While New York rapper A$AP Rocky isn’t the best lyrically – although he has his moments – his voice in combination with the hypnotic beats he raps over makes for a fairly interesting, unique sound.  He recently received a three million dollar major label deal with RCA, and is steadily gaining hype through internet message boards and blogs (he was even interviewed by Pitchfork and is going on tour with Drake).  His latest release, Live.Love.A$AP, features production from Clams Casino (who most notably produced beats for internet rap star Lil B) and guest appearances from many different members of Rocky’s “A$AP Crew”.

Live.Love.A$AP seems to have similar themes in common with other rappers, including the objectification of women and drug/alcohol intake.  While this isn’t something I participate in or necessarily relate to (and Rocky seems like a good dude from what I’ve read), the way the musical aspects of the mixtape work make it enjoyable to listen to and vibe out to.  “Palace” starts out the tape with a triumphant vocal synth/heavy drum background, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the release.  “Keep It G” is another standout track that features Rocky rapping over a boom-clap beat and a meandering sax line.

One complaint I have about the release is the sound quality of some of the backing tracks.  While the beats itself are all fairly interesting, some of the songs suffer from a bad sound quality – notably “Bass” which seems to get a little too much static during the louder portions.  But since it’s a free release and a mixtape, not really a full-fledged album, it’s definitely excusable.  In fact, most releases like this have the same problem, so it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment.

Overall, Live.Love.A$AP is a decent listen, and it shows a lot of promise.  Listen to or download it here.

As of now, Mirror Traffic is my favorite album of 2011.  Singer/guitarist Stephen Malkmus’ first album post-Pavement reunion (and latest in a long string of awesome solo albums) is a more focused work than some of his past efforts, which makes it a great listening experience.  While it features some of Malkmus’ trademark sillyness (Senator has the line “I know what the senator wants is a blowjob”) Mirror Traffic is a little more personal.  “Share the Red” is one of his most emotional tracks, where he contemplates being “40 with a kid, living on the grid.”  It also features few of the catchiest Jicks songs, “Forever 28″ and “Stick Figures In Love”.  “Forever 28″ has one of the most memorable vocal melodies on the album in between electric guitar freakouts while “Stick Figures” moves along at a brisk pace fueled by an infectious guitar line.  It doesn’t hurt that the album was produced by Beck, who seems to have a great handle on making Malkmus sound his best.

Yuck – Yuck

Yuck’s name caught my eye in an article in Rolling Stone earlier this year.  The magazine compared them to two of my favorite bands, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr.  At first, I was hesitant to even listen – most of the times these comparisons don’t really end up making sense.  In a way, Rolling Stone was right – Yuck has the heavy fuzz feel of the early 90s – yet they’re also a little less noise and a little more pop than those bands.  While Dinosaur Jr were heavily influenced by 70s punk, Yuck seems to have been a little more influenced by (good) pop music.  “Shook Down” almost sounds like a lost Weezer track, and I’m not sure that Dino Jr would ever release a track like “Suicide Companion”.  Yet despite the difference in sound from what I initially expected, I still found Yuck to be an interesting, likable band, and their self-titled effort is definitely worth a listen.

Feist – Metals

Like Mirror Traffic, Metals is a more introspective, personal work.  Coined by some of the media as her “break-up album”, it definitely enters new territory for Feist.  The entire album has a very “warm” feel, and October was the perfect month to release it.  It’s very autumnal in the best possible way.  While Feist is famous for the poppy, uptempo “1, 2, 3, 4″, Metals succeeds because of its sparse, more subdued arrangements (at least in comparison).  “How Come You Never Go There” might be the best example of the album’s overall sound.  None of the instruments really overpower the others except for the piano that is the driving force of the song.  It also features a catchy melody that might even be better than Feist’s more radio-friendly past work.

NOTE: I apologize for neglecting this blog as of late.  It is always in my thoughts, but I have not really felt the urge to write for a while now, unfortunately.  It feels good to be back, though.

The plot of Nicolas Winding Refn’s first major Hollywood film, Drive, isn’t exactly anything new.  The main character, simply known as “The Driver”, has a day job as a Los Angeles stunt driver.  By night, he drives getaway cars for anyone willing to pay.  But unlike films with similar storylines, Drive has depth.  It manages to separate itselfs from typical action/driving films in a way that is wholly unique.  The plot of the movie takes on an almost mythological, fucked-up fairy tale quality, making it one of the most interesting, original cinematic works of the past few years.

