X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

First off, let me just say that this is a fun movie to watch. What stands out to me is the nostalgic feel you get while watching this movie, like you're in a 1960's James Bond flick with it's backdrop of the cold war, and people wearing turtle neck sweaters. This movie is a prequel of sorts and tells the story of how the X-Men were formed. You also learn the origins of how Professor X (James McAvoy) and his future nemesis Magneto (Michael Fassbender) came to be.

The movie starts off in the 1940's, with a young Erik Lehnshirr (Magneto) being separated from his mother in a Nazi Concentration Camp. Upon the separation, Erik uses his undeveloped mutant powers to try to destroy the metal gate that separated him from his family. Dr Schmidt, who later changed his name to Sebastian Shaw (Played by Kevin Bacon) see's the potential in Erik and tries to get him to use his power by threatening to shoot his mother. Dr. Schmidt eventual shoots his mother and changes Erik for the rest of his life...the man will never trust another human being for all eternity.

In America, we find a young Charles Xavier (later Professor X). He's learning to hone his psychic mutant abilities in the huge mansion he lives in. Upon sleeping, he hears a noise down stairs where he meets up for the first time, another mutant...a teenage and very blue chameleon shifting mutant Raven (later Mystique). Charles and Raven becomes best friends as they are growing up but you see a sense of self doubt in Raven because of her natural looks.

In this movie, we learn that Magneto's origins were hard and cruel and you get a better understanding of how his hatred towards the human race was formed. Xavier, on the other hand was pampered and always believed that both human and mutants can get along.

I did see a few holes in this movie, if you're into that sort of stuff:

In the movie X-MEN FIRST CLASS, we see a bullet that was deflected by Magneto that caused Xavier's disability leading him to be on a wheelchair. In the movie WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, we see Professor X walking, older, & bald getting the captive mutants on the helicopter. This may not seem like much to some people, but this was suppose to happen years later...which makes us all wonder, "what's he doing walking when he's suppose to be paralyzed?"

And speaking of WOLVERINE. Hugh Jackman made a short cameo appearance in the movie. In this scene, Professor X and Magneto are searching the world to recruit mutants and they find Logan drinking a beer at a bar. There reactions to him are based on Magneto able to pickup on the metal in his bones & Professor X able to read his mind. Huge Jackman played it well. The scene was pretty funny and got a huge laugh from the audience.

There are some really cool mutants in the film with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.

We learn of Dr. Hank McCoy (Beast), a mutant with monkey type feet that's also one of the greatest physicist in the world. Unfortunately, he has a complex about his features and tries to create a cure for his disfigurement. He comes up with a serum that backfires and changes him forever in Marvel Folklore as the blue colored Beast we have all gotten accustomed to.

And of course, there's Mystique (aka Raven) the blue chameleon mutant. Mystique's character is one that can't come to grips with the way she looks throughout the movie but later you see a relationship build-up between her and Magneto that makes the timeline fit in really well.

There are other Mutants in this movie like a man that makes tornadoes come out of his hands, a mind reader that can change into diamonds and a Red Devil looking mutant that can teleport from one place to another in a blink of an eye. One of the more impressive Mutants was the role played by Kevin Bacon (No...his mutant power isn't singing with the Bacon Brothers)

I'd also like to add that if you are into the EXTRA HIDDEN SCENES AT THE END OF A MARVEL MOVIE, that you please don't stay for the END CREDITS...nothings there (unless you want to waste a good 7 minutes reading the credits)

If you are a fan of the X-MEN, you will definitely love this movie. The visual effects are pretty awesome and there is a lot of action and explosions in this movie. There are also some good catch phrases in this movie...my favorite is when Charles Xavier talks about getting bald and sitting in a wheel chair. This eventually happens at the end of the movie. All in all, this is a fun movie to watch, so kickback with friends and family, grab a popcorn and enjoy the ride.