X-Men: First Class (2011)

X-Men: First Class (2011)

2011 PG-13 132 Minutes

Action | Science Fiction | Adventure

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were arch-enemies, they were closest...

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • WHAT I LIKED: Going back and seeing the birth of these characters might sound like it's scraping the barrel, but 'X-Men: First Class' is entirely viable because it delves even further into the philosophies and reasoning of Erik and Charles. This development is aided further by a story that also studies the themes of before in more detail, and as a result of all these things you've got yourself a prequel that truly adds something to the experience when watching the original trilogy. In it's own right too, it's by far the most stylish X-Men film to date thanks to Michael Vaughn's experienced hand, and a very appropriate score from Henry Jackman.
    WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Sadly it does also fall slightly into the usual prequel traps as the film's script is generally far more concerned with establishing and explaining everything than telling its own emotionally engaging story. This tick-box approach means we get well-established characters and themes, but it also means we get very little time with each scene - and thus less engagement than one might expect.
    VERDICT: First Class delivers a lot, but I'd rather it delivered a little less with a whole lot more emotion and heart.