Matthew Vaughan takes a sixties swing at Marvel’s Movie Mutants.
After the chaotic mess of X-Men: The Last Stand and the disappointment of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, expectations for X-Men: First Class were pretty low. However, what could have been just another Twentieth Century Fox attempt to milk a popular franchise turned out to be a breath of fresh air. Under the direction of Matthew Vaughn, First Class manages to infuse the series with new energy, revisiting (and slightly revisioning) the roots of the X-Men with style, wit, and an ensemble cast that rises above some of the unevenness of the material.
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film cleverly uses real historical tension to give weight to its mutant-versus-human narrative. It’s an era ripe for exploration, and Vaughn doesn’t waste the opportunity to draw parallels between political paranoia and the emergence of a new species. The script—co-written by Vaughn and X-Men veterans Bryan Singer and Jane Goldman—succeeds where past films floundered by balancing character development, action, and historical context.
First Class centres on the events which see the paths of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) cross, connect and ultimately diverge as the two friends turn into ideological adversaries. McAvoy brings a roguish charm to Xavier, giving the character a more cavalier attitude than the serene sage of previous films. Fassbender, however, is the film’s standout, playing Erik with an intensity that makes you root for him even as he edges ever closer to his future as Magneto. His journey from Holocaust survivor to vengeful anti-hero is both compelling and heartbreaking, embodying the film’s most potent theme: the fine line between justice and vengeance and it’s no lie to say that, as fine as X-Men: First Class is, I could have happily spent the full two-hour, ten-minute runtime watching the extended adventures of Erik Lensherr: Nazi Hunter.
The supporting cast is a mixed bag of strong additions and somewhat forgettable filler. Jennifer Lawrence’s Raven/Mystique is a highlight, bringing vulnerability and an internal struggle that hints at her eventual transformation while Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast provides an endearing portrayal of an outsider grappling with his identity, demonstrating why he would get more and more screentime as the film series progressed. Meanwhile, Kevin Bacon hams it up as Sebastian Shaw, the villain with a flair for theatricality and enough menace to keep the plot rolling, even as Shaw’s motives sometimes dip into Bond-villain territory and his ultimate gambit is a rehash of Magneto’s plan from the very first X-Men movie (or vice versa given the timeline).
January Jones’ Emma Frost is more cubic zirconia that shining diamond, failing to bring much life to a character who should have commanded the screen with cunning and allure. Her scenes, all glittering gowns and telepathic posturing, feel like they were filmed with her on autopilot. Her fellow Hellfire Club members fare little better with the likes of Angel Salvadore (Zoë Kravitz) and Riptide (Álex González), coming across as little more than background noise—present for the fight scenes but otherwise unremarkable and as for the utter waster of the character of Darwin (Edi Gathegi), the less said the better.
Another of First Class‘ weaknesses—in common with most modern prequels—is its inability to resist explaining the origin of every little detail of the property. From the big (how Professor X ended up in the wheelchair) to the trivial (Magneto’s signature helmet), the film goes out of its way to tick too many boxes in its desire to reassure the audience it’s still part of the movies they’ve watched up to this point.
But what makes First Class work most is Vaughn’s commitment to balancing spectacle with substance. The film has a vibrant, almost retro aesthetic that feels miles away from the dark leather costumes of earlier instalments. The final act—a tense standoff between world powers with mutant stakes—delivers on both action and emotional impact. Magneto’s choice in the climactic moments not only sets the stage for future conflicts but also underscores the tragic inevitability of his path.
Visually, First Class dazzles with its period details, from Cold War-era set pieces to the sleek, James Bond-style technology wielded by the Hellfire Club. Vaughn’s direction, punctuated with kinetic sequences and an attention to character beats, reminds audiences why the X-Men saga was worth caring about in the first place. Less an origin story than a re-energize story, X-Men: First Class is a much-needed return to form. It’s a statement that despite the missteps of the past films the series remains capable of great storytelling when it leans into its strengths: complex characters, social allegory, and a willingness to embrace the absurd without losing heart. It may not be perfect, but it’s a film that reignites excitement for the X-Men and lays the groundwork for a new era, even if that era would eventually stumble with its own missteps in films that would follow.
