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I’m honestly pretty sick of superhero movies, but I still have a soft spot for the X-Men. Director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Layer Cake) reinvigorates things with First Class after a couple of less-than-stellar entries in franchise. The plot moves at a ridiculous pace and the connections between points A, B, and C can be a little convenient, but Vaughn succeeds in giving the movie a James Bond/Thomas Crown Affair-like tone that makes it all go down better.

Whether you want to call the film a reboot or a prequel (I guess it’s a little of both?), the cast is all-new this time around. Michael Fassbender sinks his teeth into the meaty role of Magneto while Kevin Bacon relishes the role of the film’s big baddie. Younger cast members Jennifer Lawrence (Oscar nominee for Winter’s Bone) and Matthew Hoult (About a Boy) bring resonance to the roles of Mystique and Beast. The third act puts the X-Men in the middle of a Cold War missile crisis. It’s a terrific combination of character and spectacle — precisely what an X-Men movie should be.

With James McAvoy and January Jones.