X-Men - L'inizio

I love the Xmen, I won't beat around the bush. There are so many mutants, heroes and anti-heroes that you relate can to at least one of them. The franchise has had its ups and downs. The first two films made the superhero genre what it is today. Stunning set pieces, breath taking special effects and a group dynamic that was brilliantly cemented in the second film. The third struck a middle ground where the spectacle overshadowed the narrative but was still a fun ride, and the last title Xmen Origins: Wolverine, was the only miss-step in the series. Xmen first Class is really very good. It manages to keep up with the first two whilst retaining an originality in its own right.

The Direction is great, Vaughn's clearly got a knack for angles and keeping the audience engaged whilst the story chops and changes. The look of the film is modern, yet still has a 60's and almost retro look about it. The special effects are very good, though some how not quite up there with Xmen: The Last Stand. The energy is fast and relentless and the action sequences blend in with the dialogue sequences seamlessly.

The acting is very good, though Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellen are definitely missed, McAvoy and Fassbender do excellent jobs and really are in keeping with the characters you already know and love. Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw are deliciously malevolent and Moira Mctaggart is perfectly pitched. My only reservation about the acting in the film is of Mystique, who I believe wasn't quite right, her motives in the film don't seem in complete continuity with the rest of the films.

A sequel has already been planned and I shall be eagerly awaiting it. Having Storm back in the series would be a personal highlight for myself, but not necessary. I would highly recommend this film to anyone that has watched the original films and even for newcomers.

One thing I will add that I have noticed since watching the original trilogy is that in 1980 Charles is walking, but according to First Class he loses this ability in the 60's...

There are plenty of big action scenes throughout but it's the first half of the film that really impresses. Establishing these characters and the entire universe is done remarkably well and in a remarkably moving manner. This new spin on familiar "bad guys" Magneto and Mystique does give the actions and emotions for the characters a new level of appreciation and helps give them so much more depth and pathos. Both sides of the fence (Xavier's vision and Magneto's contempt) are advanced and the brilliance of the plot is that both sides are understandable and relatable. The viewer can simply sit and watch it unfold but also be emotionally invested in the journey. During the second half, plot threads move towards resolution and action picks up. Xavier is a shining example and his journey throughout the film matches that of Erik.

First Class never undermines the audience nor talks down to them and does all that is expected of it. It delivers great action, humor, effects and a strong connection between heroes, villains and those developing in between. The retro design is suave and making this a period piece gives it a cool and unique flavor. The collaboration between Singer and Vaughn apparently was a perfect blend. Vaughn did a brilliant job and Singer's vision from the first two films stayed in tact and was enhanced. I have to add that the score had a perfect heroic theme but was also moving and very well done. The overall impact of this film leaves you with a great sensation of a job well done. Fast paced yet filled with depth, spellbinding visual effects and a gripping finale. In the end, they succeeded in re-establishing these characters in a superb and interesting manner. There is more to offer and more depth to appreciate. I certainly can't wait for a sequel and inclusion of Scott and Jean from the original trilogy.

