X-Men: Erste Entscheidung

Lassen Sie sich nicht von der hohen Bewertung täuschen :-) Vaughn setzt nicht dort fort, wo Bryan Singer aufgehört hat, der Film hat einen größeren Bezug zu Ratners drittem Teil. Womit Vaughn aber Ratner übertrifft, ist der Ausgleich von der kindischen und erwachsenen Darstellung des Stoffes (beides ist hier anwesend, Ratner war nur kindisch), eine deutlich höhere Anzahl der Figuren, ein viel schnelleres Tempo (im normalen "Modus“ würde der Film drei Stunden dauern) und eine größere Menge an epischen over-the-top Actionmomenten, die nie überladen wirken oder so, als ob sie die Autoren nicht im Griff hätten. Die Betonung von Parametern eines bunten eye-candy Spektakels, der auch Teenager gefangen nimmt (für die Singers Werke überflüssig psychologisch waren), wird durch die Tatsache bestätigt und entspannt, dass die beste Szene des dicken Films der ein paar Sekunden dauernde "go-fuck-yourself!“ Cameoauftritt von Hugh Jackman ist, der in einer grauen, verrauchten Bar herumlungert. Die Autoren beweisen damit, dass sie den Stoff nicht deswegen anders angehen, weil sie keine Singer-Darstellung schaffen würden, sondern deswegen, weil sie besser als alle vor ihnen wissen, wie man diese Pop-Richtung perfekt gestalten kann und deshalb ein BREITES Publikum zum Höhepunkt kommt. Von den Schauspielern ist eindeutig Michael Fassbender der Beste, er könnte ein neuer Ethan Hunt oder James Bond werden (die zweitbeste Filmszene, zufälligerweise spielt sie auch in einer Bar, ist die von Fassbender aus Argentinien). Eine sehr gute Negativgestalt ist Kevin Bacon. James McAvoy ist einigermaßen OK, was bei der Figur von Charles Xavier zu wenig ist. Der Rest bildet nur einen Hintergrund, obwohl man sich über die vielen ikonischen Minirollen von Kultnebendarsteller*innen freut (Platt, Ironside...). (01.06.2011)

Singer's X-Men 2 is still unsurpassed, but in some aspects Vaughn's film comes close. If nothing else, Fassbender's performance defines the concept of "charisma" on the movie screen. We're gonna see a lot more from this guy! (27.07.2011)

A fun blockbuster, but Singer’s X-Men are still better. Those two hours went very fast and I certainly wasn’t bored, but after the excellent reviews and trailers, I can’t help but feel mildly disappointed. It’s just too shallow and straightforward, played only for effect (so many dramatic looks!) and without any depth. There are some very silly moments (for instance, when Eric moves the big satellite), though fortunately, they are outnumbered by the cool ones. But even in the strongest moments I had the feeling that it could be more polished (Eric agitated in the concentration camp, Shaw’s attack on the CIA, the flying submarine), and the number of scenes of the type “the characters stand stiff waiting for something to happen, and when something does happen, they start moving on command” was above the tolerable limit. I didn’t leave the cinema with negative feelings, though – the last half hour is quite bombastic – but I still feel that it could have been better. PS: The most surprising thing today was the rosy hell of the trailer for The Magical Duvet. Someone must have thought it has the same target audience. :-) (02.06.2011)

Phenomenal! Vaughn brings the series back to where it originally started. As a comic book movie that uses its brain where others flex their muscles, it doesn't for a moment compromise on the audience-appealing spectacle, which doesn't lack wit, exaggeration, and... action. It is mature in its acting, plot, and direction, with no dead spots or lapses in pace. I’ll have more to say (hopefully) after the second viewing. Now I am just reveling in the memories of a film that was satisfying in every way. PS: There is nothing for me to add the second time either. Except that Fassbender rules like nobody’s business. Perfect in every detail. (02.06.2011)

Somehow I can’t bring myself to give this movie five stars, mainly because I’ve never been exactly fond of X-Men. The movies were great, but I never thought, like with Watchmen, that they were perfect and that I would devour every movie that had the word X-Men in the title. Anyway, I don’t mind X-men and that was also the reason why I gave this movie a go. However, I must say that this film is probably the best thing that could have happened to the franchise, because in addition to great actors, it features an absolutely perfect story, which, if you do not know the source material, you do not know how it will develop in the next moments. And that it will eventually develop differently than is customary in American films? That’s the icing on the cake. If I said a moment ago that actors were great, then I need to repeat that because they were truly divine. That goes for probably everyone who appears in the film, and there are a lot of characters. For example, the one-minute cameo of Hugh Jackman is totally great. The same goes for the special effects. I felt a bit sorry that X-Men weren’t closer to my heart. But if another film is made, which could easily happen, I will think about going to see it at the cinema. It seems that I’ve grown fond of X-Men after all. (29.12.2012)

