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IMDbPro

X-Men: First Class

Original title: X: First Class
  • 20112011
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 11m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
698K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,444
144
Kevin Bacon, Jason Flemyng, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Lucas Till, Jennifer Lawrence, and Zoë Kravitz in X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class unveils the epic beginning of the X-Men saga – and a secret history of the Cold War and our world at the brink of nuclear Armageddon. As the first class discovers, harnesses, and comes to terms with their formidable powers, alliances are formed that will shape the eternal war between the heroes and villains of the X-Men universe.
Play trailer2:44
25 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionSci-Fi
In the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a sch... Read allIn the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.In the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
698K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,444
144
    • Matthew Vaughn
  • Writers
    • Ashley Miller(screenplay by)
    • Zack Stentz(screenplay by)
    • Jane Goldman(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • James McAvoy
    • Michael Fassbender
    • Jennifer Lawrence
    • Matthew Vaughn
  • Writers
    • Ashley Miller(screenplay by)
    • Zack Stentz(screenplay by)
    • Jane Goldman(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • James McAvoy
    • Michael Fassbender
    • Jennifer Lawrence
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 836User reviews
    • 526Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos25

    X-Men: First Class - Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:44
    Watch X-Men: First Class - Trailer #2
    X-Men: First Class: Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:49
    Watch X-Men: First Class: Trailer #1
    Why Denzel Washington Would Be a Perfect Magneto
    Clip 3:52
    Watch Why Denzel Washington Would Be a Perfect Magneto
    How the MCU Might Meet the Mutants
    Clip 3:24
    Watch How the MCU Might Meet the Mutants
    What if Bill Murray & Leonardo DiCaprio Were X-Men?
    Clip 1:51
    Watch What if Bill Murray & Leonardo DiCaprio Were X-Men?
    The Best X-Men Scenes According to the Cast of 'Dark Phoenix'
    Clip 1:52
    Watch The Best X-Men Scenes According to the Cast of 'Dark Phoenix'
    Why 'Dark Phoenix' Proves the X-Men Need Space
    Clip 3:35
    Watch Why 'Dark Phoenix' Proves the X-Men Need Space
    'Glass' Cast Connections: Finding a Lost Thread of 'Split' in 'Unbreakable'
    Clip 5:31
    Watch 'Glass' Cast Connections: Finding a Lost Thread of 'Split' in 'Unbreakable'
    What We Know About 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' ... So Far
    Clip 3:03
    Watch What We Know About 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' ... So Far
    "Meeting Hank"
    Clip 1:02
    Watch "Meeting Hank"
    "Magic Trick"
    Clip 1:06
    Watch "Magic Trick"
    "Mystique"
    Clip 1:03
    Watch "Mystique"

    Photos359

    Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Nicholas Hoult in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Rose Byrne, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    January Jones in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Rose Byrne in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Álex González in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Zoë Kravitz in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: First Class (2011)
    Zoë Kravitz in X-Men: First Class (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James McAvoy
    James McAvoy
    • Charles Xavier (30 Years)
    Michael Fassbender
    Michael Fassbender
    • Erik Lensherr
    Jennifer Lawrence
    Jennifer Lawrence
    • Raven…
    Kevin Bacon
    Kevin Bacon
    • Sebastian Shaw
    Laurence Belcher
    Laurence Belcher
    • Charles Xavier (12 Years)
    Bill Milner
    Bill Milner
    • Young Erik
    Rose Byrne
    Rose Byrne
    • Moira MacTaggert
    Beth Goddard
    Beth Goddard
    • Mrs. Xavier
    Morgan Lily
    Morgan Lily
    • Young Raven (10 Years)
    Oliver Platt
    Oliver Platt
    • Man in Black Suit
    Álex González
    Álex González
    • Janos Quested
    • (as Alex González)
    • …
    Jason Flemyng
    Jason Flemyng
    • Azazel
    Zoë Kravitz
    Zoë Kravitz
    • Angel Salvadore
    January Jones
    January Jones
    • Emma Frost
    Nicholas Hoult
    Nicholas Hoult
    • Hank…
    Caleb Landry Jones
    Caleb Landry Jones
    • Cassidy…
    Edi Gathegi
    Edi Gathegi
    • Darwin…
    Corey Johnson
    Corey Johnson
    • Chief Warden
      • Matthew Vaughn
    • Writers
      • Ashley Miller(screenplay by)
      • Zack Stentz(screenplay by)
      • Jane Goldman(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To prepare for his role as Charles Xavier, James McAvoy shaved his head. He soon learned that the filmmakers wanted Xavier to have a full head of hair in the prequel. Throughout the first month of filming McAvoy had to wear hair extensions. He finally shaved his head for X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).
    • Goofs
      (at around 59 mins) When Xavier and Erik were confronting Emma Frost in the Soviet Union, some might think that it would have been impossible for Erik to crack Emma's neck with the metal bed frame because diamond is one of the hardest substances known to man. Hardness does not prevent cracking. There are different types of material strengths. Diamond's hardness does not mean that it is invulnerable to all types of stress.
    • Quotes

      Erik Lehnsherr: Excuse me, I'm Erik Lehnsherr.

      Professor Charles Xavier: Charles Xavier.

      Logan: Go fuck yourself.

