I was a bit skeptical about X-Men: First Class as having seen the trailers I was left feeling a bit under-whelmed. However, the movie actually turned out very well and I think that was due for the most part to the back to basics story-telling and less on just it being about special effects (though there was enough to keep the action going.)

X-Men: First Class tracks back to the beginning of the X-Men, back to the end of WWII when all these secret experiments were still going on, back to when mutants first start to discover their powers and the alliances of heroes and villains start to form.

I loved the focus on the relationships between all the characters, especially that between the two leaders, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (who is later known as Magneto.) Good acting. If there was one thing that I think was slightly mis-balanced it was the final battle which seemed overlong and never-ending. Otherwise a “first class” movie.