X-Men First Class (2011)

X-Men First Class (2011)

Release Date: June 3, 2011

After the controversial X-Men: The Last Stand, and the unanimously poorly received X-Men Origins Wolverine, the X-Men franchise was on shaky ground. This film explores the origins of the X-Men and the feud between Xavier and Magneto, which was chosen over an X-Men Origins Magneto, which would have only featured Magneto, as the title suggests. First Class presents a new area for the X-Men franchise to expand after the planned Origins sub-series didn’t pan out.

The film starts by going back to the first film’s concentration camp prologue. However, this time, it’s expanded. The camp’s boss, Dr Klaus Schmidt, is intrigued by Erik Lensherr’s emerging magnetism and brings the boy to his office. He challenges Erik to do it again by threatening to kill Erik’s mother in front of him if he fails. Erik isn’t able to do it until after Schmidt kills Erik’s mum, since his powers are fuelled by emotional distress. Meanwhile, li’l Mystique breaks into li’l Xavier’s house in the night, and the two bond over their mutant status, with li’l Xavier letting li’l Mystique live with him.

Fast forward to 1962, in which the rest of the film is set. Xavier is a successful scholar by day, and Casanova by night. If it weren’t for the forty year time difference, he would be recruited for the Bro Force. He is approached by Moira MacTaggart, a CIA agent who has discovered a dastardly plot by a group of mutants called the Hellfire Club. She found this out by going undercover at a strip club in a Metal Gear style stealth operation. I say Metal Gear because Moira sneaking around in her underwear certainly made my Snake Solid, if you know what I mean, ehehe.

Die, straight white male scum! You’re oppressing us with the Patriarchy! Wait, what are you doing here? Get out! Sorry about that. It seems the Social Justice Warriors didn’t appreciate my crude humour, though I should clarify I wasn’t really aroused, the pun was just too good to pass up.

After World War II ended, Erik became an Inglorious Basterd and hunts down Nazis in order to track down Schmidt. He discovers that Schmidt is now calling himself Sebastian Shaw, presumably because he didn’t want people confusing him with either Marvel’s other Nazi named Schmidt, or the goldfish from American Dad. How considerate of him. Shaw is also the leader of the Hellfire Club, consisting of himself, Emma Frost (a telepath with diamond skin), Wind Man from Mega Man 2, and the Red Guy from Cow and Chicken, who can teleport and use swords in addition to being a sexual deviant. Magneto tracks Shaw down and almost drowns in trying to raise his submarine, but is saved by Xavier and Moira. In order to find Shaw again and stop him, the trio and Mystique start recruiting teenagers with attitude. They hire a young Beast, who has handfeet, Angel, who is not the one from X-Men 3, Havok, Cyclops’ little brother who is older than him and can shoot Sonic Booms (He’s called Havok because the Red Cyclone was already taken), Darwin, who can adapt to survive any situation, and Banshee who has sonar screams and can also fly. Wolverine was rejected because he had the attitude down pat, but he wasn’t a teenager. Xavier and Erik capture and interrogate Emma Frost, and after Erik gets too rough, Emma reveals that Shaw’s plan is to accelerate the Cuban Missile Crisis to start World War III, with the resulting nuclear war killing humans and letting mutants (the ones who can survive nuclear conditions, anyway) rule, as well as starting the War Economy. His motivation is that mutants are children of the atom. Emma is then sent to prison.

 Children of the Atom? That sounds familiar...

In response, Shaw, Wind Man and the Red Guy go to the X-Men’s CIA lair and wreck the joint. Shaw is immune to the guns and explosives used against him because he absorbs their energy and his body hardens in response to physical trauma. He uses his energy to kill Darwin (so much for adapting to survive, huh?), prompting Angel to switch sides. Xavier lets the remaining members stay in his house to train, and by the time they’re done, they’re swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon,with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Meanwhile, Mystique falls out with Xavier and Beast, because she doesn’t want to hide her blueness any more, but she has to because the executives want their money’s worth from hiring Jennifer Lawrence to play her. Beast had invented a cure to hide the blueness, but since Mystique doesn’t want it any more, he uses it on himself to get rid of his handfeet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, and he turns into the furry blue lug we all know and love. Maybe using three-course chewing gum and hair from Millicent Bulstrode’s cat as ingredients was a bad idea.

