He puts it on his head and Emma can’t read his mind. Which I like the unspoken change in power here. Not sure if she has been manipulating him at all but now she can’t. The look on her face when he asks her for ice for his drink, is priceless.
Hank confronts Raven, he believes her DNA might be the best option for curing physical mutations. Not mutations themselves, but the physical aspects – which I like the concept behind it. She can shapeshift so in theory maybe her genes can help. But my issue is, if Hank’s physical power is changed, so that he has normal feet, he won’t be able to use his power at all, as how will he grip onto things?
Hank wants her blood and she gives it to him. I take it that if he wanted some kissing, she would have let him, but he’s an idiot. I do like how Lawrence plays all of these scenes. Subtly putting herself out there but knowing he is never going to take the bait.
Erik interrupts them, telling them that they should be happier that they have powers than they are. This is the beginning of Erik’s move on Raven, I’m not sure if the character – at this time – is planning it but he makes it no secret that he prefers her in her natural blue state. Really, he doesn’t like that Raven is hiding.
Erik finds the files the CIA has on Shaw. He is now leaving the base when Xavier confronts him. Xavier is surprised that Erik has waited this long before leaving. Xavier convinces Erik to stay with the idea that Shaw has friends, so Erik will need friends of his own.
Xavier and Platt are having a conversation when Erik comes back the next day. Erik agrees to join the team, but only if he and Xavier find the mutants. No government agents on site. Platt starts saying that is unacceptable but Xavier picks up on how this is the deal, if not, Erik is gone. Xavier agrees and Platt is out of luck.
Hank has created a Pre-Cerebro. So in the Trilogy of films, when Xavier and Magneto are claiming they built it, they must mean they built another one and not giving Hank his due credit.
Hank tells Xavier that it would work better if Xavier was bald. Xavier tells him to not to touch his hair. Pre-Cerebro is inside a giant golf ball. No one in the film makes the comparison. How could they not? Or is it too obvious?
Erik comments that Xavier is a lab rat. Xavier really wants to test it out, to see how strong his powers can get.
We are treated to some mutants – though how some of them can be present in the 60s is beyond me. We see Storm and Cyclops and a few others that I can only imagine are meant to be known mutants.
The road trip begins!
We first meet Angel Salvadore (from Morrison’s run) played by Zoe Kravitz. Daughter of that Kravitz – which I’m sure she loves that people point out who her father is. She was in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, which is by far my favorite Zach Galifianakis. The DVD is one of those bare bones DVDs, with maybe an interview feature or something but I wouldn’t mind owning it. She plays the would be love interest, if it wasn’t for Emma Roberts in the film – which I do like her in this film as well. Probably her best role but I haven’t seen everything she is in.
Xavier and Erik meet Angel. Erik shows off his powers, so she shows off her wings. She’s a stripper.
Xavier and Erik next meet taxi driver, Darwin – played by Edi Gathegi. Edi was in Gone Baby Gone, as Cheese. A role that stands out, due to the character name. He is Laurent in the Twilight movies.
Once the Atlas Shrugged trilogy is finished and available on Netflix, we are going to marathon those films as my wife loves that book.
Darwin is one of the mutants Xavier lost to Krakoa during X-Men : Deadly Genesis. One of the four Lost X-Men between the Original Team and the All New All Different Team. One of Moira’s students. None of that is even hinted at in the film. How could it even be?
Havok is the third mutant shown. He is played by Lucas Till. I only know him as being the love interest in Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me music video. He’s in the film, All Superheroes Must Die, which is a film I’ve been somewhat curious to watch. It looks like a low budget film, so that could be very interesting or truly horrible.
Havok is in self imposed isolation in prison. From the dialogue, I’m not sure if he committed a crime or is it like Ali Larter’s character from Final Destination 2, where she just checked herself in one day.
Banshee is next up, he is hitting on some girl in an aquarium. She likes the fish, turns her back, he whistles at the fish and has her turn around, there’s no fish. Not sure how that is suppose to attract her.
