X-Men: First Class

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
X-Men: First Class Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Superhero film has action, thrills, tough moral questions.

PG-13 2011 132 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 44 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 121 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that X-Men: First Class is an exciting X-Men prequel/origin story has plenty of action as the heroes and villains battle it out using their wide variety of special abilities, many of which can be deadly. Though overall the film has a bit of a retro feel due to the 1960s setting, there are big explosions/attacks, as well as hand-to-hand battles and a few intense death scenes -- including one in which a boy's mother is killed in front of him and another in which a coin becomes a lethal weapon. The threat of nuclear war hangs over most of the movie. Expect moderate drinking and smoking; female characters sometimes appear in their underwear, skimpy costumes, or less, though there's no actual nudity. Language is infrequent but does include one use of "f--k." The movie includes weighty discussions about morality, self-acceptance, and fear of the unknown and -- staying true to the original comic books -- makes comparisons between the Holocaust and how people react to the presence of mutants.

Community Reviews

Julien1234
Julien1234 Adult
January 29, 2021
age 16+

Scenes & Time recorded

Scene to skip , not for children under 16 I wrote down this for parents to avoid scene and protect their children from harm Scene 1 16”30 - 20”40 Women’s walks around nude (though it looks as though she's wearing all-over body armor). But many women strippers there's also a scene in the beginning with dozens of women (strippers? prostitutes?) in scanty lingerie (including a CIA agent who doesn't hesitate to strip down to her black lace underthings) that is completely unnecessary for the story. Scene 2 24”30 - 25”05 Men’s are in a bar A man's hand is stabbed through with a knife; and also shot dead Terrifying scene where a man die The knife stabbing him many time Scene 3 45”40 - 46”40 Scene set in what appears to be a strip club, With a women naked striping her clothes away Scene 4 48”00 - 48”10 go f** yourself from Logan Scene 5 58”05- 1”00”15 Russian lady goes to meet the Russian president and play the escort girl Strong nudity scene a girl, seemingly naked under the covers, invites a man to join her in bed; Scene 6 1”28”50- 1”30”20 Mystic seemingly naked under the bed sheet , invites magneto to join her in bed; other scenes show kissing/groping.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
4 people found this helpful.
SSABLovesHorrorFilms03
SSABLovesHorrorFilms03 Adult
January 21, 2021
age 15+

Not the best in the X-men series.

An awesome movie! However, it's very sexual, with lots of stripping and such. That's all I need to say; good film but sexual.

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 44 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, James McAvoy stars as Charles Xavier, a powerful telepath who recruits a band of fellow mutants -- each with unique abilities -- in this prequel to the popular X-Men franchise. After a World War II-era opening sequence, the bulk of the story takes place at the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s, as Xavier teams up with another powerful mutant, Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), to track down the nefarious Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Shaw and his colleagues are trying to kick off a nuclear disaster, while Xavier and the newly formed X-Men (including Xavier's childhood friend/foster sister, Raven/Mystique, who's played by Jennifer Lawrence) try to prevent World War III. Meanwhile, Erik may be pursuing his own agenda.

Is It Any Good?

This movie isn't perfect, but it's more fun to focus on what's right: the brilliant casting, for starters, especially when it comes to McAvoy and Fassbender. Compared to the others, they're practically conducting a master class in thespianism, regardless of the movie's otherwordly plotlines. That said, X-Men: First Class is a bit too long, some scene transitions are abrupt, and the dialogue has its bumpy moments.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages in X-Men: First Class. What do the mutants' struggles have in common with other challenges that people have faced? Why do people tend to fear what is different?

  • What does the movie say about revenge? Is Erik justified in his pursuit of vengeance? Do the ends ever justify the means?

  • What distinguishes the "good guys" and the "bad guys" in this movie? Do any of Shaw's arguments make sense?

Movie Details

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