X-Men: First Class

Plenty of action, including super-powered combat featuring energy beams, fireballs, whirlwinds, and sonic blasts, as well as super-strength fistfights that send characters flying across the room. A fierce assault pits super villains against normal people, who are easily (and brutally) dispatched. There are major explosions, crashes (plane, submarine, more), gunshots, and several flying blades, and a coin is turned into a lethal weapon, shown in slow-motion close-up as it hits its mark. A boy's mother is killed in front of him, scarring him for life. A man's hand is stabbed through with a knife; people are slashed with knives and swords. Overhanging threat of nuclear war.

Frequent skimpy, Bond Girl-esque outfits and one blue, scaly female mutant who sometimes walks around nude (though it looks as though she's wearing all-over body armor). In one scene, a girl, seemingly naked under the covers, invites a man to join her in bed; other scenes show kissing/groping. One scene includes several women in lingerie who are implied to be call girls/escorts; another is set in what appears to be a strip club, though there's no actual nudity.

One memorable use of "f--k"; other language includes infrequent use of "ass," "hell," "goddamn," "oh my God," and "damn."

A few scenes show people drinking, both in rowdy bars and in more quiet moments at home -- sometimes to excess. The younger mutants have one somewhat wild party. Occasional smoking (accurate for the 1960s setting).

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.

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