Banshee is played by Caleb Jones. He doesn’t have an Irish accent, which is a shame. Apparently, before his film he was in movies with the sweet credit of “Boy …” in No Country for Old Men (on bike), Superbad (at party) and Social Network (Fraternity). So of course, who knows who he is. He seems like a natural redhead so might be able to pick him out during Superbad’s party scene. Though there are two party scenes so it could be either of those. Apparently, he was not asked back for Days of Future Past, that has to burn, especially has Havok was asked back. Banshee being the only First Class member to not be in the next film. Ooof!
0:48:04 – we get the Wolverine cameo by Hugh Jackman that was all the buzz when the film came out. He gets to say the one F-Bomb you are allowed to say in a PG-13 film. Which is how the latest Die Hard films are allowed to get away with it and stay PG-13. It is a little awkward with how Xavier and Erik show up, Logan says his line and the two leave.
In the submarine. Shaw has a special room in the back of the sub. He refers to mutants as, the Children of the Atom – which is one of the taglines for the X-Men comics at the time.
Emma can sense Xavier, his powers have been increased somehow. Emma can also sense that Xavier has been recruiting.
In front of the Lincoln Memorial. Xavier and Erik are having a nice chat. I could have used more scenes like this, where the two just chat. We only get one more. The topic they are discussing is what the government will do once they know about the mutants. Erik believes they will be forced to register and Xavier believes that the government will realize American mutants and humans will have a common enemy in foes like Shaw, that there will be peace still.
At Platt’s base, he gave the mutants a nice room with a window. Mystique believes they should all have codenames, as they are members of the CIA and agents get cool codenames. So they all take the names, they are known for. She calls herself Mystique, to which Banshee wishes he could have had that name. He calls himself Banshee, and Hank asks why that name. Which leads into people showing off their powers.
Darwin shows that he can grow gills if his head is under water. Banshee breaks the giant window to their room.
I really like this scene as it shows young mutants being young mutants.
Angel is her stage name. She then spits hot lava.
Poor Hank, everyone is accepting everyone’s power and then he shows off his feet. Havok, who is essentially a real dick to Hank for the rest of the movie until right before big conclusion, offers to call him, Big Foot. I wish the movie took a turn here and all the other mutants pounce on Havok and let him know that mutant on mutant name calling will not be tolerated. But it doesn’t go in that direction.
Mystique, to her credit, tries to stand up for Hank. Commenting on what
people say about guys with big feet. Then she points out how Havok’s feet seem rather small.
CIA Office. Moria gets permission to have mutants fight mutants.
Back to the young mutants. They are all drunk and having a good time. Even Hank. Xavier, Erik and Moira show up and the mutants get in trouble. Mystique has no time for this as she has to let Erik and Xavier know what is up.
They have decided that Erik will be Magneto and Xavier will be known as Professor X. Which is awesome. Even better, Erik likes this new name and finds it acceptable. Almost as if this is what he’s been waiting for, mutant identities.
So since the kids are drunk and out of control, they don’t get to join the next mission. That’ll show them. I’m not sure how the next sequence would have been if they were allowed to go.
Russian Military Retreat. The CIA has news that Shaw is going to be meeting with a Russian General.
The truck that Xavier, Magneto, Moira and a few soldiers are on, gets pulled over. Xavier tells everybody to be cool. When a Russian soldier opens the backdoor, he sees an empty truckload.
They get to the General’s house and they see only Emma entering, Shaw is nowhere in sight. The military are only interested in Shaw so they pull back. Magneto wants to go as Emma would clearly know where Shaw is.
This next sequence is spectacular! Magneto makes a run at the mansion, and the way he takes out guards is fun to see. He is so powerful and good with his powers.
Xavier can’t leave Magneto behind so he goes after him.
