X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class chronicles the beginning of the X-Men Universe. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men. The United States government enlists their help to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start World War III. (Gary Reber)

Special features include Bonus View, the composer's isolated score in Dolby Digital 5.1, the "Cerebro" Mutant Tracker interactive mutant locater, the featurette Children Of The Atom in eight segments (HD 69:49), 13 deleted scenes (HD 14:07), BD-Live functionality, and a digital copy.

The 2.36:1 1080p AVC picture is stylized at times, and at other times the imagery appears perfectly natural. Contrast is excellent, though, at times a bit blown out, which conveys a rough image. Still, blacks are deep and solid and blacks and shadow delineation are revealing. The color palette is richly and vividly hued, displaying at times a boldness that is visually engaging. Fleshtones are generally naturally hued. Resolution is excellent, with imagery that is sharp and clean, with revealing detail evident in facial features, hair, clothing, and object textures. Dimensionality is generally good. With a colorful and, at times, spirited color palette, this is an engaging visual experience that will please fans of the franchise. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is nicely produced with a dynamic presence throughout. Deep bass is impressively natural sounding, with extended response energized in the .1 LFE channel. The low-frequency response not only enhances the action sequences but also provides a solid foundation to all scenes. The music score is well recorded, with a sweeping wide and deep soundstage presence that extends to the surrounds. The fidelity is excellent, with a deep, natural low-end response. Surround envelopment is aggressively dynamic and directionalized with, at times, a suspension overhead of dialogue for effect. Atmospherics and sound effects are nicely rendered and dimensionally placed throughout the soundfield. Combined with the music score, the soundfield, at times, is holosonic® sounding. Dialogue is intelligible but conventionally produced and wanting in the nuances of spatial integration. Overall, this is a well-produced soundtrack production with a lot of dynamic energy that delivers an enveloping sonic experience. (Gary Reber)