Ich gebe selbstkritisch zu, dass ich von Vaughn mehr erwartet habe, als er in der Lage war abzuliefern. Wenn sich ein magnetischer Fassbender oder ein nachdenklicher McAvoy über die Leinwand bewegen, so ist es um Haaresbreite so, wie ich gehofft habe - dunkel, verschlingend, in erwachsenem Maße lustig. Die  X-Men: Erste Entscheidung kommt mit einer sehr ernsthaften Botschaft daher - der Film dreht sich um kollektive Schuld, Rache, das Recht, die Welt zu regieren. Die besten Szenen sind nicht die Action-Szenen, sondern die am meisten konversationsgestützten, in denen deutlich wird, wie tief die Filmemacher herabsteigen können und wie suggestiv diese Comic-Saga funktionieren kann. Je realistischer und fortschrittlicher die X-Men aussehen, desto mehr Probleme haben sie mit diesem "Teenie"-Element. Glücklicherweise behielt sich Vaughn eine gewisse Distanz und Einsicht bei, doch die Erste Entscheidung hat mich, abgesehen von den Mentoren, überhaupt nicht interessiert un passte nicht so recht in meine Gleichung. Sowas gab´s zu Singers Zeiten nicht. Es war, als ob sämtliche Energie und Anziehungskraft auf das zentrale Duo gefallen wären. Dies wird jedoch mit absolut verheerender Energie belohnt, und obgleich der Film gelegentlich schnauft, gibt´s am Ende Emotionen sowie eine Tiefe zu sehen, die sehr mit dem legendären Zweier sehr nahe verwandt ist. Es ist eben einzig und allein der Vergleich mit Singers Kohärenz und Gelassenheit, der mich davon abhält, vollends begeistert zu sein. Auf jeden Fall wäre ich sehr überrascht, sofern in diesem Jahr ein stilvolleres und gefühlsvolleres Spektakel in die Kinos käme. (30.05.2011)

I didn’t go see the new X-Men, but the new Vaughn. Which was maybe a mistake because the studio slightly blunted his energetic, no-holds-barred work. But even this way it’s outstanding, but more accentuated sixties stylization (the places where this is comes to the fore are among the best) and being less episodic would have helped, as well as cutting down the length of the final, over-the-top showdown. Vaughn directs best with just a couple of actors and tension build-up spaghetti western style. It’s true that the characters are rather two-dimensional, but the actors easily raise the standard, especially the Fassbender - Bacon - McAvoy trio. (03.06.2011)

Two men with a nearly brotherly bond, the fascinating teenager Mystique and the birth of several legends. And by its very nature, once a small, modest spin-off about Magneto, which under Vaughn's hands grew from a mutant matchmaker to the most anticipated blockbuster in recent months. When then the vengeful Erik Lensherr chases after the most sinister world gang against the backdrop of the Cold War, and the freshly graduated Charles Xavier teaches mutants how to deal with themselves, a well-deserved chill runs down your spine. Whether it's the story, the effects, the action, or the perfect actors (for me, McAvoy is the clear ruler). This tragedy has a clearly defined ending from the beginning, but by being able to stir up almost all emotions to the maximum, it reaches for the position of one of the comic book kings. (07.06.2011)

I have so much to tell you :-) But after leaving the cinema, my head is spinning and I'm unlikely to get anything coherent out of myself. Anyway, I'm impressed with the grandeur, thoughtfulness, and color. The moment Charles shed a tear when he entered Eric's head, I shed two. I was almost rolling on the floor during the few minutes when the "youngsters" learned to control their abilities. So, Vaughn has clearly scored again for me and I look forward to all his future endeavors. Yes, X-Men just knocked Inception out of my top 10. (28.06.2011)

Fans of comic book blockbusters can rest assured. My sole star does not mean that they would be in any way deprived of a hefty portion of special effects, action, and adventure of their favorite heroes, presented undoubtedly on a decent craftsmanship level. My rating is mainly related to the fact that adaptations of superhero comics are a genre that I have a decidedly negative relationship with. I consider myself a rational person and prefer the scientific method when exploring the surrounding world. Superhero comics have always repelled me with their close connection to the sphere of paranormal mysticism. The exceptional abilities of superheroes stem from religious beliefs and their world is based on the idea of ritual supernatural forces. Scientific discoveries and technology usually serve as mere props, and the X-Men superheroes are much closer to pagan gods than to characters from my favorite sci-fi genre. So Superman and X-Men have a particularly hard time with me. If they still want to impress me, they must come up with significantly deeper psychology than what is customary in typical blockbusters (unfortunately, the psychology of the characters in X-Men: First Class is very shallow), and with fully developed characters (in First Class, even such crucial decisions as choosing sides on the barricades seem like the actors just flipped a coin). The director must come up with ingeniously structured storytelling (compare the incredibly polished intro of Snyder's Watchmen with Vaughn's First Class, which reeks of popcorn from afar). I understand that exaggeration is essential in the genre, but even here, I appreciate moderation and, to the extent possible, prefer adherence to natural laws. The final nail in the coffin is Vaughn's ability to cater to the needs of entertainment-hungry teenagers. He simply knows what to make for teenagers, but in my case, it's precisely the opposite and I simply do not belong to his target audience. Overall impression: 25%. (12.06.2017)

