X Men: First Class (2011)

“A new species is being born. Help me guide it, shape it, lead it.”

            With two of my younger brothers being typical boys and loving comic book stories and their movies I have sat through just about every action movie that has been based off a comic book. I have to say the X Men series is one of my favorite action/comic book film series. I think X Men has some of the best characters and stories and a really good philosophical take on good versus evil. I love a good back story and seeing where characters come from and what their motives are. In X Men First Class we are given the back story of how the X Men came to be and how Professor X and Magnet used to be on the same side.

            The film opens on a concentration camp as people are being separated for work or death. A young boy is separated from his mother and begins to cry and becomes angry. In his anger he is able to bend a metal gate. In the window above the gate is man named Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). He is an American working for the Nazis on their experiments on prisoners. He sees the boy and has him brought up to his office. He manipulates the boy whose name is Erik Lenhsherr to seeing his ability. As time goes on Shaw trains the boy to use his ability but eventually Erik goes his own way in life carrying a grudge for Shaw. Erik (Michael Fassbender) is on a path of revenge to kill all the Nazis he can. He travels down to Argentina to kill two Nazis when he sees a picture of them with Shaw on a boat.

            Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) always knew he was different. He can read and control people’s minds. In college he studies the human brain and how it works to better understand how to use his powers. His “sister” is Raven aka Mystique. Raven is having some identity issues she is self conscious about her mutant self and her human identity.

            Charles is found by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne). She needs his help to understand mutants and their powers. Moira is looking for Shaw and she finds him with Charles’s help. Also by the boat is Erik. Shaw unfortunately gets away with the help of his mutant helpers who include Emma Frost.

            Charles has Erik come and help him. With the help of a man from the CIA who has been very interested in mutants has them come to an institution that was set up specifically for mutants and their study. Erik and Charles find mutants who can help them and who they can help as well.

            I really do not want to go into the rest of the story because it is long and I do not want to give away too much. Well, if you know the other X Men movies you know what happens.  

            I enjoyed X Men First Class a lot. I really liked how it took two historic occurrences- the Holocaust and the Cuban Missile Crisis- and used them as part of their story and how they had a hand in stopping the end of the world. The characters are just so good they were very well written and extremely well acted. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were greatly paired and greatly cast as the power head mutants. The only issue with Fassbender is it seems his accent changes a lot throughout the movie it gets a little weird. Rose Byrne is awesome she does not do too much she is just awesome all the same. I adore her as an actress she can do anything. The supporting actors were all excellent.

            X Men First Class is a fabulous movie. The action is nonstop and the story is so well done. Seriously I found everything about this movie to be so good. If you are a fan of X Men, movies based on comic books, or love a good story definite see X Men First Class.