Trailer
From it's Saul Bass styled end credits to it's globe trotting locales and cold war chess play, X-Men: First Class is an action movie with a level of elan and intelligence sadly missing in most Hollywood Franchise blockbusters. It has the feel of a Sean Connery Bond movie in places and while it is no Citizen Kane, it certainly suspends disbelief effectively leading to an efficient and enjoyable slice of entertainment.
X-Men :First Class-End credits score by Henry Jackman
There are some surprisingly heavyweight scenes, in particular a scene in a bar in Argentina where two Nazis in hiding are uncovered and dealt with, with extreme prejudice. There are enough references and in jokes to please comic book fans and the necessary exposition an 'origin' movie is handled briskly.
Another tense scene for Fassbinder drinking with Nazis
This movie has enough to keep fans of Cinema and Comic Books happy. What makes the film stand out from the herd of others in this currently popular genre is the casting, character development and period detail, along with a lightness of touch in places to offset the darker stuff.
Most mainstream Hollywood fare leaves me cold and that is a sign of the times where commerce seems to be more important than art, and maybe in this climate a movie based on a comic book would turn off those over the age of eighteen, but this movie is an exception because it is a classic case of leaving your troubles at the door and enjoying two hours in the dark that deliver the package it sets out to, and does it well. X-Men: First Class is exactly that; First class
