X-Men: First Class had the bad luck to follow the single worst X-Men movie ever made. So a lot of you, quite understandably, steered clear of it. Nobody would blame you for that. The scars of Last Stand were only just healing, and now they expect you to fork over your hard-earned dollars for another X-Men movie? And this one is full of characters nobody's ever heard of! No thanks, buster.
But here's the thing: First Class is actually pretty awesome. The '60s period setting works beautifully on both a thematic and visual level. It focuses on the most interesting relationship in X-mythology, that between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). It portrays Charles as a swinging ladies' man who picks up chicks using evolutionary biology and says "groovy" a lot. It even features the single best film cameo since Bill Murray's turn in Zombieland.
After a month or so of reflection, I'd place First Class as the second best X-Men film, right behind X2, and more importantly, it's a new start for the series that is rich with potential, assuming they stick with the period setting and First Class' cast. I mean, we've already got contemporary superhero flicks out the wazoo; how could we not want several more films' worth of crazy '60s mutant action? You should give it a chance, is what I'm saying.
And now you'll have a second chance to let First Class make a first impression. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release X-Men: First Class on Blu-ray and DVD on September 9th. Based on the press release, it looks like you'll have to opt for the Blu-ray version if you want any bonus features.
Blu-ray bonus features include:
- 10 Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics with exclusive X-Men: First Class Backstory Comic
- Cerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchise.
- Children of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing “X-Men” transformations through prosthetic makeup and costume design.
- “X” Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
- Extended and Deleted Scenes
- BD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profiles
- Composer’s Isolated Score
- Theatrical Trailer
If you're one of the lucky thousands hitting up Comic-Con this week, be sure to stop by the Fox booth (#4313). The first 1,000 fans who pre-order X-Men: First Class during Comic-Con (July 21-24) will get a free limited-edition T-shirt, "showing their support for either 'Team Charles' or 'Team Erik.'” During this time, you'll be able to pre-order the Blu-ray for $25.00 and the DVD for $18.00. (You can also order online via FoxConnect.com during this time.)
