Review: X-Men: First Class

The superhero film is box office gold, and has been (mostly) since the release of Bryan Singer’s original X-MEN way back in 2000. Since then, fanboys have been spoilt for choice. Not a year goes by without production studios raiding Marvel or D.C. Comics’ back catalogue for inspiration. With each new summer comes a brand new or returning hero, be it Batman, Superman, Spider-Man or The Fantastic Four (ahem). But how long can this trend continue? As other genres and Hollywood fads have gone in and out of fashion cyclically, it stands to reason that this should be the case for the superhero movie. But our favourite comic-book characters have an ace up their spandex. Comics and superheroes are rebooted, re-imagined, and retold constantly (traits which have become undeniably prominent in big-budget cinema). For every story that proves a miss with readers, the comic writers simply erase it from history or reinvent certain elements; consider Spider-Man’s ‘Clone Saga’ or Marvel’s ‘Civil War’, the details of which have since been tweaked. The same goes for the regular deaths of comic characters – did anyone really believe Captain America or Bruce Wayne would not return from the grave? And of course, there are the ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Elseworld’ universes, in which Marvel and D.C. are able to respectively tell the stories of familiar characters in alternative settings or scenarios. Fanboys are used to comic characters adapting and changing; it has become a survival instinct of the superhero, a trait that seems most appropriate for mutants such as the X-Men.
The X-MEN franchise has truly found its feet (mutated perhaps). It is not afraid to make changes in its source material to create a sound and watertight narrative. It has shown that the successful reboot is a real thing, and that the likes of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN could fare the same if its team have taken the same approach (although this is more of a prequel than actual reboot, and there are a number of nods to the original films). Whatever your opinion on the superhero movie – whether you think it’s ready to die off or regenerate – X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has made a strong argument for its survival. It’s exciting, powerful, touching, and the superhero action is just breathtaking. Let’s hope GREEN LANTERN also has something rather spectacular tucked away in his CG sleeve…