Emma has met with the Russian General, played by Rade Sherbedgia, who if you ever need to cast “Russian male” he is the go to guy. He was the main villain in The Saint with Val Kilmer. But he also in Eurotrip and in the latest M&M ad with the yellow M&M (who is voiced by JK Simmons). He was also in Eyes Wide Shut, Space Cowboys, Mission Impossible II, Stigmata, he’s the man Wayne gives his jacket to in Batman Begins and he was on 24 (Day 6).
The Russian General gets a fun scene, where he believes he is making out with Emma but really, she’s bored and trying to read a book when Magneto and Xavier barge in. It takes the General a while to figure out why Emma disappeared and is sitting on the couch. On top of that, why two men are staring at him.
The General gets knocked out. Magneto tries to get Emma to talk. She turns to diamond form. So he turns the bed frame into a strangling device and the Emma’s neck starts to crack under the pressure. She turns back to her human form. If she turns back, Magneto will break her.
Emma is now their prisoner.
Cut to Shaw, as he is planning on convincing Russia to move nuclear missiles to Cuba.
At Platt’s base. The young mutants are sitting around when they start hearing this thud noise. They look outside and it is raining men. Except these CIA agents are being killed when they hit the ground.
We see Azazel is doing the ol’ teleport to the sky, drop a fool routine.
Oliver Platt, unfortunately, is one of these guys. He’s killed as if he wasn’t an important character in the film, which is ice cold.
Shaw enters a room with a nice staircase. The agents open fire. He absorbs all the energy. Then with one stomp, the staircase and the second floor all crumble before him. All of those guys are dead. He only wanted to know where the mutants were.
The agents try to not reveal the location and they die. So those faceless guys get redemption.
All of this death and it is done by three mutants. That’s power. That and Riptide hasn’t had to do anything yet.
Azazel not only has teleporting but also uses swords – he is a swash buckler. Just like his son will be one day. Not sure if Chuck Austen shown him liking to use swords but Jason Aaron has in his opening arc of Amazing X-Men, its only taken the comics three years to incorporate it if that’s the case.
Before Shaw enters the young mutants room, we see some agents say “the mutants are in there, let us normal people go” to which Shaw kills them, and rightfully so. We have no room for prejudice people in this new world we live in.
Shaw meets the cast of the X-Men. He offers them a place in his club. They can be kings and queens.
Angel accepts with little hesitation.
Darwin pushes Havok, not sure if Havok actually knows at this point what Darwin is up too.
Darwin tells Shaw that his power is to adapt to survive and being with Shaw means to survive.
He tells Havok, now!, and Havok does his best to blast the Hellfire Club. He has no control so they go wild.
Shaw gets hit and uses that energy to kill Darwin. His body puts up a decent fight but he still explodes. Or does he adapt and becomes a being of air? I’m sure we are meant to believe he is dead as he doesn’t show up again.
These Pre-X-Men just got dealt their first lost.
Moscow, Russia. Russia has agreed to move missiles to Cuba. This is starting to look familiar.
Xavier greets the young mutants and hugs Mystique. Those poor kids have been through something.
The kids are ready to quit. Magneto tells them all that they will have to avenge these deaths. They are now, The Avengers! If only!
Xavier realizes that they all need to train, luckily he has a place for that.
We see the fancy prison cell Emma is in. There are two CIA agents talking about what to do and what will be done. The agents talk about how they can’t just keep her there, there are laws. To which the other comments on how those laws are for humans. That didn’t take long!
Emma uses her diamond finger to cut a circle in the glass and pushes it out. She tells them that she has an idea.
We are shown that it will take Russian ships a week to get to Cuba. So that’s how long these next couple scene’s time frame.
Ray Wise, is the Secretary of State. I know Ray as being the Devil from Reaper, a show that I somehow missed the second season of. I read that it ended on a cliffhanger, so that’s disappointing. He’s also the second (and final) actor to play Robin’s father on How I Met Your Mother. The original actor was Eric Braeden, he only portrayed the character once.
Ray Wise has been in a slew of films and television shows. Robocop, the wonder that is Twin Peaks, He was on West Wing once and 24 Day Five. He also gets type cast in essentially the same type of role.
