As far as summer action movies go, X-Men: First Class has emerged as one of the best of 2011. Despite the absence of Hollywood Heavyweights such as Halle Berry or Hugh Jackman (who actually is featured for about 25 seconds of the film), a young, relatively unknown cast completely hold their own. James McAvory and Michael Fassbender star as Professor X and Magneto, respectively in this prequel to the original X-Men films, set in the 1960's Cold War era exploring the events that left X crippled and those that led Magneto astray. Other stand-out performances include Academy Award-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) as Mystique, and also an unexpected appearance by Kevin Bacon (Tremors) as the sinister Sebastian Shaw. January Jones (a native of South Dakota) also stars as an accomplice to Shaw, though the role often comes off as campy due to her Austin Powers-esque outfit complete with go-go boots. Overall, the film is fast-paced and intriguing, leaving very little room for a yawn during a slow scene. Though this film likely won't be nominated for any "Boomerang" Awards, it's filled with all the adrenaline rush a summer-action-movie junkie could hope for. 7 out of 10 stars.
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