The X Factor

Friday was opening night of X-Men: First Class.  Surprisingly, my dad and I managed to get our acts together to catch a show at a decent time.  I haven't seen a non-animated movie since The Adjustment Bureau and was pretty excited for my first action blockbuster of the summer season.  Sad but true - this is what my life is like these days =)

In all honesty, I really liked it even though it does lead to some inconsistency with a few minor details in the later films.  It's always nice to be able to see where the characters came from and how they became who we know them as today.  Where you come from and the experiences you go through along the way have a huge influence on who you become.  As with all X-Men movies, this one touches on issues of discrimination, fear of the unknown, and the battle between good and evil, both internally and externally. 

"In each of us, two natures are at war-the good and the evil.  All our lives the fight goes on between them and one of them must conquer." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Is the capacity for evil really inherent in all of us, waiting to be unleashed by a traumatic experience or constant abuse?  When faced with the choice between doing what is right or taking revenge, what would you choose?  It's not an answer that can be predicted or debated ahead of time because you usually go with your gut when the moment actually arrives. 

Even though we know the eventual outcome of the film (assuming you've seen the other movies prior to this one), you can't help but wonder for a moment if a different choice will be made by these characters, led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) respectively.  As the photo says, "Witness the moment that will change our world."  Don't mind if I do - it's definitely worth the watch.