X-Men: First Class

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Reviewed by Jane Willis

I must admit that the X-Men movies haven't been 'must-see' movies for me in the past. In fact, I haven't seen them all, and not even sure which ones I've seen and what they were called. (I wasn't in charge of their collection from the DVD shop and was pottering in the background while the kids were watching them).

However, after seeing the latest offering, X-Men: First Class, at a preview screening with my teenage daughter in tow, I intend to get them out and (re)watch them as my interest has been piqued and I want to fit the pieces together and appreciate 'the big picture' of the X-Men saga.

You see, X-Men: First Class goes back to the beginning - how the mutants went from each thinking they were all alone to finding each other, how they harnessed their powers (hence the 'First Class') and the story behind 'good' mutants and 'bad' mutants.

Set predominantly in 1962 in the days of the 7 day Cuban Missile Crisis - the closest this earth has got to all out nuclear war - with flashbacks, X-Men: First Class is an action packed almost two hours of viewing. The film starts with young Erik Lensherr being separated from his parents at a German concentration camp and his desperate mind bends a metal gate as he is trying to stay with his parents. This is witnessed by scientist Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who brings Erik to see him and horror unfolds in the killing of his mother. Meanwhile, a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) befriends a similarly aged chameleon, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) who is also 'different' and she is welcomed into his home to live as his foster sister.

Fast forward twenty or so years and Charles and Erik meet and become the closest of friends working together along with other mutants to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. This threat is being manipulated by Sebastion Shaw with the help of his mutants including Emma Frost. However, Charles and Erik have fundamentally different beliefs which causes a deep rift between them to occur which is the start of the ongoing war between what becomes known as Professor X's X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood.

Featuring many familiar faces including January Jones (Emma Frost), Australia's Rose Byrne (genetic scientist Dr Moira MacTaggert), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique) and the villian, Sebastian Shaw, played by a well-cast Kevin Bacon and others perhaps not so familiar such as Zoe Kravitz (Angel and yes, Lenny's daughter), and Nicolas Hoult (Beast) who was Hugh Grant's character's son in About a Boy in 2002 and Michael Fassbender playing Holocaust survivor Erik Lehnsherr, and later, Magneto.

The entwining of the film with real events including footage of President Kennedy during the days of the missile crisis is clever and realistic. With the first reference to the missile crisis I whispered in my daughter's ear that 'this is real and actually happened'. At a later part of the movie during the stand off at sea between the USA and Russia, the 'good' and 'bad' mutants had their own battle which included a submarine carrying Sebastian Shaw being lifted out of the ocean I whispered super quietly again 'this didn't actually happen' just in case there was any doubt...  

A special mention must go to Hugh Jackman's cameo as Wolverine which received cheers, claps and laughter at the screening.

X-Men: First Class is showing at cinemas nationally. View the trailer and find out more here.

Flourishnote: What did you think of X-Men: First Class? We'd love to hear from you especially if you've seen all of the movies. How does this latest one compare? Leave a comment below.

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