Very retro and very stylish younger brother of Singer’s original X-Men. To start with I would like to say that Vaughn is a genius, because such an incredible amount of story, twists and character development are combined in this compact unit. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if the movie were three hours long and the director added those scenes that definitely ended up on the cutting room floor. The action is first-class. And no shortage of shots that will have your eyes on stalks and even some pretty decent tricks (with the coin) are included to help the story and not just to look good and appear in the trailer to attract the audience to the movie theater. Almost all the characters are well-developed, no doubt about that, but First Class relies mainly on Fassbender and his Magnet (people are swines, I would have gone with him). He is roughly equally important as Wolverine was for the part one and he is at very least equally iconic, if not more. Logan’s appearance would have pleased me more if I hadn’t already read about it in almost every review. McAvoy’s Charles isn’t bad either, very surprising both for his playboy behavior and for his no-nonsense approach to the role. Almost all of the baddies have something to them, and mostly the mysterious Kevin Bacon (you can see how much he enjoyed himself) and the chillingly beautiful January Jones. Otherwise, it’s a clever summer hit that does honor to the brand and I wouldn’t mind looking back into the past like this again some day. (02.06.2011)

In Zukunft ist Vergangenheit wurde die Vorgängerwelt der X-Men noch perfektioniert, aber das allein war schon Stoff genug für einen sehr guten Film. Die schauspielerischen Leistungen waren hervorragend, und das Drehbuch beeindruckte selbst dort, wo die ursprüngliche Trilogie versagte. Vielen Dank für alles, insbesondere für die Jungs aus Argentinien. (02.08.2015)

It was probably unexpected, Matthew Vaughn pressed the button essentially as skillfully as Bryan Singer. The X-Men have always been characterised (or later rather “should have been characterized”) by better psychology even at the expense of action. That was the case in the first two films, the third and especially the fourth one didn't really impress, although fans of megalomania certainly had their fill. Thankfully, this prequel is returning to the beginning. The narrative layers pile up beautifully to fit into the mythology and end exactly where Singer started in 2000. The action is monstrous, but not self-serving – not once. There isn't too much of it, and only when there's no other option, something not often seen in action films, not even Batman is accomplished in this regard. In the end, it's good, very good, without unnecessary pathos, without acting blunders or technical deficiencies. Michael Fassbender is god and probably the biggest icon of the future of action movies. (03.07.2011)

Es ist zwar nicht Bryan Singer, ich denke aber, dass sich die Mutanten keinen besseren Ersatz als Matthew Vaughn hätten wünschen können (obwohl ich seinem Film jetzt zum ersten Mal weniger als fünf Sterne gebe). Die neuen, jüngeren Darsteller*innen der bekannten Figuren sind ausgezeichnet. Es gefällt mir, dass X-Men: Erste Entscheidung nicht nur ein klassischer Superhelden-Blockbuster ist, sondern auch zartere, persönliche, ja sogar romantische Momente hat. Diese Kombination haben die Filmemacher gut gemeistert – dadurch haben sich die X-Men-Filme immer von anderen ähnlichen Werken abgehoben. (15.06.2011)

After the rather unsuccessful third part, a film that I enjoyed and that I can call successful in the world of X-Men has finally arrived again. The first team is introduced here, along with how the animosity between Xavier and Magneto formed, and what the relationships between the individual characters were like. This simply entertained me, sometimes grand, sometimes personal, exactly how it should be. (31.03.2014)

It may not have the much-heralded and celebrated psychological depth of the first two Singer films, but it's damn entertaining and sexy. Matthew Vaughn has long been a hugely interesting directorial icon for me, and I'm downright shamelessly looking forward to his next effort after Kick-Ass. X-Men: First Class doesn't provide an in-depth and exacting analysis of Charles Xavier's gradual character development, nor does it reveal (only slightly) his specific motivations and drivers for building a coterie of "good" and human factor-transformed mutants. At a running time of a very brisk two hours, the viewer gets some basic explanation and clarification of what "might have been before", but there is no time or place for any psychological dissection in such a bombastic crew:) First-class popcorn created by some damn cunning bastards. :) (26.06.2011)

I honestly haven't seen anything this fantastic in quite a while! I don't even believe that these are X-Men and I mean it in a good way. There hasn’t been a mature comic book movie like this since Nolan's Batman, and that's really saying something. The fact that Fassbender would give a brilliant performance was to be expected, but McAvoy was also great as well as Lawrence. In fact, most of the characters were well cast. I could go on with the superlatives, such as the best installment of the whole series, etc., etc. But the biggest thanks goes to the director, because Vaughn was able to captivate everyone for more than two hours with the story alone, without any lame one-liners or filler, moving everything forward at a frantic pace. Plus, I have a compelling urge to watch this again, which hasn’t happened to me in a long time. Definitely the best movie of 2011 and a well-deserved 5 stars. (31.07.2013)