X-Men : First Class (2011)



Director : Matthew Vaughn


The movie opens in 1944 in Poland with Jews being taken away by Nazis. We then see a little Raven (Mystique) meeting a young Charles Xavier. Next we see a Nazi (Kevin Bacon) talking to a young Erik Lehnsherr about the importance of genes. When he won't move a coin the Nazi shoots his mother. Erik then destroys the room.

Years later young Chales Xavier is pursuing his studies, while living with his best friend Raven. Erik goes looking for the Nazi who killed his mother, Sebastian Shaw.

Meanwhile, Shaw is recruiting mutants. When a young CIA agent discovers what Shaw is doing her superiors won't believe her, and she goes to Professor Xavier. When Erik finds Shaw, who is also a mutant, his mutants protect him. Xavier and Erik, both of whom had been pursuing Shaw, meet.

At the newly formed Mutant division of the CIA Charles and Raven meet Hank McCoy (Beast). Charles and Xavier begin to lead the new division as they search for new mutants. Hank has designed Celebro, which will pick up the brain waves of mutants. Charles and Xavier become friends as they search for fellow mutants at the coordinates provided by Celebro.

The young mutants gathet together and pick code names : Mystique, Darwin, Banshee, Angel, Beast, Havok; and show off their powers. They begin to tear the place apart as they play. They also give Professor X and Magneto their names.

Chales and Erik work together to try to find Shaw, who is looking to kill the humans with radiation. Sebastian Shaw finds the young mutants and tells them that a revolution is coming and they must choose side. Sebastian says : "If they are not with us then by definition you are against us. So, you can stay, and fight for the people who hate and fear you or you can can join me, and live like kings and queens." Angel goes with him and Darwin gets killed by Shaw trying to stop Angel from leaving.

Shaw forces the Russians to bring missile to Cuba. The US will retaliate if they do. Shaw is looking to see humans destroy each other. The X-Men begin working to improve and refine their powers. Erik eventually kills Shaw, because Shaw had killed his mother, but he did agree with his views on humans. Erik take over as the leader of the mutants who are against the humans. Erik and Charles fight, and a CIA agent shoots at Erik but hits Charles in the back. Mystique joins up with Erik.

This movie was very well done. It also provided a great deal of information about the origins and early years of the X=Men. It ties up a lot of loose ends and makes the other movies more coherent. Kevin Bacon was a really good villain and James McAvoy as Charles and Michael Fassbender as Erik were also really good. The second half of the movie wasn't as good as the first, but this movie was very well done and is a very good superhero movie.