Before I embark on an analysis of the prequel X-Men: First Class (working title The Lil' X-Men), permit me to share one of my favourite, final moments from the third film, X-Men: The Last Stand.

Jean Grey, a mutant with telekinetic powers, has turned into the engine of destruction known as Dark Phoenix. Her eyes turned an oily black, she begins disassembling everything around her: cars, buildings, even people dissolve on-screen before us.

Wolverine, her soul mate, struggles to reach her. Ripples of energy emanating from her body rip away his flesh, exposing the metal bones underneath. He heals and steps closer. He cannot die. He can't let her live. The music swells and -- SNIKT -- she falls into his arms.

For every ridiculous comic-inspired summer spe-crapular (Ahem, Spider-Man 3), the genre has moments like that, when costumes and super powers fuse into a scene of operatic proportions.

James McAvoy portrays mutant leader Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class. (Murray Close/20th Century Fox/AP)

But with the increasing star power (and salaries) of X-Men actors like Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, 20th Century Fox decided to hit the reset button.

So, welcome to X-Men: The Wonder Years. We begin with an overwrought sequence in a Nazi concentration camp, as the young mutant Erik Lehnsherr (who will become Magneto) untaps the secret of his magnetic abilities. An ocean away, young Charles Xavier (Prof. X to you) meets Mystique, the blue-skinned shape-shifter. Then, it's a quick jump to the early Sixties, as we follow Lehnsherr on a globe-hopping mission of revenge against his original interrogator.

What he doesn't know is that particular German genetic scientist has become an ascot-wearing dandy working with the Reds and interested in heating up the Cold War. Cue Prof. X, who recruits a group of teenagers with mutant abilities to battle for the U.S. side.

'For a movie set in the early Sixties, X-Men: First Class is about as authentic as Austin Powers.'

Gee, typing all that out makes it seem sort of ridiculous. Perhaps that's because IT IS. The entire first half of X-Men: First Class groans under the weight of endless exposition. By wedging the mutants into the Cuban Missile Crisis while simultaneously attempting to stay true to the comic-book continuum, there are few moments for the characters do anything other than propel this hydra-headed plot forward.

For a movie set in the early Sixties, X-Men: First Class is about as authentic as Austin Powers. Sticking Magneto in a mock turtleneck and having Prof. X call some gal "groovy" isn't quite enough. Their new recruits (Banshee, Angel, Beast and Havok) appear to hail from Generictown, U.S.A. But perhaps looking for authenticity in a film that introduces a hidden CIA base as "COVERT CIA RESEARCH BASE" is a lost cause.

Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto, in X-Men: First Class. (Murray Close/20th Century Fox/AP)

The true heroes of the film are actors James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. McAvoy wisely avoids imitating the performance of the franchise's original Prof. X (Picard) and is as emphatic as you'd imagine a telepathic would be. There's a swagger and the hint of a smirk to his performance.

Fassbender as Magneto makes the most out of his angry-man role, simmering with rage ever chance he gets. In films such as Fish Tank, Jane Eyre and the remarkable Hunger, he's displayed a talent for finding the vulnerable side of fierce characters, a talent that serves him well here.

It's only when we reach the final, climactic standoff that First Class begins to show its true potential. Director Matthew Vaughn keeps the action tight, cutting quickly between Prof X. straining his abilities with a telepathic teleconference and Magneto becoming a mutant version of Malcolm X.

The film features plenty of details to satisfy fans. Who knew Nightcrawler has an evil, red daddy? Or that Emma Frost shares the same bored expression as Betty Draper? But for the rest of us mere mortals, X-Men: First Class borders on a failing grade.

RATING: Two-and-a-half overheated lava lamps out of five.