Ranking the X-Men films from Worst to best
The “X-Men” franchise (2000-2019) is one of these franchises that at its worst, offers mindless entertainment. At its best (and this is where you will find it most frequently), it delivered some of the best sequels of all time with thought-provoking dialogue, top notch action set pieces and contained performances all the while exploring mature social themes which other superhero blockbusters do not seem to bother to do so. Bearing spectacular make-up effects and a restrain towards mind numbing action, “X-Men” and its (so far) twelve entries have kept our interests up since the beginning of the new millennium, paving the way for the gargantuan wave of superhero flicks that will eventually engulf us later on.
13. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Director: Gavid Hood
The much maligned and to be fair overhyped entry with a solely focus on everyone’s favorite mutant (played to perfection by Hugh Jackman) deserved better treatment. With studio meddling from very early on to a premature leak of the unfinished film, “Wolverine” did not carry any emotional weight. Since the character has been for loving-it-or-hating-it reasons the main focus in three films that explored subtly his past, this prequel feels misplaced. A disappointing cast, boring fight sequences, lackluster special effects and a persistence to tie itself to the events of the previous films without a sense of continuity makes “Wolverine” a major let down. Despite the valiant efforts of Hugh Jackman and an inspiring opening credit sequence, “Wolverine” sleepwalks through its entire running time.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: The opening credits that see Wolverine and Sabretooth passing through all types of military conflicts
12. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
Director: Simon Kinberg
After the mixed reception of “Apocalypse”, Simon Kinberg decided to hold the reigns of the mutant franchise and revisit the Dark Phoenix saga in which he took a hasty stab in “The Last Stand“. Yet, intention is not a conduct for creative output and Kinberg does not have the eye for inventive set pieces. He directs (very few) anemic action sequences devoid of any emotional stakes. Feeling small in comparison to the bombastic “Apocalypse”, its on purpose labyrinthic plot recycles the same motives already explored in “The Last Stand”. Sophie Turner looks the part but struggles with the character and the script does not make any strong case for and against her decisions. There is a potentially interesting dynamic when the group is torn between different paths of action but these are half-explored and with an underwhelming villain behind the scenes, “Dark Phoenix” is on slightly higher level than “Origins”.
Quality
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Novelty
🎞️
Performances
👌👌
Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Magneto tries to take out the Phoenix.
11. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Director: Shawn Levi
Poor Deadpool. He got his own trilogy alright but his final installment was by far the weakest. Directed unremarkably by Shawn Levi (“Night at the Museum“ (2006), “Free Guy” (2021)) who has the touch of an AI generated film, “Deadpool and Wolverine” barely has anything memorable and relies heavily on a parade of initially entertaining but wildly distracting cameos and rapid fire jokes that are hit and miss. The villain is terrible, the action mediocre at best and the only saving grace of this hugely profitable film is the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman who have been playing this type of roles for a long period of time. Breaking the 4th wall can only be funny after so many times it has been experienced and while it avoid the traps of identity politics, the last Deadpool seems to cater more to Reynold’s ego rather than to service an interesting story.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Deadpool meets some old school superheroes.
10. X-Men: First Class (2011)
Director: Matthew Vaughn
While many consider this to be among the best entries in the franchise, I think that it has tremendous flaws. With a rushed production schedule looming over its head, “First Class” was a missed opportunity. There are some excellent stuff here - the casting of Fassbender is a stroke of genius, Kevin Bacon as the villainous Shaw is spot on and the acting is A grade. However, the tone is uneven, the action uninspired and the costumes leave much to be desired. The satellite characters do not fare any better though with no scenes to shine or dialogue to deliver (like Azrael), some stylistic choices are truly bizarre (e.g., James McAvoy is over-abusing the gesture of putting his fingers to his temples) and Emma Frost is totally wasted (again after the “Origins”). Nevertheless, it indicates the start of more greatness to come in the form of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Wolverine’s cameo.
9. Deadpool (2016)
Director: Tim Miller
While “Deadpool” felt like a fresh take on the already saturated superhero genre with F-bombs, gratuitous, cartoony violence and a chaotic antihero at its core, revisiting it reveals several weakness. From already outdated jokes and a particularly by the numbers villain, the only thing that saves Deadpool from total mediocrity is Ryan Reynolds (in a role he was born to play) running with an ADHD diagnosis in a pretty much standard story. What could have focused on the emphasis on Deadpool’s chaotic style of action (even Taskmaster could not imitate his style), the film relies heavily on crude comedy and buffoonery tricks (Deadpool is more lucky than a competent fighter) that some stick while others do not land at all. It is a by no means a bad flick and bears a certain amount of entertaining value but if the story was focusing into creating a memorable objective for our hero to reach to, it could have been so much more.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: The hilarious opening credits.
8. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Director: Brett Ratner
The much maligned third entry of the original trilogy is directed adequately by Brett Ratner. Yet, it suffers from an over excess of half baked ideas. The script tries to cram too many storyline. While it excels in its larger than life set pieces, they lack the standard which “X-Men 2” had set three years prior with its dynamic sequences. Several characters are reduced to glorified cameos and the villains walk around now with simplistic characterization instead of more complex areas to step into. Yet, the Golden Gate bridge sequence is truly a sight to behold (scale wise), there is plenty of action to keep the interest up, certain themes are more hard hitting than anything that has been presented before (even if they are not explored), the actor ensemble is superb, Hugh Jackman is a commanding presence and casting Kelsey Grammer as Beast was a stroke of genius.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge.
