Xmen: First Class (film)

Writer/producer/director, Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass) took First Class head on, directing what can only be described as a new era of Xmen.

The film dives back to 1962 when Charles Xavier (James McAvoy, Wanted) and Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender, Inglorious Basterds) first meet and form the Xmen to band together and take down Sabastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and, in a nut shell, stop WWIII!

First Class was a make or break version of Xmen. With the disappointing Xmen: Last Stand and the more hateful Wolverine: Origins acting as a catalyst for negativity and dismissal, a new Xmen film was never going to grab attention straight away. That was until Matthew Vaughn popped up and turned the 'Series Of Misfortunate Sequel Prequel Things' into something that Xmen should have been from the start.... 'Mutant, and proud'

The problem with the last 2 films were that not only were they very boring, but they were, well, awful. X3 seemed to grab no attention and slithered into the darkness as the worm of all trilogy closing films. We all know how painfully terrible Wolverine: Origins was so we'll not go there, but it does seem like what we first loved about the X films was just forgotten about. For example everybody likes to know what powers our friends have and people like to see how the individuals live with their powers and how they control it.

First Class takes Xmen to the next level, it provides entertaient and hits all of the above mentioned criteria. It not only brought forth new Mutants we haven't seen before on film e.g. Angel & Banshi, basically a fairy and a....well... Banchi, but it kept the ones we love e.g. Mistique & Beast. (Not forgetting Xavier and Magneto of course). Doing this gave the audience a chance to notice the small things e.g. During Xavier's first go in Cerebro, we see a young storm in amongst the rush of mutants being discovered. And not to mention the one line cameo from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine 'Fuck Off' when X and E approach him in a bar.

It would have been good to see scenes that lasted more than 5min. It seemed to rush though the story which meant that there was not alot intellectually to take in. Which in turn meant that the rushed end gave a feeling of 'is that it?'

Even with that It is an extraordinary film that shines a well needed light on this dwindling series. It will not be suprising if 'young Xmen' are seen again. Well worth a watch if you wish to feel hope for this series once again!

4 stars!!