Plot: Set primarily in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, X-Men: First Class follows the exploits of a young Dr. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Meeting under extreme circumstances, the two quickly form a friendship, and with the help of Xavier's adopted sister Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) begin laying the foundation for Xavier's future school for mutants. However, when a man from Erik's past, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), resurfaces and threatens the future of mankind, Charles, Erik, Raven, and the rest of the young X-Men must band together to prevent a global nuclear holocaust.
Review: After the putrid pile of rancid excrement that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fox and Marvel Studios desperately needed a comeback. Well mission accomplished. Not only is X-Men: First Class a worthy edition to the comic book universe, it also manages to be a smartly constructed thriller as well.
The heart of X-Men: First Class lies in its cast, and director Matthew Vaughn did an excellent job of finding the right people for the right roles. James McAvoy shines as the young and cocksure Professor X, a ladies man who exploits his psychic powers to get women into bed, much to the frustration of his sister Raven. Professor X is driven by a desperate need to incorporate mutants into mainstream society and believes tolerance and patience will win the day. His vision while naive is also idealistic and grounded in a sincere personal desire to belong.
Friend and colleague Erik does not share Charles's vision, and believes that not only will humans ultimately reject mutants but that mutants are the superior species. This is unquestionably Fassbender's breakout role. Formerly regulated to bit parts in movies like 300 and Jonah Hex, Fassbender spectacularly captures the struggle between Erik's angels and demons. Driven by revenge, Fassbender comes across as a smooth, almost James Bond-like character that exudes malice and masculine bravado in equal measure. The scene where he confronts former Nazis is as enthralling as is it is harrowing. He and McAvoy have excellent chemistry and I sincerely hope that they work together again.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the dead on performance by Kevin Bacon as sadistic ex-Nazi Sebastian Shaw. Rarely have I reviled a character on screen more than I have Bacon's Shaw. Rather than turning Shaw into a stereotypical villain twirling his mustache, Bacon fully fleshes out the main villain of First Class making for a profound and fascinating character. He serves as a reflection of what Erik could ultimately become.
Without question the real ringleader of X-Men: First Class is director Matthew Vaughn. He brings a passion and energy to these characters only equaled by Christopher Nolan's passion for Batman. He surrounded himself with excellent writers and formulated a story around a real crisis in American history that was relateable and believable. Vaughn made us feel for the mutants on a human level and what better way to do that then to set the film in the 1960s, a time of tremendous political, civil, and racial upheaval? Matthew Vaughn brings a fresh look to the franchise and manages to captivate the audience with vivid action scenes or a quiet dialogue driven chess match.
To grossly butcher a popular 90s rap line by LL Cool J, "don't call it a comeback because we haven't been here before." X-Men: First Class breaks ground on a new comic book era of awesomeness. Let's hope the mutant mojo continues in the inevitable sequel.
My rating: 9/10
Friday, September 9, 2011
Review: The Hangover Part II
Plot: The wolf pack returns when Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and Stu (Ed Helms) gather in Bangkok for Stu's impending wedding to the beautiful Lauren (Jamie Chung). While Stu desires only a quiet bachelor brunch with the boys, the lures of Bangkok soon lead to tattoos, a missing future brother in law, and even a run in with the coke snorting Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong).
Review: Let's face it it's difficult to produce a funny and engaging sequel to a popular comedy. For every Christmas Vacation and American Pie 2 there is a Blues Brothers 2000 and a Caddyshack II. While The Hangover Part II doesn't necessarily fall into the category of the former, it's not even close to being a member of the latter. The second edition of the franchise (as there will undoubtedly be a third because hey, this is Hollywood and money talks) is consistently funny if sometimes uneven in tone and pace.
One of the weak points of the first film was not having a clearly defined main character. While all four characters were funny and had fantastic chemistry (they still do) no one really stood out from the group as a leader. Director Todd Phillips has righted that wrong in the second Hangover making Stu the main character. Despite reportedly horrible bouts of food poisoning in Bangkok, Ed Helms puts on his best performance to date. While Stu's encounter at a Buddhist temple was hysterical, it was nothing compared to the pure shock value of Stu's discovery that he slept with a kathoey prostitute. (I just can't tell you what a kathoey prostitute is, it would ruin the surprise. Let's just say it pushes the bounds of an R rating.) Moreover, Helms exceeds at displaying Stu's struggles with his "dark side" and his desperate desire to prove to his future father in law that he is worthy of his daughter.
