X-Men First Class

X Men: First Class is the first movie since The Dark Knight that exceeded my already high expectations. Hype can kill a movie. It has happened far too much to me in my life so I attempt to avoid it when possible but because of my love of the X-Men Universe, I could not help but be hopeful. Not only was the X-Men universe enough to keep me interested but the cast was out of this world with talent. James McAvoy as an idealistic Charles Xavier was a great fit. And a hero is only as good as his villain and few are in the same league as Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto). To fill such a role, director Matthew Vaughn chose the scene stealer from Inglorious Basterds, Michael Fassbender. Fassbender continues his scene stealing habits in First Class. His story line was the most understandable and tragic. As much as one would love to be the idealistic telepath, Charles Xavier, one can't help but think "what would I become if faced with the same horrors as Lehnsherr?". This villain had heart and good in him, as we all do, so his inevitable fall from grace hurts that much more. With Xavier's idealism pitted against Lehnsherr's pessimistic realism, we are faced to look at ourselves and ask "where would I stand?"