While not without its flaws, First Class breathes life into the sinking ship that was the X-Men film franchise. Sure, the last two films made money, and the new Wolverine film will eventually be made, but the series filmic quality has really suffered since Singer left the series after the impeccable X2. With Singer back collaborating, Matthew Vaughn lending his style and a very sharp and youthful script, First Class easily rises above the muck of the worst the series has to offer and makes a strong case for quality future installments.

While X-Men films in the past have been mostly remembered for the action set pieces and “Wolverine being a badass”. While First Class has some impressive action, the story remains very much centered on the relationship between Erik and Charles, which keeps it grounded in a very strong character drama. While the film is certainly more interested in Erik’s earlier days than Charles, the film does a superb job of keeping the characters of Erik and Charles from being overshadowed by the personas of Magneto and Professor X. We know of Magneto’s checkered past, but the opening of the film delves into greater detail in this area to show us exactly why he has the perspective he has. The film’s first half plays out more like an early James Bond film than it does a comic book adaptation, but it works brilliantly due to Michael Fassbender’s performance. The Magneto here is seen as a ruthless yet sickly justified mutant. By giving us a look at his past, he becomes a much more fully realized persona and brings the drama into a realm where the stakes are a bit higher than they were in the past. Charles, on the other hand, is, right from childhood, wise well beyond his years, almost unrealistically. However, when McAvoy takes over in his college years, we see a bit more of his humanity, trying to pick up college coeds and drinking with his classmates. While Erik’s story is more interesting thematically, Charles’ bit is insightful if only to show the character’s roots and motivations. I also have to give props to Beast and Azazel, both of which were, admittedly, hokey looking in the trailers, but proved to be rightfully badass in their own rites and made their roles memorable.

As good as their characterization was, I have to admit that the other mutants making up the “First Class” were, by all accounts, horribly out of place. They acted like modern teenagers and their powers were, for the most part, nowhere near as fantastic or awe inspiring as they have been in previous installments. Havok, Banshee, Riptide and Angel were simply there to serve the origin story, but their characterizations came at the leads’ expense. I’m not really upset about this, but there is a certain wonder and awe in learning the new mutants and their abilities, and the new characters here were too typical for my taste, especially Emma Frost who served no purpose other than eye candy. While the look was nailed, the essence of her being a foe to be reckoned with was lost on me and she served no other purpose outside of the sex appeal. Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, however, was very interesting to see. Maybe my favorite scene of the film was where he and Magneto talk about their ideals and how they aren’t that different when it comes down to their beliefs. Bacon stole a lot of his scenes and I hope this movie gives him a nice little boost back into the A-list.

I think X-Men: First Class proves that the comic book genre has some relevance and should be taken seriously by today’s audiences. The film isn’t without its laughs but it still says a lot about identity and prejudice in a way that doesn’t make the audience feel like children. Great action, some good laughs and possibly the greatest Marvel movie cameo so far make this the new standard for the X-Men films.