RELEASING: 20th Century Fox

CREW: Director - Matthew Vaughn; Screenplay - Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn; Story - Sheldon Turner & Bryan Singer; Producers - Gregory Goodman, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, & Bryan Singer; Cinematographer - John Mathieson; Score - Henry Jackman; Editors - Eddie Hamilton & Lee Smith; Production Designer - Chris Seagers; Costume Designer - Sammy Sheldon; VFX Supervisor - John Dykstra; Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Corbould; Special & Visual Effects Companies - Rhythm and Hues, Cinesite, Digital Domain, Hydraulx, Luma Pictures, Method Studios, Moving Picture Company, Senate Visual Effects, Spectral Motion, & Trixter Film.

CAST: JAMES MCAVOY... Charles Xavier; MICHAEL FASSBENDER... Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto; KEVIN BACON... Sebastian Shaw / Dr. Schmidt; ROSE BYRNE... Moira MacTaggert; JENNIFER LAWRENCE... Raven / Mystique; OLIVER PLATT... MIB; ÁLEX GONZÁLEZ... Janos Quested / Riptide; JASON FLEMYNG... Azazel; ZOË KRAVITZ... Angel Salvadore / Wings; JANUARY JONES... Emma Frost; NICHOLAS HOULT... Hank McCoy / Beast; CALEB LANDRY JONES... Sean Cassidy / Banshee; EDI GATHEGI... Armando Muñoz / Darwin; LUCAS TILL... Alex Summers / Havok; MATT CRAVEN... CIA Director McCone; OLEK KRUPA... Soviet Captain; MICHAEL IRONSIDE... Captain; HUGH JACKMAN... Logan / Wolverine.

SYNOPSIS: It is the 1960s, the dawn of the Space Age and John F Kennedy sits in the White House as President of these United States. However, it is the height of the Cold War and tensions are escalating between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It set against the Cuban Missile Crisis that threatened the entire planet. It is also the point in history when the world is about to discover the existence of mutants. It is during this period when Prof. Charles Xavier (MCAVOY) met Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender), Magneto.  These two young men are discovering their powers, they are the closest of friends, working together and with other mutants to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.  Some of these young mutant recruits are fan favorites from the previous X-Men films, while others are classic heroes from the comics but new to the film series.  This is the origin story that provides answers to questions that have long intrigued fans of both the movies and comics.

REVIEW: The summer 2011 heralds the return of Marvel’s X-Men to the big screen, but not with another sequel. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS takes the story back to the very beginning, to a period in America's history that was both filled with hope and terror. It is that same period in time, the 1960s, which saw the rise of the Marvel universe and among them the X-Men series. All the storytellers on this film unite to craft a narrative that is rich with the history of the comic book series while creating an alternate history for the Cuban missile crisis. The end result is not simply a wonderfully entertaining and suspenseful tale but a satisfying film experience for fans of both the movies and the comics.

The screenplay is a tad more sophisticated than what we've come to expect from films based on popular comics. Still, there were a times the screenplay pushed the comic relief to an extreme that didn't feel in the spirit with the rest of the film’s humor or irony. Those were rare moments. There is one other clichéd plot devise I found fault with. I just don’t understand why the character of Armando Muñoz / Darwin, played by a black actor, has to be the first, and only X-Men to die in the film. I know the film is set in the 60s but give me a break.

Overall, I enjoyed the way the writers juxtapose historical events with the comic universe of the X-Men to lay a solid character foundation. Because were familiar with these themes that were addressed in the previous films/comics we get the opportunity to experience additional themes layered upon that foundation, as well as experiencing these new characters in this film. One would expect in the tradition of previous comic adaptations there would be a teaser at the end of the credits but there is none. I frankly didn't miss it because there are several other moments nicely placed throughout the film that offer that kind of payoff so the film didn't require anything more at the end.

X-MEN FIRST CLASS bears the mark of one of its producers, Bryan Singer. The film opens in a similar fashion as the first X-Men film in a Nazi concentration camp. It is where we are first introduced Erik, who begins his journey that will evolve him into Magneto. The entire sequence there's a similar style to the concentration camp scene in the first X-Men film, and nicely sets the tone to tie all the films together in the franchise to date.

In terms of the casting, I enjoyed every actor's performance in creating these characters especially at the moment in time the story is set. It was obvious that they understood the characters and sold the film, especially to someone like myself who is been a fan of the comics and the films.

I think the most impressive elements of the film come in terms of the production designs, special effects, visual effects, and art direction. It's not simply creating the precursors to many of the elements we've come to know in the X-Men universe, but creatively setting that into the time period of the 1960s. There is a montage where Xavier and Erik are locating and then recruiting other mutant's. There is a style and homage to the sequence that brought to mind such classic films of that era like the Matt Helm and Flint spy franchises. I think the poster, scene here, gives you an idea of that feel. The film is chock full of so many little nuances that I'm not going to go into detail here and spoil it for you.

Given all the good things that I've said so far about X-MEN: THE FIRST CLASS, the most amazing thing that my colleagues, fellow viewers, and I all agreed upon was that this film was just so enjoyable to sit in the theater and watch a film, a good film we all agreed, because it was not in 3-D. I honestly felt that I was able to immerse myself into the experience of the film more so because my brain wasn't trying to balance out the 3-D experience. In the end, this film has more going for it than the previous comic adaptations to come out so far this summer, and probably those yet to come, because it was not shot in 3-D. From the actors, to the effects, to the production designs, X-MEN: THE FIRST CLASS is the stuff that classic summer blockbusters are made of without having to use a gimmick to try and get you to buy a ticket. I think because of the story this film is now my favorite in the franchise. So if you're a fan of the X-Men, superheroes, and an epic action film then X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is the live action thrill ride must see this summer.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS official website - http://www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com

**Based on the regular $13.50 ticket prices at a Manhattan Theater.