Ryan Gosling is a force as The Driver, a character who is almost more of a personification of the vehicles he operates than a living, breathing emotional character.  While Gosling clearly is aware of Driver’s potentially rough past (which is never stated implicitly), he plays him off as more of a machine.  While there are hidden emotions under the surface, everything about him outwardly seems very calm and calculated.  The Driver mostly emulates through his eyes.  Whether it’s a scene with his neighbor/love interest, Irene (played by Carey Mulligan, who is more impressive for what she doesn’t do than what she does) or one of the film’s few, but memorable, violent scenes, everything feels like clockwork.  And when he does snap, it’s both disturbing and memorable.

While Gosling clearly is running the show acting-wise, the supporting cast is excellent.  Bryan Cranston couldn’t be further from his character on Breaking Bad as Shannon, Driver’s teacher, business partner, and father figure.  Irene and her son Benicio are the only people who seem to be able to bring some humanity out of Driver.  Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks play Nico and Bernie Rose, two parters-in-crime (literally) who Driver ends up getting caught up with.  Brooks manages to be both humorous and frightening in an atypical role that is giving him a lot of attention.  Each character manages to have emotional depth yet an almost mythical quality.  The events unfolding are almost accessories to the Grimm Brothers-esque characters.  Driver is the hero.  Irene is the princess who needs saving, Shannon is the wise old tutor, Bernie and Nino are the evil monsters.  It’s interesting how each character seems like a unique twist on these stereotypical characters.

But where Drive really shines is its atmosphere.  The film takes place in present day Los Angeles, and everything has a very surreal quality.  It’s all about the mood and feeling of each scene – the space in between short, concise lines, the creation of intensity with minimalism.  It is wonderfully shot, and the film manages to portray LA’s beauty in a unique way.  The stylization and music invokes 1980s cinema, from it’s dancy synth-pop to the bright purple font.  All these elements come together in a fulfilling way.

While some people may be put off by Drive‘s minimalist, silence-heavy style, it’s truly an interesting experience.  It’s a film that manages to transcend genre lines and use familiar elements in unique new ways.  It’s less flash and more substance, and in that way Drive truly shines.  But most of all, it’s cool.  Enjoy the ride.

Quentin Tarantino is the master of selecting music for his films.  He seems to be a huge music fan, as many of the songs he selects are fairly unknown.  And he’s a master at creating the right atmosphere with his selections.  The soundtrack for Inglourious Basterds is a great example.  Whether it’s an Ennio Morricone classic or an obscure David Bowie song, everything fits in well in the film context.  The problem with most soundtracks of this type – compilations with no original music made for the film – is that often they won’t seem as a cohesive of a listen.  But this soundtrack flows together quite well, despite the varying musical genres found on it.  But like other soundtracks, it’s much more memorable after seeing the film and learning the context in which each song is played.  One of the biggest treasures on the soundtrack is Morricone’s “Un Amico”, one of the composer’s more emotional tracks.  It seems full of longing, and it fits well with the scene it accompanies – the death of two important characters.

Funkadelic – Standing On The Verge of Getting It On

Parliament/Funkadelic leader George Clinton has been quoted as saying that funk is indescribable, and that it’s a simply a certain feeling that music can invoke.  Nothing really proves that more than one of Funkadelic’s best, Standing on the Verge of Getting it On.  It combines elements of different music – blues, rock, and jazz – together in a way that most funk music doesn’t to create a wholly unique listening experience.  But despite the fact that there are so many different genres combined, it still feels like funk.  It’s hard not to move your body in some way when listening to the title track’s signature guitar riff.  “Alice in my Fantasies”, the second track, has a guitar riff that sounds more like Hendrix and less like typical funk.  Guitar hero Eddie Hazel shines on the last track, a twelve minute improvisation called “Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts” that is the spiritual successor to “Maggot Brain”.

Big KRIT – Return of 4Eva

I’ve written about Big KRIT’s mixtape Return of 4Eva on this blog before, yet it hasn’t been featured on Records of the Week.  It’s one of the most memorable rap releases of the past few years, and truly is a sign of big things to come from KRIT.  While the album does suffer from an excess of tracks – there’s 21, and most of them are a decent length – everything sounds good, and even the less exciting tracks are still listenable.  What’s more interesting about the album is that KRIT does most of his own production, and seems to have a great handle on the art.  All of the beats are good, especially “American Rapstar” which features a vocal sample, and “Free My Soul” which features some a minimalistic beat with beautiful piano instrumentation.  KRIT also shows he can be great lyrically.  The former song talks at length about the hypocrisy of rap music fans, who “only love you when you’re underground.” Personally, I can’t wait until KRIT gets popular – he deserves the audience.