Xavier Mansion. Everyone is impressed with Xavier’s home. Magneto wonders how Xavier could possibly get by, living in such suffrage. I love Magneto in this movie so much!
Also, great is the angle we see the Mansion at, can really see how gigantic it is.
We get the first of two speeches by Kennedy. I really like the use of Kennedy to put this film into real terms. I’ve been joking up to this point. We are clearly heading into the Cuba Missile Crisis.
Xavier Mansion. The first scene is Xavier holding a gun to Magneto’s face. Magneto wants him to shot him, as he needs to train. If Magneto knows he can stop the bullet, then he isn’t really pushing himself.
Havok gets the first of three scenes, which I like the progress shown of him trying to control his power. Xavier’s father built this bunker to withstand a nuclear blast, it should hold Havok. Havok tests out his power, Xavier reenters the room and sees the entire place is on fire. Even behind Havok!
Banshee is told by Hank that he should be able to control his power enough to fly. He gets a third floor window and pushes himself out of the window and falls on his face. Poor kid.
Xavier and McCoy get into a conversation about Jekyll and Hyde. The story is all about controlling impulses. Hank needs to let the beast free! Once he is able to do so, he is able to lap Xavier around the mansion.
Havok shows up, tells Hank that he needs a red nose to go with those feet. Going as far as to call Hank a bozo. Xavier thanks Havok for making such a comment.
Mystique is lifting weight and Lawrence looks great in this film. Which I know I’m the millionth person to comment on how Jennifer Lawrence is stunning to look at but there it is. Though I’ve only ever found her truly attractive in this role and Silver Linings Playbook. Though American Hustle looks like another film that plays up on her beauty.
Magneto tells Mystique that if she is using some of her focus to maintain her Raven persona, then she isn’t fully focusing on the issue at hand. He’s been holding up her weight bar during this and drops it on her, forcing her to shift to her blue form. I didn’t pay attention to how much she is lifting but I wonder how much. The weights look rather big.
Hank creates the famous Havok circle thing, proving he is the bigger person. Havok is now only slightly better with his power.
Hank is shown also working on Raven’s blood. Raven sits on his lap to look into the microscope. oh Hank, just kiss the girl!
Magneto, Hank, Xavier and Banshee are on the giant satellite dish. Magneto pushes Banshee off of it and luckily, Banshee is able to activate his powers so that he can fly. I’m not sure what the rescue plan would have been if Banshee didn’t get his powers to work correctly. None present would have been able to save him.
Havok finally gets to focus his powers with the device after Hank and Xavier stand on opposite sides of the test dummy.
Xavier shows Magneto a happy thought and now Magneto can obtain true focus. Which apparently is right right between serenity and anger. The memory causes both of them to cry, they are officially bromancing.
Kennedy’s speech, if Russia crosses the embargo line, there will be war.
Hank has created two serums that should cure his and Mystique’s physical mutations. Right when she was coming to terms with her mutation. Even here, he could have grabbed her but he’s too focus on getting his feet fixed. Raven is even in a robe, still he is not distracted.
How often does Hank even go without shoes? Seems like a man in his profession, he is always wearing shoes. Though he does have to live with the time when he is shoeless, but clearly this is a big issue for him that he can’t overcome.
Raven tells Hank that society should strive to be more like them after he tells her that even after they are successful after the mission, society won’t accept them due to their physical mutations. Raven rejects him.
We are given the second scene with Xavier and Magneto chatting. They are playing chess, which is a callback to the original trilogy. They are defining their outlooks with Xavier being an optimist and Magneto is a realist. Xavier believes all humans are like Moira whereas Magneto believes they are all like Shaw. Which is a great point, late in the movie, these two still believe Shaw to be a human. I guess the young mutants never told these two about Darwin and Shaw’s power.
Magneto gets this awesome, peace was never an option, line.
Hank takes the cure. It works for a moment and then he starts turning blue, which reminds me of a werewolf movie transformation scene.
