Film Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Don’t doubt the mutant powers – they are alive and well in the supremely entertaining X-Men: First Class (2011).  Following the weak and disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men: Origins: Wolverine (2009), most moviegoers had given up on the franchise.  So when the studio announced its decision to make another X-Men movie, many people, myself included, were skeptical.  The poor early marketing campaign for First Class only made more cynics; it boasted posters and pictures of tacky suited mutants.  However, anyone doubting the film’s potential should have had more faith in its creators; this installment may be campy but it is a ton of fun and even moving at times.  In fact, it is perhaps the new king of the series, with X2: X-Men United (2003) as its counterpart.  X-Men: First Class is highly engaging thanks to cool, 1960s James Bond-like direction and impressive performances, especially from its leading cast members.  While it cannot avoid the common setbacks found in prequels, it overcomes them for the most part to make the journey enjoyable.

Film Review: The Conspirator (2011)

As a history nerd with a B.A. History degree, the preview for Robert Redford’s The Conspirator (2011) intrigued me.  I didn’t learn or know too much about the legal aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, so seeing Redford’s latest directorial effort was of great interest.  Going into it, though, I was worried the political undertones would overwhelm the film, but they weren’t too distracting or offensive; even those really explicit statements that seemed to target today’s audience and current issues were off base, beside the point, or actually admirable.  The Conspirator is a well cast period piece and fairly entertaining and fascinating history lesson, but it may lack the necessary drama or excitement for the big screen or audiences beyond history fans, some of whom may find parts of the story inaccurate or insufficiently portrayed.