X Men: First Class (8.5/10)

Well let's throw this one too on the best super hero movie list because it deserves to be there. "X Men: First Class" is a fantastic movie and a great way to spend two hours. It's smart, cool, thrilling and above all else a fun time at the movies. To compare it to any other super hero movie would be a waste, it stands on it's own. That doesn't mean it doesn't have style to other films though.

The film is a prequel as much as it is a stand alone movie. Charles Xavier (James Mcavoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) are two mutants with special gifts. They have evolved passed simple humanity and are at the next stage in evolution. It's the 1960's and the world is in the heat of the cold war. The fact that this film and it's mutants play parts in actual historic events gives it a special something. It seem's more real in a sense even though the things the mutants do are beyond ridiculous. The two set out to recruit other mutants and give them a place in the world. All the while being monitored by the CIA and one agent Moria (Rose Byrne). Well the plot here is already interesting but that isn't creating suspense and action. Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is an ex-nazi mutant and with a few other goons look to make themselves even more powerful by some nuclear means.

The reason why "X Men: First Class" works can be summed up with  three areas. The first is the environment director Matthew Vaughn has made. This movie feels more like a cool heist movie mixed with an old british pop movie than a super hero movie. Charles and Erik spend time not at the mansion we saw in the first one most the time, but instead recruit mutants at bars, prisons and strip clubs. I felt director Vaughn used some of his style from his best film "Layer Cake" here to get the job done. The teen mutants fit into the british pop area due to costumes, music and a sense of care free commodity. The second area to talk about is overall plot. I'll leave it short but know that "X Men: First Class" has one of the better plots to a super hero movie. Erik's line about him being Frankenstein's monster and peace never being an option are bone chilling. The last and my favorite is the cast. While super hero movies always have large and great casts. Here we have Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Jason Flemyng, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt bringing in the talent and names. I won't say January Jones is plus, She's gorgeous but her acting is as frozen as her character. The real catch is the inspired choice of Mcavoy and Fassbender in the leads. I said I liked the leads in "Thor" but they are children compared to this duo here. The two are some of the best actors working today (I can argue the best even) and it shows why. They dominate the screen when alone and together the film reels may explode at any second. Both actors are on there way to be the top in the world and I'd love to see them together again. EW said a great idea about a 1970's heist film with these two leads vying over a love interest, make it happen. All three along with the standard action make this a great time. So in the end "X Men: First Class" is a first class film.

8.5/10
Recommendation: A terrific super hero movie and a great movie in general. I give it a strong recommendation even if you hated any one X Men movie (don't get me started on X Men: The
Last Stand")