Magneto goes to his room. Raven is in bed, waiting for him. She is has to be nude, under those sheets. He isn’t in the mood for such games. Raven thinks it is because of how young she is, so she shifts to Rebecca Romijn, which is a fun cameo. Erik isn’t happy with that either. He wants the real Raven. So she becomes Jennifer Lawrence again and he repeats, the real Raven. She shifts to her blue form.
Raven attempts to grab her robe, Erik tells her she doesn’t need to hide anymore. Which is odd, she’s nude but with scales. She can still wear clothes. I think she misunderstands him at this moment and he never corrects her (after all of these years) he only meant in his bedroom, outside of it, she should wear clothes but be blue.
At the hour and a half mark, Erik and Raven are kissing!
Scene fades to black and once it comes back, we are treated to Jennifer Lawrence in full nude blue Mystique form – from toe to head. She is looking good.
She greets Xavier and he does the right thing, of seeing her nude and wanting her to wear clothes. Raven leaves, disgusted with him. Xavier took some hits this night.
On Hank’s door, is a note telling the others that he is at the airbase and to bring the crate with the giant X on it.
Xavier opens the crate, from the crate’s angle, so the team sees what is inside but we don’t yet. It is the suits and since none of them can withstand zero-g, they better suit up!
I like how the color scheme is gold and blue, just like the original X-Men uniforms. They look nothing alike but still, the colors are represented.
We see full on Blue Beast!
Magneto gives him an honest, never looked better and Beast loses his mind and starts choking him. Xavier convinces him to let go. Havok speaks up that even he, the dick of the group, has to admit that Beast looks bad arse and gives him the Beast name.
Cuba.
2 navy fleets go to war.
Michael Ironside plays the American Navy Captain. I know him mostly by his voice, as he is a sensational voice actor. On the 90s DC cartoons (Superman and Justice League), he was Darkseid. In live action, he is in Top Gun, Total Recall (the original), Highlander II, Free Willy (where I probably saw him first), The Next Karate Kid, The Perfect Storm, he was Lois Lane’s father on Smallville. He was also on Community, playing his typical role – stern high ranking military man.
From the Russian side, their captain doesn’t want another world war as he already lived through one.
One of the Russian ships is about to cross the embargo line. We see that everyone on the ship has been killed by Azazel. Xavier is the way we find this out. Xavier takes control of one of the Russian soldiers and has that man set off a missile that destroys the ship.
The missile almost hits the Pre-BlackBird and the plane gets a little out of control. Xavier almost stops short with Mystique.
Shaw knows that he has to take a more direct route to ensure a world war.
Since they can’t see Shaw, they know he must be underwater. The plane does not have sonar. I do like how Banshee steps up so quickly, that yes they do. Moira sends out a message that the soldiers might want to take off their ear phones.
Banshee locates the sub. Shaw knows they are detected and moves back into his secret room. Shaw has Azazel turn the nuclear reactor to one hundred person. Shaw puts his hands on it, he is becoming a nuclear bomb himself.
Thus begins the sequence that becomes the conclusion to this film.
Magneto lifts the submarine out of the water, it is awesome. There is no denying that mutants (and superpowers) exist in this world.
The sub has the name, Carportina, but not sure if that means anything.
Riptide throws out a whirlwind and Magneto loses control of the sub, crashing it onto the beach. Their plane also crashes on the beach, practically right next to it.
A fight breaks out, three X-Men versus three Hellfire members. Azazel versus both Beast and Havok.
Moira tries to radio both countries to turn their ships around.
Magneto gets into the submarine. He turns off the nuclear reactor, which lets Shaw know that he is about to have to confront somebody.
Banshee saves Havok from Angel. Havok loses his circular device in the fight.
Shaw reveals himself to Magneto, they enter Shaw’s secret room so Xavier can’t monitor Magneto anymore.
I really like this scene of the two characters who haven’t been on screen together for like an hour.
Angel spits onto Banshee’s wingflap so he has to crash onto the beach along with Havok.