The X-Men go to Cuba and Xavier stops the crisis by controlling a Russian soldier and blowing up a Russian ship the Red Guy was sailing towards the line in. The Hellfire Club is defeated by the rest of the X-Men, and Erik kills Shaw by forcing a coin through his head, despite Charles begging him not to. The American and Russian ships call a truce to kill the mutants, and fire a barrage of missiles at them. Erik starts to turn the rockets back where they came from, but Charles begs him to spare the ships, since their crew are just following orders.

As it turns out, telling a Holocaust survivor that the people trying to kill you are just following orders is about the dumbest thing you could possibly do, and Erik goes completely off the deep end, prompting Moira to try shooting him to stop the rockets. He deflects the bullets, but one of them goes into Charles’ spine, crippling him. So there you have it, folks. The Cuban Missile Crisis was stopped by mutants fighting each other.

Erik, now calling himself Magneto, becomes the new leader of the Hellfire Club, renames it the Brotherhood of Mutants, sways Mystique to his side, breaks Emma Frost out of prison and dresses up as M. Bison. Afterwards, Xavier erases Moira’s memory to keep her safe from repercussions, and opens his home to train other young mutants. He also worries that he will go bald one day.

It is funny because that is exactly what happens.

As was mentioned earlier, the focus this time is on Charles and Erik, which makes a pleasant change from the last two films, which could have been renamed Wolverine and his Amazing Friends without anyone being the wiser. The previous films only touched briefly on their relationship before they fell out, so it’s good to see that expanded on. Their friendship is quite touching to watch at times, but there’s always a bittersweet taste to it, because we know that they can’t stay friends, and they have to fall out before the film ends. The film does a good job of portraying the differences in their ideals. Their life experiences may have also played a part. Xavier, who has had a comfortable, carefree life and enjoys himself, wants to get along with humans, whereas Erik is a Holocaust survivor and wants to rule over humans.

Mystique’s role is greatly expanded here, as could be expected since Jennifer Lawrence, one of the biggest film stars on the planet, was cast in the role. In the past, she didn’t really do much besides stand around in the background looking menacing, or the odd undercover job. Here, she has a plot arc based around her appearance. Her issues growing up were alluded to in the previous films, and they’re shown more here. Pairing her with Xavier, a mutant who could still fit into society due to his differences being invisible, was a clever idea.

At the time of its release, the film took a broad strokes approach to continuity with the previous films. The director said that he disregarded X-Men Origins Wolverine entirely, and that this film’s plot took priority over continuity with the first three films. The biggest hiccups in this regard are the X-Men 3 prologue, in which Xavier can still walk, and he and Magneto are still friends, and more importantly, the relationship between Xavier and Mystique, since in the earlier films there was no indication of any past history between them. It may have been frustrating at the time, but not so much after Days of Future Past retroactively changed First Class from prequel to full-on reboot.

One concern with the film is that it can be rather problematic with regards to political correctness. I should clarify that I’m not a fan of what the concept has come to represent nowadays (the silly SJW interlude should have made that clear), but it does raise alarm bells here. All the major female characters have underwear or nude scenes, and most of the female extras are strippers. One of the two black X-Men present, Darwin, is killed off before the big final battle, despite having a power that really should be OP, and is the only mutant to die besides the main antagonist. The other black team member, Angel, turns bad, has no lines after that, and gets killed off-screen between films, though to be fair, she’s far from the only one, as Emma Frost, Wind Man, the Red Guy and Banshee all suffer the same fate. For bonus irony points, the Civil Rights Movement was a thing at the time. I don’t believe that it was done out of malice, but there’s too much there to dismiss as an unfortunate coincidence. Whew, this progressiveness is making me feel funny. You can’t talk about equality because you enable rape culture! You’re a man and that means you’re a rapist! Donate to my Patreon because I have soggy knees! Again? Seriously? Gimme back my keyboard and go back to Tumblr! Go on, get! (Sprinkles holy water)

