Film Review: X-Men First Class [dir. Matthew Vaughn; 2011]

Within the context of super-hero movies, Bryan Singer set the bar very high with the first X-Men: it featured memorable characters, a solid plot, commendable performances and several inventive visual flourishes. This latest instalment - a prequel which portrays the genesis of the conflicted relationship between Charles Xavier and Magneto - isn't quite in the same league. Having said that, it provides over two hours of clever, enjoyable entertainment. The actors play it straight, the special effects know when to take a back seat and the story is suitably engrossing. But Vaughn's insistence on imbuing the visuals with a sense of 60's 'international espionage thriller chic' hampers the pace and - which is rather more worrying - results in far too many shots of nubile women in various states of undress. I realise comic book adaptations strive to appeal to the teenage boy audience, but I thought X-Men was always supposed to be a notch above such crude tactics.