Takes the series back to its roots, both literally and figuratively.

Rating: 8/10 (25 April 2018)

'X-men First Class (2011)' stripped the series back a little, arguably closer to its roots, to focus on character development rather than overt spectacle and is all the better for it. Its new cast is great as the young characters, especially McAvoy and Fassbender who - along with a nuanced and layered script - convincingly portray the origins of their respectful yet tumultuous relationship. It doesn't quite capture the spirit of the original, but has a lot more life in its presentation and provided a successful revitalisation to a franchise that was running out of steam. Like its predecessors, it is at its best when pondering the thematic quandries at the heart of its core concepts but it also has a few stand-out set-pieces and some nice dark, yet understated, brutality (the concentration camp makes a return). It isn't wholly necessary but the prequel idea wasn't entirely played out at this point and this feature does a lot with the origins of interesting characters, unlike 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)' before it, and started the series in a new, and initially fresh, direction. 8/10