Of the most popular rock acts of the past twenty years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are no stranger to lineup changes.  Throughout the bands 28 year history, they’ve had a singer, a bass player, three drummers, and nine guitarists.  The band’s most consistent lineup – vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante – were together for ten straight years before Frusciante left the band for the second time in 2009.  While the band split up amicably, there was some question of the band’s will to go on.  Frusciante was a principle songwriter during his time in the band, and he was a huge part of the band’s biggest hits (which included “Under the Bridge”, “Californication”, and “By the Way”).  He played a huge role in moving the Chili Peppers from their early funk/punk style to a more melodic, accessible sound.

However, the band quickly decided that they would try to stay together.  They quickly found a replacement in Josh Klinghoffer, who was no stranger to the band’s music or members.  He’s been a friend of Frusciante’s for years – appearing on several of his solo records – and even played some background guitar on the band’s tour in support of Stadium Arcadium in 2007.  It only took a few years after forming the new lineup for the band to release their latest, I’m With You.

In a way, the album explores the same musical territory that the band has in the past.  Klinghoffer is influenced by Frusciante’s playing, and his guitar parts end up sounding a lot like the band’s prior guitarist.  Klinghoffer’s staccato, minimalistic funk chords in the verse of “Look Around” sound like Californication-era Chili Peppers, especially over Flea’s funky bassline and Kiedis’s rapping vocals.  The fast-paced, distorted guitar in “Goodbye Hooray” is almost reminiscent of something the band might have wrote in 1989, when they released Mother’s Milk.  But throughout the album, what really stands out is the differences between the two guitar players.  The band often said that Josh was a more “textural” guitar player than John, and it really shows on I’m With You.  His droning wah-wah guitar on the single “Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” definitely takes a background role and lets the rest of the band shine.  Vocally, Klinghoffer can be heard all over the album.  He definitely has a distinct voice, and there are several verses he takes the lead on – including the Latin-infused “Did I Let You Know” that ends up being one of the strongest tracks, and new territory for the band.

While I’m With You shows the ability of the Chili Peppers to evolve and change, some of it ends up falling short of the mark.  While a song like “Monarchy of Roses” sounds great with it’s disco-funk influenced chorus, the piano-heavy “Happiness Loves Company” sounds a little generic.  “Brendan’s Death Song”, an ode to a friend of the band who passed away, turns out to be the most interesting track lyrically – Kiedis reflects on mortality and his ever increasing age.  But the final track “Dance, Dance, Dance” sounds almost U2-esque, and it’s a departure from the band’s past sound that does not really hit the mark.  On the whole, however, the album sounds great and is worth a listen.  Some of it is comparable to the band’s past work.  But it’s tough to compare it to the music they made with Frusciante.  Josh Klinghoffer is definitely a great replacement, and he has a definite chemistry with the band.  It feels like a Red Hot Chili Peppers record.  But in a way, it seems as if Frusciante really brought out the best in his fellow musicians – which is why I’m With You is not really on the level of Californication, By The Way, or even Stadium Arcadium.  But maybe it shouldn’t be compared.  This is a different band, and given time together they could definitely reach the same musical level of their past works.  I’m With You is a step in the right direction.

Rating: 7.5/10

Listen To: “Monarchy of Roses” “Did I Let You Know” “Meet Me At The Corner”

While formulating a personal opinion on a piece of art – whether it be music, film, literature, etc – expectations are everything.

When Kanye West released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in November 2010, critics praised its excellent instrumentation, interesting subject matter, and grand ambitions.  It is one of the more interesting, unique albums in the history of hip-hop, and it clearly contained some of West’s best work.  When he announced his collaboration with Jay-Z, his long time friend and mentor, it was hard not to expect the same thing.  With Kanye’s production skills and the combined rapping skills of the two, how could an album with two of rap’s greatest (and most popular) not at least equal West’s previous album?  Then “H.A.M” was released in January 2011 to mixed reviews.  While critics praised it’s symphonic nature and gloating lyrics, it was not as special or interesting as anything from West’s Fantasy.

