Six reasons why 'X-Men: First Class' may save the summer

1. Real history meets reel action

In the film, we discover that the Cuban Missile Crisis wasn't diffused with diplomacy and deal-making between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. We see here that Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) did all the heavy lifting, with a little help from the screaming Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones).

2. January Jones shows her stuff

Here, mutant telepath Emma Frost ("Mad Men" star January Jones) proves that sometimes diamonds are a girl's best friend...and sometimes girls ARE diamonds.



3. Introducing Sebastian Shaw

A long-running character in the comics, Shaw (played by the eternally cool Kevin Bacon) leads the powerful secret society known as The Hellfire Club. Shaw and his organization could potentially play a key role in any future "X-Men"-related films. Here, Shaw (wearing a familiar helmet) and some mutant cronies stage a spectacular break-in into a compound where some young mutants are being held. Lotsa guns, lotsa fire, lotsa Bampf!

4. Kevin Bacon is a very persuasive guy.

In this clip, Bacon (as Sebastian Shaw) delivers an attractive offer to some of the young X-Men (including Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and Zoe Kravitz). But he's also asking you to go see the movie. Are you gonna say no? You can live like a king!

 

5. Does Jennifer Lawrence look hotter in blue than Rebecca Romijn?

The Oscar-nominated actress ("Winter's Bone") gets a life lesson from Magneto (Michael Fassbender) in this clip. Lawrence plays Mystique, the shape-shifting role memorably played by model-actress Rebecca Romijn in "X-Men" and its two sequels. The actress will soon be seen as Katniss in the highly-anticipated "Hunger Games."
 

6. Michael Fassbender & James McAvoy = Magneto & Professor X

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") and his writers appear to take the core relationship between the two equally charismatic -- but ethically polarized -- mutant leaders very seriously, as seen in this clip. For fans of both the comics and the films, this scene speaks volumes about the two and foreshadows their future rivalry (played out in the previous films by Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart). Fassbender, so good in "Inglourious Basterds" and "Fish Tank," seems particularly intense when he states "never again." Plus, the effects are cool.

"X-Men: First Class" opens nationwide June 3.

Check out some photos from last night's New York of the film premiere here.

Read Drew McWeeny's review of the film here.