X-Men First Class seemed a bit of a gamble for the franchise, but it turns out to be a hugely entertaining Summer blockbuster, and it is a considerable improvement on both X-Men The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The proposed Origins movie featuring Magneto was wisely shelved, as it is the focus on the developing friendship and subsequent estrangement of Xavier and Magneto that makes this film so engaging. Matthew Vaughn rises to the event movie challenge by directing both intimate and huge-scale moments with consistent effectiveness throughout, and Jane Goldman provides yet another warm, witty and intelligent script, which only occasionally lapses into lines of preachy 'mutant' tolerance. The clever 1960s setting is wonderfully realised and utilised (frequent globe-trotting, go-go girls, huge sets, the baddie has a submarine), with the interweaving of real history and the X-Men universe providing a strong and grounding backdrop for the fantasy. The first half feels a little frantic and slightly disjointed as the film travels from one country to another, but this merely puts all the pieces in place for an exciting and well-constructed second half that truly delivers in terms of story and action. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender deliver terrific performances as the younger Professor X and Magneto, Kevin Bacon shines as the particularly unpleasant villain, and indeed the whole cast works very well, with January Jones and Nicholas Hoult in particular doing some fine character work. X-Men First Class may prove to be a bit drama-heavy for the popcorn crowd, but the film puts the franchise firmly back on track - it will be interesting to see if Fox goes for a follow-up to this film or back to the present-day for the next installment.
