A really great REBOOT

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2011)

First of all, this movie is a reboot, NOT a prequel, of the X-Men franchise. This means that, according to movie law, it doesn't have to be awful! Yipee!
X-Men: First Class is the story of the start of X-Men. It is set during the cold war, when Charles Xavier and Eric (aka professor X and Magneto) meet.
It is important to mention that this movie does not have Wolverine in. Yes, I hear you say, how can you have an X-Men film with no Wolverine? That's like cereal with no milk! (and if you eat cereal without milk, you're weird) But there is no gaping hole in the movie, as it is like no other in the franchise.
The beginning is actually set during the holocaust, when Eric's powers are being discovered. Throughout the movie his anger and pain from his experiences come through in the form of a thirst for his tormentor's blood.
However, Charles Xavier's pretty care free youth seems to reflect his calm attitude. It is actually a surprisingly impressive performance, as his interaction with the other characters (especially Eric) is really very convincing. His mentoring makes him seem like that really good teacher you had in school.
The dialogue, I admit, is sometimes quite weak, but on the whole the script is solid. The direction is also solid, with some very tense parts (usually involving a rather angry Eric) are pretty edge-of-your-seat.
On the whole, this movie is very enjoyable. It's not flawless, it's not jump-up-and- celebrate good, but I would definitely recommend it, as I really liked it. Not much goes wrong in this great cold war/superhero movie.