The best prequel movie ever made... period

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2011)

Normally prequel movies are made because the main characters of the first movie died (or in the end achieved their goals) and the producers still want to make money out of the franchise. Think Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, Psycho, the (still to be made?) I am legend and of course George Lucas's Star Wars saga. X-Men First Class also falls into that category, but I cannot imagine that anybody will be complaining about that. Director Matthew Vaughn created a great, thrilling and sometimes even moving picture that without any doubt will get raving reviews and be a huge commercial success. God knows both movie and director deserve it.
What makes X-Men First Class really work is the great story. It tells us about the beginning of the mutants and especially the friendship between professor X (a charming James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (an impressive Michael Fassbender). Although they will drift apart at some time, you know that they will always have respect for each other. In this stage they even become close friends.
The movie opens during World War 2, when young boy Erik is taken to a concentration camp (like the opening of the first X-Men movie). There he meets Sebestian Shaw (a great Kevin Bacon), a scary Joseph Mengele-like scientist who likes to experiment on Jews and is especially interested in mutants. In order to force Erik into helping him he shoots his mother. Erik never forgives him for that and spends his whole life looking for revenge. Unfortunately he learns that Shaw is also a mutant. The scientist is even so powerful that it's almost impossible for Erik to kill him. Luckily he bumps into Charles Xavier...
What I also like about First Class is that the movie takes place in the past (the sixties) and uses historical events (the Cuba crisis and the Cold War) to make its point. Erik claims that no matter how many times mutants save the world, normal people will always see them as enemies. Professor X still wants to believe in the good of the people. With that message the foundation is laid for X-Men 1-3.
The performances in First Class are first rate. Kevin Bacon is a brilliant villain. His German is actually quite good and his opening scene can already be considered as a classic. He also speaks Russian in the movie by the way. Michael Fassbender (Magneto) represents the most exciting drama in the story. He's kinda like Darth Vader. You know he will turn to the Dark Side but you still hope that somehow he will stick with professor X.
First Class will be the beginning of super stardom for actress Jennifer Lawrence. She plays Raven in the story, a girl Xavier adopts as a real sister/best friend. She later becomes Mystique. Jennifer won critical acclaim with her role in Winter Bone and will play the lead in the much anticipated The Hunger Games movie, to be released in 2012. She is a great, vulnerable Mystique who later on chooses Magneto over 'her brother' Professor X.
So what's more to tell? January Jones as Emma Frost is sexy as hell, the special effects in the movie are great and there are not one but two cameos from actors from the first X-Men movie (and no, the second one is not Patrick Stewart). Unlike previous Marvel movies there is no extra scene after the end credits and Stan Lee does not have a small part in this one. Overall First Class makes you think of the Sean Connery Bond movies and the reboot of Star Trek (2009).
So... are you convinced? Just go see this excellent movie. Can't wait for its sequel!
9/10