X-Men: First Class - Parents Movie Review

movie review rating guide for parents and families

MPAA Rating
PG-13

for intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity and language

Genre
Action, Fantasy

Director
Matthew Vaughn

Starring
James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till

Studio
20th Century Fox

Release Date/In Theaters
6/3/2011

Movie Summary

Before Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, X-Men's Professor X and Magneto, were enemies, they lead a team of mutants together on a mission to save earth from a nuclear disaster.

Movie Review for Parents

-by Ginger

Something old and something new is what the newest X-men movie has in store. This story line takes a look back time to a place before the academy and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr were Professor X and Magneto. These two archrivals were once best friends. They were just discovering their powers together and they were working together. They had an entourage of other mutants, some of which are familiar and others who are new. They all came together to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. However, through the process, the Professor and Magneto developed a rift that threatened to tear them apart. Soon they found themselves no longer the closest of friends, but instead, archenemies.

The movie is a typical X-men movie with its share of violence, intense action, language, and scary images. It is not for younger children, but if your children are school aged, they probably already read the comic book at recess. The movie closely follows the style of the comic books. The young mutants discover their powers and all of the other things that young teens discover, including romance. There is kissing and there are romantic looks between two of the characters.

The various gifts have sometimes unexpected and violent results. For instance, Havoc causes explosions and blows things up. We all know the Beast, brainiac by day trying to find the cure, Beast at other times. Banshee breaks glass with his scream. There are many old favorites and others who you have not yet met. Some of the appearances have been kept a secret and it will be a secret as to whether they appear or not. No one knows for certain whether or not Wolverine will make an appearance. We will all just have to see if Wolverine claws his way onto the screen or not.

This family movie review says that if you are a Marvel fan, this movie is a must, it is the story of how it all began from the time mutants first started to appear among the human population. This is an excellent movie because it takes the story back to the beginning, before the academy, when they were just learning who they really were. The Mutants have to stop a war in order to prove to the world that they are not to be feared. The X-Men has an underlying theme of diversity and acceptance of those who are different. It is about accepting who you are and being the best that you can be, even if you wake up and find yourself a little different from the rest of your friends.

This parental guide to the movies recommends this movie for the Marvel fan in your family and even for those who are not. This movie is fun for everyone, but not the youngest ones in the family. They might find the action a little frightening. Alliances and friendships are formed as the mutant teens try to find their place in the world. The setting might be a little disturbing for the little ones too, as it is set during the Cold War with the threat of nuclear war throughout the movie.