How X-Men First Class Shows What a Reboot is All About

X-Men First Class recently debuted in theaters and it was actually good! Too often, movie franchises run into a brick wall when trying to produce too many sequels.

We’ve seen countless reboots that have suffered this fate and for some reason superhero movies seem to be especially susceptible; Superman Returns (2006) and The Incredible Hulk (2008) are two prime examples. And being that there have already been three X-Men movies I thought for sure that this would be a flop.

Going through the film in my mind I have found that there were a number of characteristics about the movie that pushed it over that ‘too many sequels’ hump.

The Key Elements

• Director Matthew Vaughn: He’s seen some other success with Kick-Ass and Layer Cake and manages to throw the perfect amount of energy into the film while keeping it in a serious tone.

• Lead Actor James McAvoy: You definitely can’t have a successful film reboot without the perfect lead to pull it off. After all, they have to compete with the original lead actor who probably blew the role out of the water. McAvoy pulls it off in his stunning portrayal of Charles Xavier, the physical and intellectual leader of the X-Men that was condemned to a wheelchair in the previous X films. (This movie is a prequel.)

• The story: Obviously, this is fundamental to any movie and a poor storyline will leave viewers reeling most of the time. The film took a classic approach to the storyline problem. Everyone always roots for the underdog so a group of down-trodden superheroes is just the thing to get the fans going. First Class keeps the momentum going throughout the movie to deliver excellent character development for the main cast.

• The setting: Another essential element of a good story, yet often forgotten in some films. Setting this film in the 1960s was the perfect thing for the writers to do to set the movie apart.

• Interesting villain: Kevin Bacon brings Sebastian Shaw to life in the film and certainly provides an interesting contrast to the other characters.

• Good supporting characters: Jennifer Lawrence plays Mystique in First Class and brings an integral conflict into the film: to blend in with humanity or show your true self.

• The vengeance: We’re all familiar with that feeling of relief that you get when you see a baddie get what he truly deserves. Well I don’t want to spoil the movie for you but let’s just say that a certain metal-bending mutant will re-acquaint you with that feeling.

Our Rating

Aspiring film directors would do well to keep those elements in mind when working on that “Oscar-winning screenplay.” And even if you don’t win an Oscar you’ll sure get a lot of positive reviews from the fans. That’s why we’re giving X-Men First Class two thumbs up. If you haven’t already seen the movie then you should and if you’re an X-fan then you’d be committing blasphemy by not seeing it.

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