3.5 stars
Resurrecting a franchise that hit a dead end, X-Men: First Class follows Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Eric “Magneto” Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) as they assemble a team of mutants to protect the United States during the Cold War.
Delving into the childhoods of both characters, this “prequel” gives a thorough but fast paced explanation of the X-Men’s beginnings. Comprehensive enough to satisfy comic book fans, and fresh enough to thrill casual moviegoers. From a young Magneto pushing to survive a concentration camp in Poland to the scene highlighting the search for a team that would become the foundation for what is a legendary comic, viewers are sure to get more than their fair share of chills.
First Class fits nicely into the X-Men franchise, feeling less like a reboot and more like a new chapter. The creators wisely dug into the franchise’s vast catalogue of characters to showcase less familiar mutants not featured in previous films.
Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a laughable villain, is the only handicap of the film’s 1960s setting. Equipped with submarine, neck scarves, and bland side-kick, Shaw screams “cheesy James Bond character,” more than anything else.
Due to their drastically differing childhoods, both Xavier and Magneto hold stark convictions with regards to the role of mutants in society. The duality between Magneto’s separatist views and Xavier’s cooperation-oriented position provide for a growing tension that is a wonder to witness.
The suspense of Xavier and Magento’s looming split serves as the greatest antagonist in the film. After a disappointing X-Men 3 and a mediocre Wolverine origin film, the X-Men brand of movies seems primed on the path to redemption thanks to First Class
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