Cooper continues his role as the wise cracking Phil, as he gets the lion's share of the one liners in The Hangover Part II. Zach Galifiankis as Alan isn't quite as funny as he was in the original, but his lovable doofiness still shines through. Alan's initial responses during the post awakening scenes are priceless. Ken Jeong however I found to be rather boring as Mr. Chow. Jeong is quickly becoming a one trick pony as the "crazy Asian guy" in films and the performance was way over the top.
Where The Hangover Part II fails is in pacing and plot. Things seem to jump from one crazy scene to another, some of which are downright ridiculous. (Stu's future brother in law Teddy, who is the one lost in the sequel, somehow gets mixed up in the Bangkok mob? Really?) Furthermore, the reason the group blacks out again is contrived and pat. I had hoped that writers Scott Armstrong, Craig Mazin, and Todd Phillips would have come up with better plot points. Their greatest strength is in dialogue not story. Also Mike Tyson kind of randomly shows up at the end of the film. It's like they knew the audience was expecting him to be in there so they just tacked him on at the end.
One thing I did appreciate was Lawrence Sher's cinematography. He captured Bangkok in a unique way, highlighting the drab and dank nature of its slums while simultaneously illuminating the beauty of Thailand's beaches and wilderness. Sher's got my early vote for an Academy Award in cinematography although I doubt he'll even get a nomination because this is a comedy.
The best compliment I can pay The Hangover Part II is that it was a funny film. If you can look past the weak plot points, choppy pace, and slightly long duration, you'll discover a visually appealing and consistently funny film. And after all isn't laughing the real point of any comedy?
My rating: 7/10
Review: Let's face it it's difficult to produce a funny and engaging sequel to a popular comedy. For every Christmas Vacation and American Pie 2 there is a Blues Brothers 2000 and a Caddyshack II. While The Hangover Part II doesn't necessarily fall into the category of the former, it's not even close to being a member of the latter. The second edition of the franchise (as there will undoubtedly be a third because hey, this is Hollywood and money talks) is consistently funny if sometimes uneven in tone and pace.
One of the weak points of the first film was not having a clearly defined main character. While all four characters were funny and had fantastic chemistry (they still do) no one really stood out from the group as a leader. Director Todd Phillips has righted that wrong in the second Hangover making Stu the main character. Despite reportedly horrible bouts of food poisoning in Bangkok, Ed Helms puts on his best performance to date. While Stu's encounter at a Buddhist temple was hysterical, it was nothing compared to the pure shock value of Stu's discovery that he slept with a kathoey prostitute. (I just can't tell you what a kathoey prostitute is, it would ruin the surprise. Let's just say it pushes the bounds of an R rating.) Moreover, Helms exceeds at displaying Stu's struggles with his "dark side" and his desperate desire to prove to his future father in law that he is worthy of his daughter.
Cooper continues his role as the wise cracking Phil, as he gets the lion's share of the one liners in The Hangover Part II. Zach Galifiankis as Alan isn't quite as funny as he was in the original, but his lovable doofiness still shines through. Alan's initial responses during the post awakening scenes are priceless. Ken Jeong however I found to be rather boring as Mr. Chow. Jeong is quickly becoming a one trick pony as the "crazy Asian guy" in films and the performance was way over the top.
Where The Hangover Part II fails is in pacing and plot. Things seem to jump from one crazy scene to another, some of which are downright ridiculous. (Stu's future brother in law Teddy, who is the one lost in the sequel, somehow gets mixed up in the Bangkok mob? Really?) Furthermore, the reason the group blacks out again is contrived and pat. I had hoped that writers Scott Armstrong, Craig Mazin, and Todd Phillips would have come up with better plot points. Their greatest strength is in dialogue not story. Also Mike Tyson kind of randomly shows up at the end of the film. It's like they knew the audience was expecting him to be in there so they just tacked him on at the end.
One thing I did appreciate was Lawrence Sher's cinematography. He captured Bangkok in a unique way, highlighting the drab and dank nature of its slums while simultaneously illuminating the beauty of Thailand's beaches and wilderness. Sher's got my early vote for an Academy Award in cinematography although I doubt he'll even get a nomination because this is a comedy.
The best compliment I can pay The Hangover Part II is that it was a funny film. If you can look past the weak plot points, choppy pace, and slightly long duration, you'll discover a visually appealing and consistently funny film. And after all isn't laughing the real point of any comedy?
My rating: 7/10
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