The NeXt Stage in Evolution...or is it the first?

When Bryan Singer took a chance at bringing comic book movies back into the mainstream with the first "X-Men" feature, he created a visual marvel with relevant ideas that revolutionized the genre for this generation.  Solid performances, impressive effects and top-caliber direction started a franchise that had potential to evolve into something great.  Alas, Singer stepping away from the X-Men after the even better "X2" only gave us diminishing returns that stopped being about anything but summer special effects spectacle.  The third and fourth films in the Marvel canon of X-Men films were watchable mostly for Hugh Jackman's visceral take on Wolverine.  Good thing that Bryan Singer involved himself with "X-Men: First Class" as a story contributor and Producer, because it's a return to form that actually surpasses the first two, with much due credit to director Matthew Vaughn.

"X-Men: First Class" re-introduces us to Charles Xavier (Professor X), here played with great levity by an ever-impressive James McAvoy, and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), played by Michael Fassbender.  The story opens with a re-creation of the opening scene of the original "X-Men."  The scene re-establishes the horrors that young Erik Lehnsherr endured during childhood, and indeed, the evil mutant Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) motivates Erik's rage, and subsequent power with a cruel action.  We also see the college student version of Charles as a womanizing lush who is wicked smart about genetic mutations that cause unique human traits.  If the girls he picks up on only knew.  These two men will eventually meet as a result of mounting circumstances that call for both their 'talents'.  The details of these circumstances I will leave you to discover, but in broad strokes, it involves a World War III hungry Sebastian Shaw courting the Russians during the turbulent period in the 1960s when a nuclear crisis was on everyones' mind.  Good thing Charles can see what's on everyones' mind.  For the most part.

My minor quibble with the first few "X-Men" films was the thinly veiled allegory for various "Rights" issues.  Bryan Singer and third chapter director Brett Ratner seemed to muddle around with too many ideas.  Gay rights?  Civil rights?  Animal rights?  Pick one.  The problem was that the movies weren't brave enough to fully embrace any one of those issues and so the human cost got lost among all the special effects and comic-book dialogue. "X-Men: First Class" succeeds by framing the story right in the middle of the Cuban Missile crisis and making no bones about the fact that these mutants are a presence to be reckoned with.  This movie is about mutants, yes, but for once it isn't contained in it's own little world.  The first film dabbled with a congressman who gives an impassioned speech about the threat of mutants in society, but that subplot bursts faster than the congressman.  The scope of "X-Men: First Class" stretches itself to the world at large so that the stakes seem extremely high for mutants and humans alike.

Matthew Vaughn's direction is a revelation.  The first preview sort of had me scoffing at the prospect of the film, yet Vaughn takes the material very seriously and I found myself quite surprised at how emotionally invested I became.  As the movie progresses, threats loom on all sides and the sense of foreboding increases as we realize what must become of this partnership between Erik and Charles.  Indeed, Erik has good reason for hating humanity as he has come to experience it.  Yet we also see Charles' missteps as he regards regular humans more like science projects than as equals.  Both men have an undeniable logic that each believe cannot be compromised.  This concept creates a feud that neither want, but that neither can avoid.

The visual and special effects are astonishing.  I mentioned in my review of "Thor" that it did not rely on special effects to tell it's story.  That's even more true here in a film full of characters with marvelous powers; yet it never feels like the movie is showing off.  The powers make sense and contribute the relevant nature of the impending crisis.  The human reactions to the unleashed abilities ring true for the audience as well: this is some pretty sweet stuff that the X-Men get up to.  A key sequence involves an attack on a CIA compound, and Vaughn doesn't use quick-cuts to hide anything; there is really nothing to hide since the effects blend expertly with the live action.

"X-Men: First Class" is probably the most relevant blockbuster of the summer so far.  It's a re-invigoration of a franchise that was beginning to plateau into auto-pilot.  Matthew Vaughn steers it into new territory with an origin story that sets a new bar for future installments.  Here is another stand out film in the pantheon of comic blockbusters that is really about something.  The film's ability to not be shy with it's concepts or execution makes me excited to see how a sequel might further bridge the gap between this film and the first "X-Men".  Speaking of which, a very common thread in all the X-Men films pops up very briefly here.  No prizes for guessing what..or who it is, bub.