Fortunately, First Class manages to put the series back on track after the last two misfires. It’s not quite at the level of the first two films, but it’s good enough to wash away the bad taste left by X-Men Origins Wolverine.

Next Time: 

 

Bonus: The Hellfire Club was previously planned to appear in X-Men 3, as if it weren’t bloated enough already. That incarnation would have had Emma Frost as the leader, and she would have been played by Sigourney Weaver. I would have actually liked to see that. Does the lack of Sigourney Weaver justify sad music? Yes. Yes it does.

Thor (2011)

Thor (2011)

Release Date: May 6, 2011

Thor represents an interesting change in direction for the Marvel Universe. The Iron Man films, as well as The Incredible Hulk, were rooted in science and technology. On the other hand, Thor takes a more fantastical approach based on Norse mythology, arguably making it a harder sell to mainstream audiences than the previous entries.

Once upon a time, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim attacked Earth in an attempt at taking it over. They failed, thanks to the intervention of the Asgardians, led by their king Odin, who drove the Frost Giants back to Jotunheim. As his prize, Odin claimed the Casket of Eternal Winters, which is sure to be a conversation starter and go so well with the drapes, and Loki, the baby son of the Frost Giant ruler, Laufey. Years later, Odin prepares to hand over the throne to his other son Thor, but the ceremony is ruined when a group of Frost Giants break into Asgard and try to steal the Casket of Eternal Winters because they were using it as an ice box and had left some beers in there. The intruders are defeated, and against Odin’s wishes, Thor leads a group consisting of himself, Loki, Sif and the Warriors Three to Jotunheim to battle the Frost Giants on their home turf. This reckless act breaks the truce between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants. Odin is furious at Thor failing to realise that being king doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble, and punishes Thor by making him mortal and banishing him to Earth.

Thor is found by a trio of scientists led by Jane Foster, who take him to the hospital, partly because they believe he’s delusional, partly because Jane ran him over twice. SHIELD arrive, find Thor’s hammer has become a tourist attraction, and seal the area, as well as stealing Jane’s research. Thor escapes the hospital and tries to take his hammer back, but gives himself up because he can no longer lift it. Agent Coulson doesn’t stop the break-in attempt because he’s curious about the man’s strength and wants him alive, so Hawkeye doesn’t get to 360 no-scope Thor, though he totally could.

Back in Asgard, Loki finds out that he’s adopted, and Odin can’t be bothered listening to Loki’s ranting, so he takes a nap. Loki becomes king of Asgard in Odin’s stead, and refuses to undo Thor’s exile. He then goes to Jotunheim and negotiates for Laufey to come to Asgard and kill Odin while he sleeps. The Warriors Three and Sif decide to take matters into their own hands and get Thor back. They persuade Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, to let them go to Earth, but this act of defiance gets Heimdall frozen by Loki, who sends the Destroyer, a giant robot who guards the Asgard treasure room, to Earth to kill them and Thor.

Sif and the Warriors Three find Thor and the scientists, but the Destroyer arrives and makes a mess of New Mexico. After saying Klaatu Barada Nikto fails to stop the Destroyer, Thor pleads with Loki to leave his friends alone. Loki dismisses Thor’s speech as sounding like lines from a self-help book, and the Destroyer slaps Thor away. However, this act was enough to make Thor a true hero, and he gets his godly powers back before going all Rules of Nature on the Destroyer. Thor and the Asgardians return to Asgard to stop Loki.