Seven months later, Watch the Throne is finally here.  First things first – it’s definitely a step down, at least as a cohesive whole, from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  Each song seems to be coming from a different place musically, and in the end that ends up affecting the album’s overall sound.  In that way, it’s more similar than Jay’s The Blueprint 3 - just a bunch of songs placed together in an album format.  Tracks like the dark, electronic “Niggas In Paris” and the soulful “Otis”, which follow each other in the album order, are from two different ends of the musical spectrum.  It can be slightly jarring.  On a song by song basis, each track works well.  But together, it doesn’t seem to make much sense.

However, some of the best albums are just collections of songs that are only slightly related.  And in the end Watch the Throne is an extremely listenable album, even if it isn’t as immediately stimulating as West’s Fantasy.  West and Jay-Z both bring their A game lyrically.  A standout track is “Murder to Excellence” in which Kanye and Jay alternatively rap about the two words in the title over a distorted acoustic guitar and a Romanian chant.  It attempts to be a commentary about black culture, and how the race can rise up from its often violent nature to a better way of life.  “What’s up, Will?  Shout-outs to O/that ain’t enough we need a million more” Jay-Z raps, wishing that more people of color could rise up to the heights of Will Smith and Oprah (and himself) and become pioneers in their fields.

The rest of the Throne doesn’t really run as deep lyrically.  Most of the album consists of Jay-Z and West gloating about their decadent lifestyle and rapping skills.  However, the interplay between the two is decent enough to make it work.  “Otis” is a brilliant back and forth between the two rappers with no real hook.  Jay-Z and Kanye alternate verses, answering each other deftly.  Jay-Z brags that he “invented swag” while Kanye says that he “wrote ‘Jesus Walks’” so he’s “never going to hell.”  It is obviously a little ridiculous.  But Jay-Z and Kanye are on top of the rap world right now, so they have a little room to brag.

In the end, Watch the Throne is a solid release from two of the world’s best rappers.  However, it’s important to remember how much our expectations can affect the way we think of art.  Compared to something like The Blueprint or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it might be a little boring – but compared to a lot of the music that is being made these days, especially by those on the same level of popularity of these two artists, it’s excellent.

While Stephen Malkmus’ work with Pavement mostly leaned towards the loud, noisy, and distorted brand of rock, 1999′s Terror Twilight – the bands penultimate album – was a sparse, more melodic affair.  Twilight is subtle in a way that every other Pavement album is not.  Many have attributed this style change to the growing control of Stephen Malkmus, who was reportedly getting fed up with the group around this time.  After hearing his first solo record (which is self-titled) it’s easy to see how people came to that conclusion.  Stephen Malkmus is arguably the singer’s most poppy album.  But while Terror Twilight’s songs meandered on a little too long, or simply never hit the mark, this album is for the most part an interesting, easy listen.  “Jenny & The Ess-Dog”, a love story about the two characters named in the title, is one of Malkmus’ most pleasant songs.  “Vague Space”‘s falsetto chorus – despite it’s short length – is one of the best parts of the album.  And even the more eclectic songs, like the ridiculously infectious “Troubbble” and the catchy “Phantasies” both work well.  If you haven’t discovered Malkmus’ work beyond Pavement, definitely give this album a few listens.

Portishead – Dummy

I once read an article online suggesting that at the time, people believed Portishead’s first album, Dummy, wasn’t going to hold up very well in the future as it did upon its release.  Maybe music journalists thought that other artists would expand on Portishead’s dreamy, dark “trip-hop” sound in such a significant manner that it would render Dummy less important in the long run.  But not only does Dummy still sound original and groundbreaking today – it’s practically perfect.  Songs like “Glory Box” and “Sour Times” still sound so fresh, especially when compared with today’s musical climate.  It’s almost hard to believe that this album was written in the 90s.  Dummy is all about atmosphere and subtle change.  While most of the hip-hop style beats stay the same, the instrumentation – whether it be strings, piano, guitar, bass, etc – build up together in a way that is not only musically, but emotionally interesting.  “Roads” (probably named after the Rhodes electric piano that is constant throughout the song’s five minute run-time) is a great example.  While it may start out with the piano, drums, and singer Beth Gibbon’s beautiful, soulful crooning, a guitar and strings come in slowly, enhancing the mood of the song.  The songs always seem to be fully developed, and grow or stay the same to the point that they need to in order to be interesting.  Dummy is truly a classic, and doesn’t get the attention it should.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye

It’s hard for me to enjoy metal music, for the most part.  I find it a struggle to find anything but sameness in the heavy, riff-based genre.  But Mastodon is one of the few exceptions, and might end up being a gateway into the genre for me.  Crack The Skye is probably their most poppy album (if you can even call it that) but it’s the album I’d recommend to people in the same situation as I am.  The riffs are interesting musically, the vocalization isn’t all out screaming, yet it still retains the heaviness that (from what I understand) metal should definitely have.  The songs are also fairly dynamic – the thirteen minute long closer, “The Last Baron”, never seems to get old despite its long running time.

I’ve never really enjoyed or even occasionally watched singing or talent shows like America’s Got Talent or American Idol.  Shows like that always felt a little contrived atmospherically to me, and kind of fake.  And I never fell in love with any of the singers.  So when I randomly decided to watch The Voice, I was surprised at the level of talent on the show.  The show’s four “coaches” also seemed much more genuine than the judges on American Idol.  I started tuning into the show regularly in order to see if my favorite singers moved on.

One singer in particular struck me as being great.  Dia Frampton had a unique voice and a personality, especially for the type of show The Voice was.  I was surprised when I looked her up online after her audition and found out she was from the band Meg & Dia (Meg Frampton is her sister), who I had heard of a few times before.  While Dia didn’t end up winning the show, she made it all the way to the end and was only narrowly beat out.  But her voice was so enjoyable to me that I checked out her and her sister’s music.  Cocoon was the first album I listened to.

The backstory behind the album is fairly interesting.  After being signed by Warner Brothers, Meg and Dia released two albums that were not as successful as the label hoped.  They were dropped.  But like all truly great bands, this did not stop them from soldiering on and writing new music.  Cocoon was recorded in the sisters’ mom’s house and entirely funded out of the band’s pocket.  What was immediately surprising, however, was how accessible and poppy the album was.  Some of these songs sound like they could easily be played on the radio (and be a welcome change from the electropop that is dominating the airwaves).  And that’s definitely not a bad thing.

It touches on a lot of common concepts – namely love and growing up, not just in age but mentally   A lot of bands try to touch on these themes, but truthfully it’s hard to do it successfully without coming off as boring and samey.  Meg and Dia write songs that seem personal and intimate in a way that is immediately relatable and mature.  The opener, “Love Is”, contains the lyric “love is everything.”  It’s a simple statement, but very true and even a little philosophical in nature.  “Bandits” seems to be a story about running away from the police with a loved one, but underneath the surface it can be interpreted as a song about intense love.  It’s also an incredibly catchy song, and Dia’s voice – combined with Meg’s backing vocals and a great melody, makes it immediately charming.  “Better Off” is sung beautifully by Meg, and it’s also a love song.  It’s probably one of the most interesting songs on the album.  It stands out so well because it’s different from the other songs on the album, and provides a great contrast.  Meg’s voice works just as well as Dia’s, especially for the parts of the album that she sings lead on.

Cocoon is definitely not without its faults – some of the songs sound similar to others, or touch on too similar concepts.  But all-in-all, the album is an enjoyable, catchy, and poppy (in a good way).  It’s one of those albums you can just turn on, relax, and enjoy immediately.  It sounds like a band growing up and coming into their own, and it’s definitely worth a listen.

Check out the album on the band’s bandcamp page.  If you like it, buy it!

That Dog (not going to stylize it to that dog. repeatedly because it looks weird in text) is one of the best kept secrets of the nineties.  The group was around from 91-97 and released three records before splitting up.  The band has moved on to solo projects, although they recently – and quite surprisingly – announced two reunion shows in Los Angeles.  I’m actually attending one of those shows, so expect a review and possibly a video afterwards.  Totally Crushed Out is an excellent listen.  It’s full of crunchy guitars, catchy pop melodies, and beautiful three part harmonies.  My favorite song is the opener, “Ms. Wrong,” which might be one of the catchiest things I have heard in a while.  There’s also the single, “He’s Kissing Christian”, which received a moderate amount of airplay on MTV upon its release.  The lyrics on the album may seem a little corny to some, but I think they’re endearing and charming and fit well with the musical style.  If you’re a fan of nineties alt-rock, check this album out.

