What X3 Should Have Been

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2011)

I didn't know what to expect from X-men: First Class, which was good because I didn't expect too much after the disappointment that was X3: The Last Stand.
This movie was well plotted, well paced, and had great characterizations. I especially loved that it started the same way the original X-men movie started, with Magneto as a child in a concentration camp and took off from there. And it was a great ride from the beginning.
The acting, the cinematography and the action were all superb! The cameos by Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn were excellently placed and how they interlaced the plot between X-men history and real history was wonderful. The X-men world is vast and rich with many different characters and I think they chose the right ones for this movie. The friendships were well drawn out and surprising given which sides some of the mutants end up on, but still realistic enough.
With a lot of different comic book movie adaptations out there, X-men: First Class really does a good job overall of maintaining a balance of character relationships and plot and action. Also, it incorporates the comic book world, such as the Hellfire Club, very well that even those who don't know X-men comic book history would understand.
Overall, this was a very well done prequel to the X-men franchise and truly what X3 should have been. I give it a 9 out of 10 stars. Watch it! I promise you won't be disappointed.