Bad is delicious, Good is just adequate. This is exactly how I felt after watching this prequel to the X-Men movies. The Good side has the peace-loving mutant Charles Xavier (soon to be called Professor X) urging for self-restraint on mutant powers. The not-so-good side has the holocaust survivor Erik Lansherr (a.k.a Magneto) who revels in his superpower while on the vengeful trail of Sebastian Shaw, a deadly mutant who killed his mother and currently seeking world domination. See what I mean? Even with significant screen-time, Xavier isn't half as intriguing as Magneto or Sebastian.
It is 1962 and the Cold War is at its peak with the Cuban missile crisis pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war. Sebastian Shaw(Kevin Bacon), an ex-Nazi scientist and a mutant, is making sure that nothing stops the war that assures human extinction. He believes that what kills the humans will only make the mutants stronger (Doesn't it sound like the popular quote 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger'). Unlike Hitler who foolishly tried fighting the USA and USSR, Sebastian pits the biggies against each other. With an ingenuity more diabolic than his mutant superpower, Sebastian makes a superb super-villain whom Kevin Bacon portrays with ease and visible glee. Sebastian however makes one mistake during his days as a Nazi scientist in a concentration camp in Poland - in an attempt to incite a Jewish kid's magnetic powers, he kills his mom. The kid, Erik Lansherr(Michael Fassbender) survives the holocaust and is out for blood. Erik's search for Sebastian and the passionate ruthlessness with which he doles out punishment to the people in his way are among the film's most rousing episodes. His path crosses with that of a telepath,Charles Xavier(James McAvoy), who befriends and trains Erik along with other mutants to control and enhance their powers as they prepare to face their common enemy.
The dense plot which fits nicely into the X-universe built by this movie's predecessors gets top marks. It is with a warped sense of satisfaction that I watched the irony unfold - Magneto filling up Sebastian's void after killing him, ending his friendship with Xavier and the rest having to choose between the two of them. Having watched the sequels (X-Men, X2) the ending isn't a surprise, but its effectiveness is not diminished. After all, they all had their reasons and in Magneto's own words, peace was never an option.The last time I had this feeling was while watching Revenge of the Sith.
What prevents this movie from being a solid entertainer is that it seems to have been affected by short lapses in imagination. There are numerous places where there movie slides down to mediocrity and a few times to downright silly. The mutant training sessions are necessary but apart from the beautiful locations they are shot in, they come across as nothing but bland. Rose Byrne's CIA agent is just a pretty plot-device. There is a scene where she disguises herself as an escort to spy on a Colonel watching him through a crack like James Bond did in his early movies. Didn't we come a long way from that kind of thing? Then there is a mutant girl who flies and spits fire in the most ridiculous way that I wont even waste my time describing how (I cheered when she fell). I wouldn't have complained had it been some low profile director but it being Mathew Vaughn, the man behind the insanely entertaining Kick-Ass and Layer Cake, my expectations are justified.
Bryan Singer, who directed the superb originals X-Men, X2 elected to play producer this time. He is not let down by what Mathew Vaughn delivers. Its just as delicious but with a few bitter seeds strewn over.
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