Not quite good enough to be worth watching

Rating: 5/10 (11 June 2011)

McAvoy and Fassbender display some commanding performances in this film. The set design is visually appealing with a clean retro look. Unfortunately, some of the classic X-Men luster is lost in the storytelling. Some scenes even seem intentionally campy in order to match the retro wardrobe and sets. Parts of the middle just seemed like a teen action flick, with a whole "look what I can do" training montage. Even though none of them have been rated R, the X-Men series has been a mature-themed series (at least the movies are) and that tone should hold true in all of the films. Additionally, the end just didn't provide a strong sense of closure. I'm a big fan of Matthew Vaughn, but this film has been his weakest directorial effort to date.