Ranking the X-Men Franchise

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As my favorite superhero franchise, the X-Men is truly such a fun, complex and mostly good series of films so making this list was quite easy for me. There is only one bad movie in this series in my opinion and some of them are quite underrated in their own right. But at least half are very good or even great. Here is my ranking of all nine that were released so far.

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10. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

This is by far the worst entry in the series, it easily takes the undisputed last place. Even though I deem it mediocre and not terrible as many do because the first half or so is actually quite solid, there is no denying the horrible second half of the movie with bad effects, slight characterization and just mediocre action sequences. This is the only really weak movie in the franchise and the only film that disappointed me a lot.

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9. The Wolverine

Yes, both of the Wolverine movies got the last two spots because I’ve never considered him to be a particularly interesting lead guy and these movies are the proof of that. Yes, this movie features a rather good villain, a couple of very good female characters and an interesting location, but the second half was wasted on action instead of storytelling with a third act that was ridiculously cartoony.

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8. X-Men

The first X-Men is very low on my list, but I do not hate it. It is a pretty solid movie and it features good character development and a couple of great scenes, but unfortunately it served more as an introduction to the series instead of a legitimate standalone installment and thus comes the low ranking. It is also the movie that didn’t age particularly well, but you still have to admire its important place in the history of superhero films.

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7. X-Men: Apocalypse

Being the first of the two underrated films on this list, Apocalypse was actually a pretty solid effort that didn’t disappoint me nearly as much as it did most people. Yes, First Class and Days of Future Past deserved a much better sequel and this entry is nowhere near as clever or as well crafted as those two movies, but it still features many excellent action sequences, good character moments and a particularly strong and dangerous villain in titular Apocalypse.

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6. X-Men: The Last Stand

I do not get the hate for this movie, I never did because it is actually a very solid third installment in the original trilogy. Yes, it is too crowded and action-oriented, but that action is excellent and I loved its epic feel and excellent conclusion. The stakes were really high and there were a lot of memorable fights to be had here. But the plot is still pretty solid leading to one very underappreciated movie.

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5. X2

I am in the vast minority when it comes to this movie as I do not consider it to be that great, but just solid. Yes, some of the action is great, Jean Grey is so strong in this entry and in terms of the story it is probably the most important part of the franchise, but the film is just never as smart or as sophisticated as some of the more recent entries are and it is mostly too crowded to achieve greatness.

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4. Deadpool

Deadpool takes this very high place on my list for one major reason – the humor. You can’t deny its greatness when it comes to the humor. It is a perfect parody of infinite superhero tropes, it has many jokes that made me laugh out loud plus Ryan Reynolds is so great in the lead role and so charismatic. It does have a very clichéd origin story in it, but the characters are memorable, the action is solid and the film is hilarious. I can’t wait to see more from this guy.

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3. X-Men: Days of Future Past

I love this movie. Days of Future Past is everything you would come to expect from a great X-Men story. It features stupendous action, but also terrific conflicts with Mystique being the highlight. The character development is very strong as is its plot which is political and very sophisticated. I loved the time travel element as well and although some of it was typical, most of it was entertaining and well crafted. It truly is such a lean, polished outing.

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2. Logan

This is the movie that changed the game for Fox’s superhero franchise. It is a film that is a deep, truly moving and brutal drama more than it is a superhero film and that makes it unique, different and definitely awards worthy. It has many unforgettable scenes that are dark and some even truly disturbing with the ending being so tragic. But it never forgets to be a superhero film and surely the action and humor are excellent as well. It is one damn good blockbuster film that will hopefully be influential for future superhero blockbusters to follow.

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1. X-Men: First Class

And the number one has to go to this amazing superhero film which I love and have watched it three times by now. The script is immensely sophisticated and clever, the performances are top-notch and the characters, their conflicts and interactions are all terrific. But the action is never disappointing too plus the film is genuinely funny at times thanks to some funny, clever lines. It features such an emotionally exhilarating third act that explained a lot of things and led to the film being such a great prequel that it really is. It is a deserved number one film as it’s not only the best X-Men entry, but also one of my top three favorite superhero films of all time.

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