X-Men: First Class (2011)

I love an X-Men movie so there's no surprise that I enjoyed the latest in the series, First Class, just as much as the others. While it doesn't beat X-Men 2 as the best of the bunch, it's certainly a credit to the X-Men name, full of spectacular effects and action, with a massive cast of mutants. I especially like the gay/mutant allegory, which is occasionally made explicit such as when 'don't ask don't tell' is uttered by Hank (The Beast) here in reference to the fact that his mutation cannot be seen, so he keeps quiet about it. Don't ask don't tell being the US Army's old method of dealing with gay soldiers. 

First Class is a prequel to the rest of the series, featuring a young Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender), plus Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and a hilarious cameo from Wolverine himself (not to mention 'older' Mystique, Rebecca Romijn), along with a whole host of previously unseen mutants both young and old. It's a shame that there's almost too much plot going on for a few more meaty character scenes would have added to the whole, but everything breezes along with laughs, thrills and spills. 

Kevin Bacon is a fun bad guy, and he really seems to enjoy the role, while Fassbender is tremendous as pre-Magneto, his trek around the world to find the man who murdered his mother giving a Bond-like air to proceedings that is not dispelled by the 1960's stylings. First Class is not a perfect movie, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable one, faults and all. 

Interestingly, First Class shares an actress, Rose Byrne, with Bridesmaids, which we saw a couple of days previously. Plus, here's Mad Men's Betty Draper (January Jones), and who was that bedding the lead in Bridesmaids? Oh yes, Don Draper (Jon Hamm)!