Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • June 15, 2011 ‘X-Men: First Class’ explores Marvel saga’s origin by Dennis Seuling Prequels, movies that provide the histories of famous characters, can go one of two ways. They can add texture and provide details that explain later behavior and character development, as in “The Godfather, Part II,” and take on an identity of their own. On the other hand, they can be obvious attempts to capitalize on the popularity of a character or characters and milk bucks from unsuspecting moviegoers, as in “Hannibal Rising,” the ill-conceived prequel to “Silence of the Lambs,” or “Butch and Sundance: The Early Years.” “X-Men: First Class” is an intelligent movie that answers many questions for fans of the series. How did Magneto and Professor Xavier become enemies? How did Xavier lose his ability to walk? How did he found his academy for mutants? All these questions are addressed as a solid story unfolds, with plenty of action sequences to keep things exciting. With five mutants, director Matthew Vaughn could either have gone for a bloated running time or abbreviated character development. He chose the latter route, presenting each of the mutants in brief scenes that show snippets of attitude and inner pain. Special effects kick in to show the amazing things they can do, but viewers learn little about their personalities. Holocaust survivor Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and Emma Frost (January Jones) in ‘X-Men: First Class.’ 2011 K A S S C H AU MEMORIAL SHELL �������������������������� ��������������� ������������������������� ������������������������������� ������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� seeks vengeance against the Nazi officer, now going under the name Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who killed his mother. Shaw has learned to absorb huge amounts of energy and transfer them at will, making himself into a sort of human bomb. He has assembled a team of evil mutants, including Emma Frost (January Jones), a telepath who can transform herself into diamonds. Shaw is intent on creating World War III through the Cuban missile crisis. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is completing a thesis on evolution at Oxford University. He and Erik collaborate with the CIA to stop Shaw. They gather their own team, which consists of Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), fairy-winged, fire-spewing Angel (Zoe Kravitz), glassshattering Sean Cassidy/Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), fire-shooting Alex Summers/Havoc (Lucas Till), and armor-plated Armando Muñoz/Darwin (Edi Gathegi). Bacon has great fun with the role of Shaw. In the scenes set in the early 1960s, he has the look of a James Bond villain, all silky smooth and arrogant, with a diabolical thirst for world domination. In an early scene set in a 1940s concentration camp, when he is Dr. Schmidt, he speaks quite believably in German and displays his sadistic bent in the movie’s most intense and disturbing moments. Bacon is hammy enough to make his villain the kind of bad guy audiences used to hiss in silent pictures, but never so cartoonish as to be dismissed as a clown. Bacon conveys unadulterated menace, and his Shaw is a formidable adversary for Xavier and his small mutant army. The best-developed characters are Shaw and Erik (who by the movie’s end is known as Magneto). The film starts with his story and returns to it in the exciting climax, thus completing a satisfactory dramatic arc. Fassbender’s Erik is a brooding individual who too often lets his ability to attract or repel metallic objects get out of hand. Charles counsels Erik on moderating his power by operating not entirely on anger and rage, but with a sense of inner peace to better guide him. There is a lot going on in “X-Men: First Class,” and it plays out in easy-to-follow images and clear dialogue, so even those who are not trivia experts on all things X-Men will be able to follow and enjoy this movie as a stand-alone experience. For those who know the previous X-Men films or the comic book storylines, certain bits of dialogue or behavior quirks will stand out as foreshadowing, and the experience will be richer. Rated PG-13 for stylized violence and a bit of strong language, “X-Men: First Class” is a good summer flick that is entertaining, and features a solid script, good special effects, and an assortment of unique characters. 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