X-Men: First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Year Released: 2011
Rating: 1.0

... But with a Third Class script. Even sillier than expected prequel to the X-Men pictures has Magneto (Michael Fassbender) teaming up with a still-mobile Professor X (James McAvoy) to battle against Shaw (a miscast Kevin Bacon), who wants to start World War III between the USSR and the US. Since I've never been a fan of comic books or superheroes I'm clearly not the one to assess how this rates compared to the Marvel-inspired movies - I've never really liked any of them, to be honest: they're too enamored with their own special effects, to begin with, and their unnatural dialogue makes my spine quiver. The alternative history storyline - with Russian subs and the threat of a nuclear holocaust - is particularly ludicrous, especially when the humans (with their 60's get-ups and machinery) go against a high-tech fighter jet and supremely advanced weapons systems. And yes, seeing Jennifer Lawrence in blue paint isn't so displeasing....