Ranking Every Single X-Men Franchise Film

Ranking Every Single X-Men Franchise Film

The X-Men franchise, save for The New Mutants, has come to an end. With Dark Phoenix in theaters, the comic book movie franchise that arguably started the phenomenon will now close this chapter before it returns to Disney. With ten x-Men films and two spin-off Deadpool movies, I'm going to rank the twelve entries in celebration of a franchise that changed modern cinema forever.

12. X-Men: Origins - The Wolverine: It was an interesting idea. To tell the story of the Wolverine from the very beginning. This was actually supposed to be an entire spin-off series, with origin films for both Cyclops and Magneto in development with Fox before the film hit theaters. But with troubled production comes a very bad movie. While there are some moments of bright spots, like the beginning montage throughout the wars, the rest of the film is either boring, cringe-worthy, or downright confusing. And while the film did its job of telling the origin story of Logan, it did so in the most convoluted, unnecessary way possible. 

11. X-Men: Dark Phoenix: Dark Phoenix is not awful, like X-Men: Origins, but there's almost nothing good about the movie. It's 90 percent boring and generic, 9 percent terrible and awful, and 1 percent good, if not great. It was the result of a first directorial effort from Simon Kinberg who had never stepped in front of a camera before, as well a story that honestly didn't need to be told again (more on the Phoenix Saga later). The cast is great, which is what this film has over Origins, but that's about all it has going for it.  

10. X-Men: The Last Stand: At least this film was trying to be inventive. At least it was trying to be something different. I even respect the fact that it tried to go for a B-plot with the mutant cure. That was an interesting concept. Granted, the story and execution of the story were awful, but at least it tried. And while I like the cast from Dark Phoenix more, I think that this film's cast was consistent with their characters. Charles Xavier in Dark Phoenix was a jerk for absolutely no reason. In The Last Stand, it's at least another opportunity to see our favorite characters, like Logan, Magneto, and Charles. 

9. X-Men: Apocalypse: I think this film has a bad reputation. It's not great, no. I think Apocalypse is a terrible villain, one of the worst in the franchise. But I think that it's a standard X-Men film. It's goes through some conventions that are true to the X-Men franchise. It's got the cast from Days of Future Past and First Class. I would argue that the magneto scene in the forest is one of the best in the franchise (it belonged in a better movie). And the Logan cameo was great. Unnecessary? Absolutely. But it was great nonetheless. That being said, the young cast did not stand out at all. They were bland and generic and were trying way too hard; the only one that seemed comfortable was Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler. The Four Horsemen are also terrible. And the third act is the epitome of generic. But aside from that, there isn't a lot to hate about the film. It's mildly entertaining. That's the best I can give it. 

8. The Wolverine: I always admire films that go for something different. While I can't say I love James Mangold's take on the character the first time around, I can say that I really did appreciate how he went for something completely different in The Wolverine. The fact that they sent him to Japan with an entire new cast of characters while still being haunted by Jean was really, really interesting. And a theme that was later explored in Logan, that being Wolverine dying from the inside, was fascinating. It wasn't anything external that was trying to kill him, and that was refreshing. I wasn't quite sure why he had to have a romance with Mariko, and the third act devolved when the Silver Samurai appeared, but other than that, it's a solid, solid entry into the X-Men franchise. 

7. X-Men: The first film did for comic book movies what the MCU did for extended universes. It essentially started it all. While the film doesn't hold up quite as well as it used to, it's still a marvel (no pun intended). The characters are rich and have motivations that are real. The fact that Bryan Singer was able to take these characters that have supernatural abilities, but make them relatable and human was absolutely fantastic. The cast is amazing as well; Jackman as Logan, Stewart as Xavier, and McKellan as Magneto are perfect castings. I think the allegory of minorities and oppression are also really interesting. That being said, there's nothing that really, really stands out. It's a solid entry in the X-Men franchise, and it's the first one.  

6. X-Men: First Class: First Class essentially revived a franchise that was coming off the back of Last Stand and Origins, two films that many thought killed the franchise. But with this new cast, which rivals the original, and an interesting setting, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film succeeds in being a solid entry in the franchise. Also, this movie has the best cameo out of any film ever. Period. 

5. Deadpool 2: Deadpool 2 is interesting. It's trying to be even more meta than the original. And while it tries to subvert the superhero movie genre, it actually falls into some of the tropes that makes the film a little more generic than the first. The team that Deadpool assembles is interesting, but not as interesting as just him, Colossus, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. That being said, Deadpool is amazing, as per usual (Ryan Reynolds was born for this), and he and Cable have an interesting chemistry. Domino is a nice addition, and the film has some genuine belly laughs hidden inside the constant giggling at references. 

4. X-2: X-Men United: While the first X-Men film kicked everything off with a bang, X-2 did what many sequels couldn't, and still can't; it kept everything from the original that was good, improved on everything that wasn't, and was different and original. It really is the epitome of how a sequel should improve on the original. Much like Spider-Man 2, X-2 took the three-dimensional characters established in the original and gave them more depth, gave them more heart, and gave them more relatability. In addition, X-2 had intrigue, introducing William Stryker and the Weapon X program. X-2 is everything the first X-Men film is and so, so much more.

3. Deadpool: Deadpool was the most surprising X-Men film. It was original, it was funny, it had heart in the right places, and most of all, it was meta. And that's exactly what Deadpool is. The fact that Ryan Reynolds refused to give up on this character and persisted for this long brought us one of the best comic book films in the last decade. It was the definition of a breath of fresh air; just the right elements of a superhero movie while also being just the right amount of Deadpool.

2. X-Men: Days of Future Past: But while Deadpool may be the most original of the X-Men films, X-Men: Days of Future Past is the quintessential X-MEN film. It has everything that any X-Men fan would want; moments of sorrow, sadness, hope, action, Wolverine, terrific casts, and a message about changing perception on minorities and outcasts. Days of Future Past is a deeper story about what it means to be different hidden underneath a time-travel movie that has Wolverine, TWO Professor X's, and TWO Magnetos. And an amazing Quicksilver scene. 

1. Logan: Logan is an incredible movie. Not a superhero movie. Not a comic book movie. Not a blockbuster. An incredible MOVIE. The action and the spectacle are absolutely nothing compared to the story and the characters. Mangold decided to skip going for eye-candy and told a story about people who are on their last legs, trying to find reasons to stay alive and keep moving. It's a movie that emphasizes hope, purpose, and finality, and does so under the pretense of a Wolverine film. This film will remain one of the best comic book movies EVER for the next fifty years. It's going to stand the test of time.