7. The Wolverine (2013)
“The Wolverine” attempts to rectify some bits after the sour taste that “The Last Stand” left which saw the unnecessary killing (or curing) of so many fan favourites. With a beloved storyline adapted for the big screen and the intriguing setting of Japan, “The Wolverine” does plenty of things right, particularly in its first 2/3s. However, like any major entry in the genre, it collapses in its third act by embracing blunt and unconvincing CGI effects. Jackman still manages to explore additional aspects of Logan’s psyche in a role he was born to play and the fighting is more raw. The backdrop definitely improves a film which lacks the end of the world stakes giving it a bit of a welcome and fresh noir shade. Rila Fukushima steals the show though as Logan’s “bodyguard” and its adoption of a more adult tone for a movie featuring a mutant that can hack and slash his opponents feels naturally complementing.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: A fight on top of a shinkansen (i.e., speed bullet train in Japan).
6. Deadpool 2 (2018)
Director: David Leitch
More confident this time around and bringing “John Wick” (2004) co-director David Leitch to produce more elaborate fight sequences, “Deadpool 2” just like its predecessor is more of the same. There is an energy that the original film did not possess and with the spot on casting of Josh Brolin’s as Cable and Zazie Beetz as the awesome Domino, the plot creates fun set pieces that will leave you rolling on the floor from the laughs. Yet “Deadpool 2” surprisingly is at its weakest when Reynolds is at the alone at the screen, continuing his schtick for the 100th time which render his efforts tiring after a while. The fighting still leaves many things to be desired with the incorporation of more CGI and makes you wonder how cool would have been if “Deadpool” has a John Wick/Kill Bill-esque approach to its action.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: X-force begins its landing.
5. Logan (2017)
Director: James Mangold
Although “Logan” is a good film, it seems surprisingly repetitive after “The Wolverine” where <again> Logan is becoming powerless and mourns his personal losses. Hugh Jackman though can still do wonders with this character. With an interesting backdrop to unfold the action which bears a more personal touch by putting everyone’s favorite (and most violent) mutant in a different genre - a road movie, Jackman is complemented by an excellent Patrick Stewart who counterbalances the rather simplified material with a dignified performance. Shot beautifully by John Mathieson, when Logan gets loose, he gets really loose in short outbursts of violence that would not feel out of place in a Scorsese movie. Its focus on Logan’s paternal side further adds a dramatic layer to differentiate it enough from the pile of the now overcroweded market of superhero flicks.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Logan (finally) makes peace.
4. X-Men (2000)
Director: Bryan Singer
The film that started it all, Bryan Singer’s adaptation was Nolanified before Nolan was a thing. Striping off the colorful costumes and cartoony details of the comics, Singer focused on telling a dramatic story. With clever takes on the beloved mutants fighting for their place in a world where hostility is an every day concern, “X-Men” has aged beautifully in terms of substance. Although it feels like a prelude to something bigger, Singer relies heavily on the cast to do the heavy bidding delivering their lines with panache. McKellen and Stewart elevate the material to Shakespearean levels of authenticity, supported by newcomers who could have been easily walking caricatures. With outstanding make-up bringing to life characters such as Mystique and a pseudo futuristic production design, “X-Men” won’t win awards but definitely sets itself up nicely the road for future installments.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: A train station stand-off.
3. X-men: Apocalypse (2016)
Director: Bryan Singer
With more is better in his mind, Singer went full on Michael Bay in “X-Men: Apocalypse”. Bringing in a controversial costume design, Apocalypse is the catalyst for all the action that happens on the big screen. Being the first mutant, Singer and his co-writers populate the film with interesting religious undertones and evolution theory. Despite the lack of screentime for the newest additions (Psylocke has probably one line!), “Apocalypse” delivers lots of thrills; Oscar Isaac towers over the cast relishing his role as a self-proclaimed mutant Messiah and this is perhaps the most violent “X-Men” film to date. The cast do their best to match Isaac’s dominating presence and although the script does not fully explore certain aspects, it delivers the goods with spot on special effects and set pieces, appropriately dressed by John Ottman’s religiously inspired score.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: The opening Stargate-y credits.
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Director: Bryan Singer
Singer returned to the director’s chair after 11 years proving that he still has the capability to create jaw dropping action sequences with ease. Featuring a surprising emotional core, reliable acting, a clever take on memorable 70s events within a time travel spin, “Days of Future Past” brings a lot more on the table than other blockbusters. With a wonderful score by John Ottman as well as a distinct visualyl futuristic style, the film comments on small and misjudged actions that could cause an avalanche of events when they are driven by emotional needs and fragile egos. Favoring heavily a focused plot and not bombastic action, the cast handles the script with dignity and watching the new and old X-Men sharing the screen is pure joy. And that use of “Time in a Bottle” is simply the greatest in film history in a moment that caused awe in all the cinemas around the world.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
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Villain
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Best moment: Quicksilver and “Time in a Bottle” - one of the greatest sequences ever put on film.
1. X-Men 2 (2003)
Director: Bryan Singer
“X-Men 2” is one of these rare instances where the sequel eclipses the original in every aspect. Technically superb and more advanced, the film leans into concrete storytelling without forgetting to give several characters their dues. Singer never loses track of the relationships between our heroes in a place where prejudice prevails. Packed with incredible action and stunning visuals - the attack on the White House is a landmark in stuntwork with a pompous rendition of Mozart’s “Requiem”, brilliant make up and a thoughtful approach to the source material that could have been easily ridiculed at less competent hands, “X-Men 2” offers emotion, strong performances and food for thought. Characters are organically inserted into the plot and Wolverine going berserk on mercenaries in the X-Men mansion is the moment that fans have been waiting for.
Quality
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Novelty
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Performances
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Direction
🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥
Villain
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Best moment: Nightcrawler attacks the White House.