X-Men: First Class (2011)

Following the disappointing reception of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men Origins Wolverine (2009), Fox decided that a soft reboot of their superhero franchise was in order. Set in the 1960's, X-Men: First Class juxtaposes the formation of the team alongside the Cuban Missile Crisis and the usual metaphors regarding civil rights. A profitable film interpreted as a badly-needed course correction, X-Men: First Class resulted in three direct sequels and is still frequently cited as one of the better entries in the franchise. Gigantic X-nerd Ryan is joined by Sylvan, Sarah, and Nicole for a discussion about this sleek, polished, nostalgic, and interesting film. Talking points include assimilationism, respectability politics, Kennedy-era optimism, and whether it's appropriate to use the Holocaust as a plot point in a superhero movie.