Description
X-Men: First Class is the fourth instalment of the X-Men movies and is directed by Matthew Vaughn. X-Men: First Class was released in cinemas on June 1st in the U.K and June 3rd in the United States. The film is set in the 1960's during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and focuses on the relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto and the forming of the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants.
Plot
The film begins in the German concentration camps in Poland in 1944 where the scientist, Dr. Schmidt looks upon the young Erik Lensherr appearing to bend back a metal gate with his thoughts, while being separated from his parents by the Nazi's. Schmidt brings Erik back to his office, where he orders him to move a coin on his desk in a similar way he moved the gate at the camp. When Erik is unable to comply, Schmidt shoots and kills his mother in front of him. In an angered rage, Erik's powers go out of control and he kills two guard and destroys the lab, much to Schmidt's delight.
At this time in Westchester, New York mansion, we see a young Charles Xavier meeting a young, shape-shifting girl named Raven in his house looking for food. Overjoyed to meet someone else "different" like he is, he welcomes Raven into his family. The film then jumps to the present day in 1962 in Switzerland, where Erik Lensherr intimidates a banker into tracing a bar of Nazi gold to Argentina where Schmidt is located. While there, Eric comes across former German soldiers who patronize him. He kills the two soldiers and a man who points a gun at him and learns that Schmidt has a boat in Florida.
Mean while in Oxford, England, Charles Xavier becomes a graduate at University and is showing a presentation on mutation along with Raven, who now lives with him. In Las Vagas, Moira MacTaggert, a undercover CIA agent, follows the U.S Army Colonel Hendry into the Hellfire Club quarters where she sees Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost and Azazel threatening Hendry. Azazel then teleports Hendry away and a few moments later, he is in the War Room instructing the U.S to install nuclear missiles is Turkey. When Hendry threatens Shaw with a grenade, he demonstrates his ability to absorb energy. He also reveals himself to be Dr. Schmidt, but de- aged.
Moria seeks Professor Xavier's help on mutation development and introduces him and Raven to the CIA. They manage to convince Moria's chief that mutants exist and that Shaw is indeed a threat to everyone. Xavier manages to track down Shaw just as he is escaping a battle with Erik, who is trying to stop him. Xavier saves Lensherr from drowning and introduces him to the CIA's secret "Division X" facility run by an unknown agent. While there, they meet the young scientist Hank Mccoy, a large- footed mutant who Xavier outs. Mccoy starts talking to Raven and promises her that he will find a cure for their appearance and find a way for them to look "normal".
Hank introduces a machine called Cerebro to Xavier that will help him track down and find mutants across the world to recruit into the team to stop Shaw. Xavier and Erik travel to various places looking for recruits. The go to a stripper club and find Angel Salvadore, taxi driver Armando Munoz who takes the codename Darwin, Army prisoner Alex Summers who goes by the codename Havok and aquarium patron Sean Cassidy who takes the name Banshee. Raven takes the name Mystique.
When Emma Frost goes to meet with a Russian General in replace of Shaw, Xavier and Lensherr infiltrate the building and capture her. While they are capturing Emma, Riptide, Azazel and Shaw attack the Division X facility, killing everyone but the young mutants. They offer them a chance to join there group, of which Angel accepts. Darwin tries to rescue her from the group, but is killed by Shaw when Havok fires a beam at them. With the facility destroyed, the team move to Xavier's family mansion in Westchester. While there, Xavier trains the students and Hank provides them with uniforms and a stealth jet to aid them on their missions.
To stop the beginning of World War 3, President John. F Kennedy creates a blockade to stop the Russians moving a freighter and using nuclear missiles in Cuba. Shaw tries to stop this from happening by boarding the Russian Fleet to ensure that the missiles arrive. The night before the fleet arrive, Xavier and the other mutants make their way to the blockade line to stop the fleet and reveal themselves. While in waiting, Hank offers Mystique a cure for her appearance. However, with a little reassurance from Erik she refuses to take it. Hank uses the serum however, and is turned into a feline beast. Regardless of this, Hank still pilots the team to the blockade line.
Sebastian, who is wearing a customized helmet to block telepathy, uses a submarine to make a nuclear time bomb by storing all of its energy into himself. Xavier uses a Russian ship to destroy the freighter and Banshee locates Shaw's ship. Erik pulls the submarine out of the water using his powers and both the jet and the submarine crash. Erik confronts Shaw and in a huge battle, takes the helmet for himself and kills Shaw by forcing the concentration coin through his head.
Fearing the mutants, the remaining Russian fleet fire their missiles at the beach they are on. Lensherr stops the missiles in mid-air and turns them on the fleet. Xavier struggles with Erik to stop him killing innocent people and Moira fires bullets at Erik. He deflects them however, and one of them hits Xavier in the back. Upset about what he had caused, Erik leaves with Mystique, Azazel, Riptide and Angel. Xavier, now wheelchair bound, returns with the mutants back to the mansion, where he opens a school. He talks with Moria and she returns to the CIA and tells them she does not remember any of the events that occurred before. Months later, Magneto returns and breaks Frost out of her confinement cell and asks her to join his Brotherhood, which she accepts.
Official Synopsis
X-Men: First Class: “Charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.”
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