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The move was incredible. I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for the small things when it comes to prequels, like the characters remotely resembling the older versions of the characters in the original (one of the reasons why "City of God" hit with me is when the little kids looked like they were actually the actors when they were younger). Xavier didn't look anything like Patrick Stewart, but Magneto MORE than made up for it (especially when he put the helmet on towards the end).
The Good
Magneto's stock went up 400 points in this one...traveling the world for years, thinking he's the only mutant, like Jason Bourne, exacting revenge. His character was definitely the most interesting. It was great to see Erik and Xavier when they were younger. To see Erik as humble and calculating, and to see Xavier as kind of a cocky, spoiled playboy was GREAT as far as their dynamic. It's a great contrast to when they are older. You don't expect to be looking UP to Magneto when you're watching an X-Men movie, but this was his show.
When the "cool" music is playing, and Erik and Xavier are hanging out, tracking the other mutants, it reminded me of Danny and Rusty in the Ocean's movies lol They were like long lost brothers who were happy to find each other. The Wolverine cameo was a definite plus, brought laughs, and in noway as hammy as it would seem on paper.
When Xavier is shot at the end, Erik was the most distraught, and I thought that was a great way to set the stage that they will always be friends, even though they are on opposing sides. Their love for eachother was solidified.
The new mutants were great, each one having their own personality, and not excuses to show mutant-power porn. Banshe was a funny little kid w/ a unique power...ditto for Angel. Havok was the standard tough-kid-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks, but it matched his power. Darwin was probably the coolest and most interesting of all them...too bad he lasted 3 minutes.
I liked Mystique/Raven as far as the character, but the movie is only so long. Sometimes it seemed like they dedicated 20% to her confused/torn gaze, and her soul-searching. She's a main character in future movies, but she pretty much just kicks ass and commits espionage in those. She didn't need to be forced down our throats as a Winnie Cooper.
The Bad.
The make-up and effects. That's pretty much it. Shaw's crew looked like 3rd rate Austin Powers villains. Azazel looked like a red version of Jim Carey in "The Mask", or even Calibos in the original "Clash of the Titans". Plastic hair and a suit? I can't believe someone greenlit that make-up.
Beast looked like a Build-A-Bear. He really did. He looked terrible. When Azazel and Beast were fighting, it looked like an automated Chuck E. Cheese performance.
I could believe they trained Banshe how to glide using his vocal chords as power, but when he was gliding and carrying Havok with one hand, he wasn't even screaming. That annoyed me, because Havok SHOULD have been weighing him down hard, and Banshe was still gliding like he was 60 lbs. Those effects where Angel and Banshe were flying around were kind of lame. I'd rather have 2nd rate CGI than rapid camera shots with cables and cranes swinging these people around, trying to convince us it's an intense dog fight. Especially since (fine-ass) Angel is an experienced, natural flyer, and Banshe is just gliding, and (still) not screaming.
Other than make-up, some of the effects, and Darwin biting it so quick and under lame circumstances, I thought the movie was fantastic.
OH! How can I forget the main villain? Shaw? He wasn't nothing to write home about. I can see why people would follow Magneto, but Shaw was just slimy and smarmy. He didn't strike me as a leader, let alone the leader of a "revolution". Maybe it was because he was just a conniving arms dealer who knew how to play sides against each other? When he spoke, he just struck me as an asshole who's convincing his girl he's not cheating on her rather than a strong leader. I kept wondering why Emma Frost just didn't kill him and take over. She seemed more the role.
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