Telling the beginning of a story when the audience already knows the middle and end is a hard proposition. The storyteller has to accomplish the task of rekindling the same mystique and entertaining quality that once allowed the audience to suspend its notion of reality and, once again, delve into the fantasy the storyteller has created.

Director Matthew Vaughn accomplished that task and delivered on an even greater scale in “X-Men: First Class.” Using the talents James McAvoy (Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (Erik Lensherr a.k.a. Magneto) Vaughn painted a bright and vivid picture of a 1962 world — full of mutants with extraordinary capabilities — that was believable and wonderful.

The story follows the rise of the first generation of mutants in the Marveluniverse. Told through the eyes of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr we are witness to the rise of a new generation of man commonly known as mutants.

Xavier and Lensherr’s paths cross when they find they are pursuing a common enemy, an energy-absorbing villain called Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). In order to avoid what history has dubbed the Cuban Missile crisis — a devious plot hatched by Shaw — Xavier and Lensherr recruit a select group of teenage mutants to help them combat Shaw and end the start of nuclear war.

With the gross exemption of Bacon, casting for this production was light on star power and quite heavy on thespian skill; a welcome mutation in Hollywood and, perhaps, a mutation studio executives and casting directors should show the rest of us slower evolving humans more often.

The chemistry between McAvoy and Fassbender is outstanding, showing the arc between strangers, who became allies, allies who became friends and, finally, friends who became enemies.

Though the film depends largely on CGI and special effects fireworks that seem to rule the Hollywood film industry, the use of setting, props and costume were realistic and tres chic for the year 2011, let alone 1962. Many of the scenes feature McAvoy and Fassbender in the kind of garb that would make Don Draper jealous, including an artful scene where the two actors are playing chess on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, wingtips in full force.

The mansion used to depict Xavier’s home in Westchester, New York best resembles a quiet getaway fit for a king — let alone a school for gifted youngsters.

First class is an excellent film, complete with an emotional and captivating storyline, allowing the X-Men movie franchise to finally come full circle from its first occurrence in 2000. Comic book geeks already love it, but I suspect those with an appetite for a good popcorn flick will too.