X-Men: First Class- Does it Make the Grade?

       Another link in the X-men series has been produced and released for the enjoyment of followers everywhere. In X-men: First Class, new characters, extensive background, and new special effects are introduced. The X-men team is expanded within this movie by showing many of the old beloved mutants during their childhood and teenage years. Characters like Mystique and the Beast are highlighted with more information given about their mutations and how they are used for the benefit or demise of the human population. I enjoyed seeing how the characters interacted with each other and grew from the connections they made with other people and mutants.
       More background is also told of the main characters Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, more commonly known as Magneto. The childhood of these two important characters is highlighted so that future development of these two men and the reasoning behind their individual character and choices is made more understandable to the audience. This excellent storytelling is completed through the superb acting of James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Both actors committed all their talent to the grade A script making the movie possible. How their mutations affected their development as people in general is revealed in a light that all viewers of any age can relate to. Its the idea of not fitting in to the popularly accepted norm that lies at the heart of this movie. It is something that all people have experienced at some point and thus is why viewers can identify with the trials that the characters experience throughout the plot.
       The state of the special effects are another unique feature of this movie. The computer animation utilized displays the characters mutations and powers in a realistic and tangible manner. Because of this, viewers are sent into an alternate reality in which such awesome powers seem possible. The images portrayed realistically display things that seem only possible in a person's wildest imagination like anchors flying through the air, kids flying over oceans and aircrafts, and people transforming into exact replicas of other humans. These qualities make X-men: First Class a movie separate from others. The cameo appearance by Hugh Jackman adds something to the entertainment quality for the viewer familiar with the previous X-men movies.
       One thing that proved to be disadvantageous tot the movie was the disregard of the story from the previous X-men movies. At the end of X-men: First Class, Charles Xavier is confined to a wheelchair while he is still in his late twenties or thirties. This goes against the beginning of X-men 3, when at the beginning Dr. Xavier is shown walking to commission a new recruit for his school. This mistake while unnoticed by some viewers may prove to be disheartening for some of the more loyal followers.
       In the end, X-men: First Class is an excellent movie that completes the series and is entertaining to watch. It adds to the understanding and love of the characters of this comic and movie. Hopefully additional fans will be added to the ranks because of this new and inventive movie.