Magneto tries to stop Shaw by throwing metal pieces of the sub around Shaw. This creates rips inside the room that gives Xavier a slight opening to see what is happening.
Shaw realizes that he made Magneto into the man that he is. As a viewer, we can tell that Shaw’s philosophies are what shape Magneto’s outlook.
Havok has a better control over his power, even without the device’s assistance.
Shaw implies that Magneto hasn’t even hit his prime yet.
Azazel versus Beast. Good use of teleporation. Shaw comes out and tells Azazel to stop, Beast knocks him out. Good use of Mystique here.
Shaw makes the mistake of calling Magneto, son. Magneto does a call back to the earlier bar scene by calling Shaw his creator.
Magneto takes off Shaw’s helmet and Xavier freezes Shaw in his tracks. Magneto puts on the helmet, it is awesome!
Magneto agrees with Shaw but he hates Shaw for what he has done, he killed his mother, which is unforgivable. He pulls out the coin from the very beginning of the film.
Great directing choice with intercutting Shaw’s silent face with Xavier’s face as he is screaming, on top of the camera pan and cutting between the two characters, as their faces move from right to left as the coin goes into ‘their’ heads.
America and Russia have a shared enemy now, the mutants.
Magneto brings out Shaw’s dead body, resembling a scarecrow. Makes a great speech.
The two teams are split.
Missiles are fired, Magneto turns them around back at the ships.
Moira realizes that she is collateral damage.
It looks like Magneto is controlling a hundred missiles.
Xavier makes the mistake of telling Magneto that the soldiers are only, following orders. A line no one should ever repeat after the Nuremberg Trials.
Xavier tackles Magneto and they fight like brothers, with slaps. Due to this, Magneto lets some missiles drop.
Both captains make peace with their pending deaths, and thank their fellow soldiers for their service. Which is a very nice touch.
Moira comes at Magneto, guns ablazing! Magneto tosses the bullets aside. Except one of them hits Xavier, right in the spine! Where is this going!?!
Magneto starts choking Moira with her own dog tags! Xavier tells Magneto that it isn’t her who did this but Erik. This wakes Magneto up.
Magneto gives another speech. The assembled (!) mutants have two paths to go. Magneto takes the Hellfire Club members
At the two hour mark, Mystique runs over to Xavier. He tells her to go with Magneto. Which she does. Magneto has the beginnings of a group or a brotherhood, if you will.
I wonder where Azazel teleports them to, as there is no dialogue about it. Maybe just a few miles away and then Erik gives him proper directions.
Before they teleport, Mystique tells Beast to be “Mutant and Proud” which I’m surprised wasn’t the tag line to the film.
Xavier tells the rest of the mutants, and Moira, that he can’t feel his legs.
Kennedy gives his third speech of the film. It has been four weeks since the Cuba Missile Crisis.
At the Xavier Estate. Xavier is in a wheelchair. He tells Moira that they are G-Men but without the G. Moira tells him that they are now, X-Men!
Xavier is going to open an academy. Xavier is sure he will be going bald next.
To thank Moira for her service, he Superman kisses all of her memories of the past weeks away. What a great guy, not!
Cut to the CIA Director, as Moira reveals she only has flashes of what happened. She does remember a kiss, which the director rolls his eyes so hard and states that this is why women can’t be field agents.
Magneto frees Emma. She calls him, Erik. The camera turns to reveal Magneto in an image I can look at all day. He rather be called Magneto!
Love the shade of purple with red, purplish red, I don’t know.
The loss of Xavier has left a gap in his life and he needs Emma to fill it. Yeah, he do!
Two hours and four minutes, the credits begin! Jennifer Lawrence comes in at number five of the single card credits. That would probably be different now if they released the film, she would definitely be above Rose Byrne.
Thus our time with the film comes to an end!
I’ll review Wolverine Origins whenever the next Wolverine film comes out, which is slated for 2017. Unless I do it before then but I can’t imagine it coming up before then.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 