When Xavier and Erik were friends

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2016)

Released in 2011 and directed by Matthew Vaughn, "X-Men: First Class" chronicles the origins of the mutant superheroes and super-villains in 1962 when the US government decides to enlist the talents of people with superhuman abilities. This is before Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto and were friends rather than arch-nemeses. They and their teen team must stop the diabolical Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) from using the Cuban Missile Crisis to start a nuclear war to increase his power. Jennifer Lawrence appears as Mystique and Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert. Nicholas Hoult is on hand as Hank McCoy/Beast.
It's interesting to go back to the early 60s when Xavier and Erik were friends and observe how the team got started, not to mention the eventual rift (the story deviates from the comic, of course, although there are some similarities). McAvoy easily carries the movie as Xavier; and Fassbender is effective as Magneto (and more fitting than Ian McKellen). I prefer Lawrence to Rebecca Romijn simply because she's curvier and cuter. There's a cameo with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and it's hilarious.
Most of the movie is decent espionage akin to James Bond, albeit with super-powers. Where the film shines is the entire last act and epilogue. The sequences on the island shore are very well done. Just remember: The brother always dies first.
ADDITIONAL CAST: Oliver Platt appears as a Fed who organizes the team; January Jones as Emma Frost; Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee; Zoë Kravitz as Angel; Jason Flemyng as Azazel; Álex González as Riptide; Lucas Till as Havok; and Edi Gathegi as Darwin.
The film runs 132 minutes and was shot in Englefield House, Berkshire, England (Xavier's school); London (Swiss bank); other parts of England; Hatley Castle, Colwood, British Columbia; Los Angeles (dock scenes); Villa La Angostura, Neuquén, Argentina; and Jekyll Island, Georgia (climatic island scenes).
GRADE: B