McAvoy and Fassbender reignite 'X-Men'

There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a moneymaking franchise. But even executives there realize the formula can get tired after three — or seven — films. Reluctant to give up certain box office success, they’ve come up with a solution: reboot the franchise. Usually this means developing the backstory with the use of younger, more demographically friendly actors. And sometimes it works. 2009’s “Star Trek” was clever and more entertaining than many of the older films.

The same is true of “X-Men: First Class.” Producers have taken a property that felt moribund from the beginning and created a classy comic book flick that truly feels fresh.