What you need to know about this movie before you go and see it. 1. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are superb. Each one, alone, would have made the movie terrific, but together? Forgetaboutit! Every step of the way, every scene, every emotion, these two men own the movie and watching their bromance is a treat from start to finish. Make no mistake about it, even when the world is on the brink of utter destruction what really matters is how these two men relate to one another. And when you watch the movie, you will care. 2. Everyone in the cast is good. Kevin Bacon has never been better, and Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful. Rose Byrne and January Jones aren't given much to do, Ray Wise and Michael Ironside only have a few short lines, but - across the board - the entire cast are a delight. 3. The story is tight. You've got a bad guy with a plan, which he sets about executing in A/B/C fashion. Against him, the good guys work together. Their motivations are different, of course, but they pretty much want him stopped so they unite. That's it. 4. Charles and Erik are fascinating characters. They debate. And viewers can debate endless about them, and about who is right, etc. As you watch you desperately wish they could stay friends, but you understand why they ultimately can't. Even if they themselves, in these early days, don't understand it yet. To have that so perfectly captured in a Summer Blockbuster movie is part of what makes this a treat and a future classic. But, aside from their relationship to each other, the movie takes time to make each of them interesting in his own right. We get to see Charles as a teacher, for instance, and come to understand how he impacts upon the lives of those he tutors. Some of Erik's best moments (away from Charles) are in his comments to Mystique about her appearance, making it clear that this man has more to him than the shadow of his past. 4. Most supporting characters have very little screen time. But that's okay, since this isn't THEIR story, really. Of the bunch, it is Mystique and Beast who are best served. Both have terrific character arcs that - in a lesser X-Men movie - might have been the highlight of the film. Here, their stories serve as quality background material to the main event (Charles and Erik). Beyond that, we just learn enough about everyone to know what they can do and like them a little bit, mostly through their banter and most obvious character traits. Once scene where most of the supporting characters are clearly terrified will certainly go a long way towards making you care about them for the rest of the movie. On the downside: Shaw's two henchmen don't get ANYTHING to do except use their powers, and at the end of the story we know as much about Emma Frost as we did at the beginning. But these are the exception, not the rule. 5. Visually, this movie is a treat. The FX are good, no surprise, but - much better - the actual sets/costumes are beautiful. Whether it's a remote CIA lab or a lap-dance club, whether it's the Magneto helmet or Mystique's everyday clothes, you are always admiring 'the look' of what's on screen. 6. There are action scenes all during the movie, but - having said that - the movie builds as it goes. The first half is more story-heavy/character-heavy so that when the action REALLY starts we care about everyone. And, again, it works. Even with the scant details given their characters, when Banshee and Havok (for example) go into battle you are invested in them to a certain degree. 7. There are surprises. Deaths, betrayals, cameos and name-dropping. But, as well as being cool, all of this makes perfect sense for the story/universe of the movies. Superb! Rock-solid script, two amazing lead performances (the film is basically a bromance). Haven't been this excited about the X-Men franchise since X2: X-Men United.

Xmen: First Class is simply fantastic. Strong emotion and explosive action. The acting is top notch. Delivery from every actor is at it's best, more so from Mystique, Beast, Xavier and Magneto.

The story is more character based than action, however the action sequences are still superb. Personally i'd have liked to of seen it being a 15 and have a more adult but it wasn't a big issue. Also some more background story from the bad super's would have been good but again this wasn't too much of an issue and would leave some nice room for upcoming xmen movies.

I don't want to say too much but to break it down... Go see this film no matter what you are into. There is something for everyone. 9/10 easy

The biggest problem of these prequels is it's kind of messy to the original X-Men movies. Well, the filmmakers said this is a reboot but there are some references to the original X-Men series. Anyways, "X-Men: First Class" is fun and had a lot of great action. It's the biggest X-Men movie ever made and it's better than the last two X-Men movies.

The filmmakers stated that this movie is a reboot but things from the old X-Men movies had an appearance to this movie. The problem of giving reference from the old X-Men movies to this reboot is it doesn't make this movie stand alone. Maybe the references only made for the laughs but if this is a prequel then it'll be a total mess.

The best parts goes to the action(obviously). Matthew Vaughn knows how to make big and awesome action scenes. The best parts also goes to the scenes of Michael Fassbender. He really steals the show. He made Erik/Magneto more dangerous than ever. It's fun and intense to see him do something menacing. The rest of the cast is also pretty good. James McAvoy gave a lot of heart to his role. Him and Fassbender had good chemistry.

Overall, "X-Men First Class" is good especially if you are looking for large scale action. I guess large scale is one thing that's missing to the first four X-Men films. X3 had a large scale action that left us hanging in the end. This one has the action finale that is intense and really big. Maybe the reference of the old X-Men movies is only made for the laughs. By the way this is Matthew Vaughn's thing. There's action plus comedy.