Loki betrays Laufey and kills him before he can kill Odin, before revealing that Loki’s alliance with Laufey was to provide him with an excuse to use the Bifrost Bridge to destroy Jotunheim and eradicate the Frost Giants. Thor tries to persuade Loki to stop, but when this fails, he is forced to destroy the Bifrost Bridge to save Jotunheim. Odin wakes up from Odinsleep and saves Thor and Loki from the crumbling bridge, but Loki lets go and falls. He doesn’t die though, as the fangirls are more powerful than we thought… The day is saved, but it is a bittersweet victory, as Thor can no longer visit Earth to be with Jane – at least, not until The Avengers. Somewhere something is calling for you, two worlds one family…

After the credits, Nick Fury shows the a powerful artefact to Jane’s boss, Erik Selvig, when it is revealed that Loki is now controlling Selvig.

Thor represents the first step in expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe past the confines of the previous films’ Earthbound settings. The different setting lends a slightly different, more grandiose, tone and atmosphere, but it is still recognisably part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It doesn’t stretch suspension of disbelief that Asgard can exist in the same world as scientifically inclined heroes like Iron Man and Hulk. This also exemplifies one of Marvel’s biggest strengths. Varying films can have different tones and approaches based on the characters, which helps stave off repetition and monotony, and gives each film its own voice. The designs of the mythological locations help sell this idea. Asgard looks incredible with its enormous golden arches and statues and breathtaking scenery. Theirs is a world very different from ours. Jotunheim is a suitably unwelcoming frozen wasteland, which instills a sense of unease in the viewer.

The emotional core of the film is the relationships between Thor, Loki and Odin. The two brothers crave the attention of their father, who loves both of his sons despite being a harsh and stern man. It is also shown that, as brothers, Thor and Loki are capable of getting along with each other. This helps make the characters more three dimensional and prevents Loki from being the bad guy who does bad things because he is bad. The desire for their father’s approval leads into the actions of the brothers, both of whom have a different idea of how to earn it. It could be argued that in this film, the emotional drama provides more of the conflict than the external threat of the Frost Giants. This can be seen at the beginning of the climax when Loki kills Laufey, moving the focus back towards the familial relationship.

Thor and especially Loki are among the most popular characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That isn’t just because they’re both handsome, attractive men with armies of fangirls at their disposal, though that certainly helps. Loki differs as a villain from previous MCU foes. Whereas the Iron Monger, Abomination and Whiplash favoured brute force, Loki is more of a schemer. He is cunning and deceitful, using his wits and silver tongue to get ahead. When he does get into a combat situation, he tends not to fight directly, instead favouring illusions, tricks and sleight of hand. He poses a different, more cerebral challenge to those who came before him, and for that reason, it’s probably not a coincidence that he is the first MCU villain to appear in more than one film. As for Thor, the film makes him an endearing character. He begins as an arrogant and hot-headed young man, who acts on his emotions instead of thinking before he acts. He remains likeable because he doesn’t mean to be a jerk, and it’s easy to tell what motivates this behaviour. He’s misguided, but not malicious, which means that we can buy it when he learns his lesson and grows as a person later. Another aspect of his character that helps make him more charming is his status as a fish out of water. Earth is very different from Asgard, and his different ways serve to make him more innocent, as well as providing some of the film’s biggest laughs (my personal favourite was Thor referring to Agent Coulson as Son of Coul.) In this respect, Thor is reminiscent of Disney’s portrayal of Hercules.

Having established the Marvel brand, Thor must have seemed like a radical departure on the surface. It was a risky gamble, but fortunately, the gamble paid off.

Stan Lee Spotter: Stan Lee appears as a redneck who tries to pull Mjolnir out of the ground with a chain, only to remove the back of his truck instead. “Did I get it?” he asks.

Next Time: Xposing the truth behind the Cuban Missile Crisis.