[Spoiler included]
High-tech, bold, and breathtaking.
The newly released X-Men: First Class has put one of DC’s best comic book stories onto large screen, after the successful screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009.
The team of absurd mutants was introduced one by one, some with their backgrounds as children. In the beginning one learns about the little Polish boy, Erik Lehnsherr (later known as Magneto), who was separated from his mother and hence revealed his power that is controlled by anger and hatred.
Charles Xavier, who was just entitled professor of genetics from Oxford, well, hits on girls a lot with his theories of mutations. He is a mutant himself, who is referred as the telepathic. He reads mind and control behaviors.
Yet, his kind heart preserved the search for an army of similar mutants around the world, building an army to fight Sebastian Shaw, to whom has intended to evade the Reich allies.
Shaw is another mutant whose ability allows him to absorb kinetic energy to boost his own strength.
Professor Xavier was approached by non-mutant CIA agent Dr. Moira MacTaggert, played by Rose Byrne (she stands out a lot among the mutants for being the normal one), to track down Shaw.
As the story rolls out we find out more about the rest of the mutants: Raven the shape-shifting mutant, Big Foot “Hank” or Beast the smarty pants who later transformed into a frightening looking mutant, Angel with insectoid physiology, Banshee the screaming hypersonic, Darwin who “adapts to survive,” Havok with cosmic blasting energy, Riptide who has the ability to create whirlwinds from his hands, Emma Frost the crystal girl, and Azazel, who has the ability to teleport.
The climax of the movie reaches as the Russians plan to declare war with the Americans. Shaw was behind the Russians to engineer missile onto Cuba. It was breathtaking as the Russian ships move towards the Kennedy-instituted blockade line across the ocean.
The mutant army worked together trying to stop Shaw from his evil plan, which may “trigger a World War III.” Little did they know that Shaw’s ultimate goal was to dominate the world.
As the Shaw-controlled Russian ship approaches the blockade line, Professor Xavier made a last-minute decision, using another Russian ship to destroy the missile freighter.
Banshee then locates Shaw and the fight of mutants begins. Shaw led Lehnsherr into a psychic blackspot but was eventually killed by Lehnsherr using the same coil he gave him in the concentration-camp, where Lehnsherr’s mother was killed.
Nevertheless, Lehnsherr lost control and spoke of mutant pride. The two fleets – Americans and Russians – both fired their missiles at the mutants but failed. Professor Xavier was almost killed by the bullets deflected by Lehnsherr, shot by Agent MacTaggert. That explains his paralyzing.
In the end, Lehnsherr, Raven (Mystique), Azazel, Riptide and Emma form their own squad. Professor Xavier (Professor X) then opened a school at his mansion and wiped clean the memories of Agent MacTaggert. The left-opened ending of the movie calls for a sequel to the series.
The whole movie gives viewers a rollercoaster rides, given its exciting storyline and high-tech effects. Yet somewhere along the anti-climax the story became heroes-directed. Also, the appearance of Jack Hughman as Wolverine during the mutant army recruitment also leaves us to wonder the correctness of the sequence of appearance; since Wolverine is supposedly brought up by Professor X himself.
Still, “X-Men: First Class” teaches a bold value: do not be afraid to be different. Viewers are taught to embraces their differences as Raven/Mystique closes the story saying “mutant, and proud.”
(Written for SCSU University Chronicle. All rights Reserved.)