Neil Young - Harvest

Neil Young is clearly a hallmark of classic rock music, but he is not often mentioned in the same breath as artists like Bob Dylan and The Beatles.  In reality, he is closer to those legends than people often let on.  Harvest is probably one of his best albums, and it is easy to hear why it is so critically acclaimed.  The title track in particular is memorable.  “Harvest” is a fairly straightforward folk ballad, but Young sings it so earnestly that it’s tough to imagine someone thinking it’s bad.  The opener, “Out on the Weekend”, is classic Young.  Its lyrics are almost deceptively simple – it seems as if Young put a lot of thought into them without making them too complex or hard to decipher.  There’s a few songs that don’t seem to fit in well with the others – namely “Man Needs A Maid” and “There’s A World”, which are both characterized by complex orchestral string arrangements.  They are good songs, but they don’t work in the context of Harvest.

Justin Timberlake – Futuresex/Lovesounds

Radio friendly pop music often gets a bad rap (no pun intended) with music fans.  In a way it might be tough for some fans of less popular music to realize that music predominantly played on the radio can still be groundbreaking, inventive, and unique.  Justin Timberlake’s Futuresex/Lovesounds is clearly an example of this.  Although it was released five years ago, it sounds ahead of its time and fresh.  Everything is catchy, but the musical arrangements are interesting enough to separate it from a lot of popular music.  “Lovestoned/I Think She Knows” is an example of this trait – it may start out like a dance song, but at the end there’s a more subdued interlude that is guitar based.  Timberlake also has one of the most likeable voices in pop music (from what I’ve seen on youtube, it actually holds up really well live) and there are a lot of impressive vocal melodies.  It might not be interesting enough lyrically for some people (there’s a song called “Damn, Girl” with a chorus that repeats those words).  But for the most part Futuresex/Lovesounds is an exciting listen and might be the best pop record of the 00s.

It’s often hard to decide where the line between a good and bad comic book movie is actually drawn.  And sometimes it even depends solely on the viewer to decide what they want out of a film based on a comic.  Is a movie of that type supposed to focus more on action?  Or should it focus more on the “super” characters that are so beloved and their development?  The past few years have shown that a combination is necessary to create a truly great work of cinema.  While comic book movies work with almost non-stop action from start to finish, a different, more human side should also be shown.  It helps provide an interesting contrast and helps with emotional investment.  It’s the difference between a movie like Fantastic Four – which was decent, but very shallow – and The Dark Knight, a fairly deep film that was almost a crime drama as well as a super hero flick.

X-Men: First Class manages to toe that line in the best possible way.  While the action scenes are wonderfully paced, the interactions between the many characters are where the film truly shines.  At the heart of it is the friendship between Erik, (played by Michael Fassbender) who eventually becomes Magneto, and Charles (James McAvoy) who grows up to become the leader of the X-Men, Professor X.  There is true emotional depth in each of these characters.  Fassbender’s performance as the tortured Erik gives the character a new sense of humanity, and the way in which Charles attempts to show him the good in life and himself is moving.  Their relationship turns into an ethical debate – should mutants try to fit in with society or not?

The rest of the cast has their moments.  Jennifer Lawrence (who plays the shape-shifter Mystique) and Nick Hoult (Hank McCoy) struggle with their mutations, which raises some interesting thought about the aesthetics of mutants in the X-Men world.  But the villains are especially one dimensional.  Kevin Bacon portrays the main villain, Sebastian Shaw, whose power involves the absorption of forces – including bullets and energy – which he can use to attack others later.  January Jones plays Emma Frost; while she was nice to look at, her performance needed a little work.  These evil-doers have no grey area, which makes them almost stereotypically uninteresting.

The plot is similarly one dimensional.  While the scenes with Erik and Charles are a nice variation from a typical comic book movie’s storyline, the basic premise (Shaw wants to cause a nuclear holocaust in order to help mutants take over the world)  is nothing special.  But in the end, nothing too impressive or complex plot wise was necessary for this film.  It could have been better, although that does not mean it was at all bad.

All-in-all, the movie succeeds.  The action scenes are engrossing and riveting (as they should be considering the subject matter) and while the plot may be fairly formulaic, the previously mentioned character interaction allows First Class to rise above its storyline.  Director Matthew Vaughn did his best with the cast and really brought them together.  First Class is probably the best comic book film since The Dark Knight, and it’s sequels definitely have a lot of potential.