    • Crazy credits
      Part of the closing credits take place in a sequence of X-symbols, chromosomes and DNA strands (reminiscent of the opening credits to Dr. No (1962)).
    • Connections
      Edited into 5 Second Movies: X-Men: First Class (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Concentration Camp
      (from X-Men (2000))

      Written by Michael Kamen

      Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

    User reviews836

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    A franchise is reborn...
    Beginning with a crime-thriller and a fantasy film on his directorial résumé, it is safe to say that Matthew Vaughn may have already found his niche genre in the super-hero field despite only directing four films in seven years. His first super-hero project, 'Kick Ass,' opened in 2010 to solid critical acclaim and a finalized gross of three times the film's ordinary $30 million dollar budget. And after only two years, Vaughn returns with 'X-Men: First Class,' an origins story to accompany the Bryan Singer/Brett Ratner X-Men trilogy released between 2000 and 2006. It's intelligent, enthralling, well-acted, stylishly directed, and most importantly by focusing heavily upon the relationship between the two central protagonists, it does not feel like a conventional super-hero film.

    Set within the political context of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960's, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is an up-and-coming Professor whose life is drastically altered when he is introduced to the other members of society who also share the same mutant gene as himself that supplies them with super-human abilities and traits. After stumbling upon the shape-shifting Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) within his mansion, the telepathic Xavier then encounters Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), the son of Jewish parents who were murdered during the holocaust by the narcissistic former Nazi scientist, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Erik, who can manipulate all metal objects around himself, wants retribution and nothing more from Sebastian who is now a successful and evil underground figurehead who commands a team of mutants (Azazel, Emma Frost and Riptide) to do his bidding for him. But, once his plan for world domination is revealed, they find that it far exceeds the constraints of humanity, and Xavier, Erik and a rag-tag band of young, hide-away mutants (Havok, Beast, Darwin, Angel and Banshee) who were discovered by Charles, must combine their powers in one last attempt to stop Shaw from destroying the planet and humanity as a whole.

    Instantly where 'X-Men: First Class' works is in regards to its two central characters; Charles Xavier played by an incredibly affluently sounding James McAvoy and a rage-fuelled Erik Lehnsherr played by a stern-faced Michael Fassbender. Their instant on-screen chemistry provides the drive and ammunition for the plot to carry itself forward. Both characters have differing ideologies and their constant clashes due to this aspect allow the script to be brought to life. Instead of simply infusing their relationship with formulaic violent clashes, Vaughn has instead opted for more articulated verbal battles between the two characters regarding their stance within the society they are now becoming a part of. Xavier is an intellectual being who believes that humans will eventually be accepted within society as equals alongside humans, while Lenhsherr believes that mutants will always be hunted and unable to live peacefully side-by-side with the human race, his evidence for this resides in the anti-Semitism and hatred he received at the hands of the Nazi party during the holocaust. This heavy-set contradiction in ideologies allows their relationship to be imbued with pessimism, while they may be shown as friends and fighting together initially, fans of the comic books and films in general know this does eventually turn into a bitter rivalry and it's this development which drives the plot forward.

    Aside from the script, it would also be rude to not praise the action-sequences which take place within the confines of the 1960's X-Men universe. With a modest running time at two hours and ten minutes, there are more than a few well-choreographed action sequences that would adequately satisfy any of comic-book-to-film aficionado's wishing to see this film. Each character's power or ability is at some point represented in a destructive or defensive capacity, taking full advantage of the fact that while many super-hero movies tend to concentrate on the aesthetic nature of the artillery characters can be seen to withstand from governmental agencies or blindsided human opponents, here it is shown and constantly emphasized that human reaction would be futile due to the overwhelming power the mutants possess. These scenes also allow the less important characters to show their physical presence on-screen. For example, during the climactic fight sequence at the conclusion of the film, every mutant character that is identified to the audience is finally shown using their abilities to full capacity, most notably the henchmen of Shaw and the rag-tag team of Xavier and Lehnsherr. This therefore accounts slightly for the lack of depth that has been attempted in these secondary characters due to the time and story constraints.

    While it is a very good and accessible comic-book/super-hero movie, 'X-Men' does also contain two central flaws. The first is superseded in a way by the strength of both McAvoy and Fassbenders performances, as Kevin Bacon is constantly overshadowed as the one-dimensional antagonist of the piece. His plot to ultimately destroy humanity becomes second fiddle to the ever intricate complex relationship between Xavier and Lehnsherr, and his appearance seems too modelled upon that of a James Bond villain. He has the slick hair, the beautiful women and the villainous underground Club to boot, but Bacon unfortunately doesn't have the charisma to be accepted as a worthy opponent to the protagonists. The other flaw has to do with a minor aspect of the production itself, as the non-diegetic music, most notably during the action sequences, begins to diminish in its impact as the film carries on, leading to it eventually becoming the generic, genre-related fanfare associated with the conventional comic-book films.

    'X-Men: First Class,' is not your typical comic-book movie, it may contain certain elements associated with the comic-book genre, but by placing a heavy emphasis upon the strength of the plot and the script at the film's core instead of the action-set-pieces taking place, Vaughn has intended, and succeeded, in transcending the stereotypical conventions of the genre and has created a film which will appeal to a wide range of audience members.
    helpful•151
    58
    • the_rattlesnake25
    • Jun 2, 2011

    FAQ14

    • Which characters were adapted from Marvel's X-Men comic books?
    • What is "X: First Class" about?
    • Is Wolverine in this movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 3, 2011 (United States)
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
      • English
      • German
      • French
      • Spanish
      • Russian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Englefield House, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • Marvel Entertainment
      • Dune Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 11 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
      • Dolby Surround 7.1

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