Quick Review: X-Men: First Class

Here's a combination prequel/franchise reboot. "X-Men: First Class" revolves around how Charles "Professor X" Xavier and Erik "Magneto" Lensherr (James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as younger versions of Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen) became friends who eventually end up on opposite sides, while forming a team of mutants to help the CIA deal with the threat of other mutants. They're led by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who is instigating what turns out to be the Cuban Missile Crisis (and also has a past history with Erik). It's a solid enough film, and has one spectacular cameo that I won't spoil here. But as Shaw's fellow evildoer Emma Frost, "Mad Men" star January Jones is a weak link. Granted, it's 1962, but that doesn't mean we should be seeing Betty Draper with superpowers. My grade: B.