Gets Better and Better Every time I See It

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2013)

In the early 1960s, mutant kind is elusive in the eyes of the humans. A mutant tyrant, Sebastian Shaw, plans a nuclear attack on America that will kill the humans and make the mutants the most dominant species on the planet. To stop Shaw, young Charles Xavier and Eric Lenscherr form a team of gifted youngsters, youngsters with incredible abilities and powers. Overtime, they learn to harness and control their powers, and they prove most vital in the final showdown with Shaw and his evil Hellfire Club. But all does not turn out well in the end, as Charles is paralyzed and he and Eric part different ways, Charles officially forming the X-Men while Eric becomes Magneto and forms the Brotherhood of Mutants.
That's basically the premise of X-Men: First Class, the astonishing prequel to the X-Men film series and the best and the boldest X-Men film in my eyes. Sure, it has had it's share of controversy when it was first revealed, but overtime, the public basically forgot all about the controversy and just enjoyed the movie for what it was. And what it was was a well written, well acted, well paced action piece that really fit the time it takes place in. Watching this movie, I forgot it was made in the late 2000s and thought it was made in the 60s. It has that incredible luring that sucks you in and really makes you feel like you are in the 1960s atmosphere. Everything fits incredibly well. From the footage of JFK, to Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs, to pinball machines, it really takes you back in time before James McAvoy became Patrick Stewart and Michael Fassbender became Ian McKellen.
Speaking of which, both actors steal the show head on. Both McAvoy and Fassbender as young Charles Xavier and Eric Lenscherr respectively really share a very brotherly relationship and you really feel sorry for both of them when they split up and become what they become. I really love how Eric is the most rebellious of the two and that Charles is basically the one in the background saying "Eric, control yourself", but that only makes their relationship even more interesting. You can't help but feel pity for Eric though, for the nefarious Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon, savagely murdered his mother right in front of him when he was a child. You can really feel his thirst for Shaw's demise, and it makes it even more powerful when he eventually does defeat Shaw, although Eric believes in Shaw's motivations that mutants are superior to humans.
I also loved Jennifer Lawrence as young Mystique. She's so sassy, slinky, and at times seductive, you can't help but drool over her. That Beast is one lucky guy! I also think Nicholas Hoult was a perfect choice for young Hank Mccoy aka Beast, although, I have to admit, his blue, furry Beast makeup looks a little silly and out of place at times. Luckily, he still retains the geeky, nerdy, "sciency" personality he's known for, and he kicks a lot of butt when fighting the teleporting Azazel. Even though this film lacks the original five Kirby X-Men (with the exception of Beast), it still has some pretty iconic and well developed X-Men to fill in the void. There's Banshee, the wailing mutant that will blow your ears off, there's Havok, the plasma blasting mutant that shoots cosmic hula hoops, there's Darwin, the adaptable mutant who can survive in any environment, and a very brief appearance by a certain claw slashing mutant that shall remain nameless.
One of the highlights of this film is the action. I think First Class has the best action out of any other X-Men flick, even better than the Statue of Liberty fight in the very first X-Men film. Once again, you get sucked into the reality, and you really feel like you are right there watching Beast, Havok, and Banshee beat the snot out of Azazel and Angel Salvadore. I also really enjoyed the final confrontation between Eric and Sebastian Shaw. Bacon portrays Shaw as such a maniacal villain, you just want to see him get his butt kicked, but his final fight with Eric was played out in a very straight forward, yet very effective manner. The music played during this scene and many of the film's action scenes is phenomenal. Kudos to Henry Jackman for making the score fit in with many of the film's emotionally charged scenes.
In the end, the only real thing I can complain about is that the film leaves you wanting more. It leaves you wanting to see how exactly this universe will progress, and how it will further tie in with the X-Men films that preceded it. I know an X-Men: Days of Future Past movie is in the works that has Stewart and McKellen returning as McAvoy and Fassbender's older counterparts, but for now, I will settle with this remarkable masterpiece that has driven my love of X-Men even further. I can't wait to see what happens down the line and to see how this new installment relates to the installments that helped make X-Men the pop culture sensation it is today.
Remember, the point between rage and serenity.