Ranking the X-Men Movies

 

While the X-Men movies might have had some movies that did live up to the franchise's potential, it also contained some that hold their own with the greatest superhero movies ever made. As the X-Men are set to join the MCU, we say goodbye to the Fox era of Marvel. While I feel the MCU has been more consistently good than the Fox Marvel, I appreciate that Fox took big swings and chances with their Marvel movies. While not all of these chances paid off (The Fantastic Four movies being the greatest example), when they worked, they were often fantastic. 

With this in mind, recently I have decided to look at Fox's most popular and long running Marvel franchise, The X-Men movies. Here is my personal ranking of each of these films. Note that these are all just my opinions and if mine should differ from yours's, I hold nothing against your taste in movies.  

14. Dark Pheniox (2019)

There is no contest for what the worst of the X-men movies is. While other movies on this list may have their flaws or fail to live up to their potential, this is the only one of these films where I don't even have one positive thing to say about. The characters seemed to have all their personalities drained away and there is nothing interesting about any of them. The storyline is also a compete mess making little to no sense whatsoever. Avoid this one like the plague. 

13. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

The first of the Wolverine trilogy is not a bad movie but it is a forgettable one. This movie is full of clichés and bland supporting characters. However, it does have some strong action scenes as well as a strong ending. And of course Hugh Jackman is wonderful in the main roles. This movie does give Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds even here), a very weak cinematic debut completely wasting the beloved character. 

12. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)


While not a bad movie, as a finale to the original trilogy, it comes off as a bit of disappointment. It lacks the emotional depth of the previous two films and Jean's character arc comes off as completely rushed. However, it does have good action scenes and introduces such great X-Men characters as Kitty Pryde and Beast (the later perfectly cast as Kelsey Grammer). 

11. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

A bit of an underrated X-Men film. It may seem derivative of other X-Men films, and it struggles to balance all the characters. However, it is quite a bit of fun with some strong action scenes and a great villain. It may not be perfect, but it is fun.  

10. Deadpool (2016)

When I first saw this movie, I didn't think much of it. However, over time I have come to appreciate it more. While I still feel that the sequels are superior, I now admit there is quite a bit to like about this movie. Ryan Reynolds is perfect in the title role and his charm, and the character himself have grown on me. I do feel the humor can be hit and miss but there are moments that now make me laugh. I especially enjoy Deadpool's moments with Colossus. The romance is also quite well done here. I do feel though that some of the supporting characters are quite bland and the villain is even more bland though. 

  
9. The Wolverine (2013)

The second entry in the Wolverine spin-off trilogy is a marked improvement over the first. That is because this movie is what the first film should have been. It is a great delve into who Wolverine is as a character and the emotional connection you feel to him is very well done. It does suffer from an extremely weak villain though. 

 8. The New Mutants (2020)

Despite the poor reviews this film had received, I actually feel it is quite a strong movie. The idea of combining a superhero movie and a horror film is a unique and original one and it is done quite well here. There is a great sense of atmosphere here that is quite successful and the twists along the way are very smart and clever. However the film is often too timid and after it starts to get creepy it backs away from this as if it is afraid to make a superhero movie actually scary. 

7. X-Men (2000)

Though dated (especially in the effects department) this is a very strong start to this movie franchise. It is smart and not afraid to delve into more serious subject matter and social commentary. It does this in a very effective way that still makes this film gripping today. Wolverine and Rouge are also great lead characters that we immediately care about and relate to. I will admit the action scenes can be a little lacking though. 

6. Deadpool 2 (2018)

A definite improvement over the first Deadpool, this movie is funnier with nearly every joke landing. It also introduces better characters for Deadpool to play off of and has a surprisingly engaging storyline. 

5. Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)

Easily the best of the Deadpool films and quite a strong Wolverine movie as well. The two characters (as well as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman) play off each other perfectly and are a joy to watch share the screen. The humor is consistently funny; the action scenes are fantastic and there is a truly great villain. This is a real treat. 

4. X-Men: First Class (2011)

A very well-made superhero movie. This movie has lots of characters yet manages to give enough time to each one to make them feel fleshed out. The movie also makes great use of its 1960's setting, perfectly working the Cold War and the fears of 1960's America into the themes of the X-Men franchise. The result is a very smart and fun superhero film.

3. X2 (2003)

As good as the first X-Men was this sequel is superior in every way. Everything that was great about the first film, this sequel does even better. This is a superhero movie that is very complex in both characterization and themes. This is simply a very smart and very intelligent movie, while also containing a lot of pure superhero fun.   

2. X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)

It was hard to pick a top choice between this and Logan as both are pure masterpieces and among the best superhero movies ever made. Though this film comes in second on this list, if I were to make this list on a different day the places might be switched. Everything about this movie is near perfection. This movie is more intelligently written and clever than your average time travel movie. Yet as much thought as went into the way time travel works in this film, the focus remains not on this but on the characters and their stories. This becomes a very investing and emotionally powerful watch that hits all the right emotional notes. At the same time the action scenes are wonderful, and the humor is hilarious making this movie just as fun as it is intelligent. 

1. Logan (2017)

Logan is not only one of the greatest superhero movies ever made but an absolute masterpiece by any measurement. This movie serves first and foremost as a character study. As such it presents the most complex and thoroughly engaging take on Wolverine for any of these movies. By the end of the film, you feel that you truly know and understand this character. The tone to this film is quite serious and mature. It is also completely and utterly sincere causing this film to stay with you long after it finishes. The acting performances from every single cast member also to the depth and the sincerity of this great drama.  

The New Mutants (2020)

 

The New Mutants marked the last of the X-Men movies for Fox Studios. This film offered a compete change of pace for these movies. Not only does it focus on brand new characters, but it also brings this movie franchise into the horror genre. 

In this film five teenage mutants are being held a secret institution, where they are undergoing treatments to cure them of their powers. As these treatments go on, they find themselves face to face with their worst nightmares.  

Despite the poor reviews this film has received, I actually liked it a lot. On the onset combining a superhero film with a horror film is a rare unique idea for current Hollywood. This idea is often explored in a rather intriguing way. With the character of Rouge previous X-Men movies have taken a look at the idea of superpowers not always being a blessing. With this movie, the franchise delves even deeper into this theme. There is never a single moment here, where we would ever want to be a superhero. For most of these characters their powers are a curse rather than a blessing. This is a fascinating idea that too few superhero movies give any credence to and to see it explored in such an intelligent way was a pure delight. As for the characters themselves they may be undeveloped, but they are likable. Even if they aren't complex, we care about them enough to feel an emotional connection to this story. This is helped by the well-done performances from the leads playing these teenagers (Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henrique Zaga). The story is also very well constructed and the reveal of why all these spooky events are happening is very clever. This movie also does a great job building an atmosphere that has a truly eerie feel and a general sense of unease. 

The main problem with this movie is that the filmmakers were too timid to go all the way with the horror elements. There are moments when the film starts to get genuinely creepy but then it backs off from this as if the filmmakers are afraid to make a superhero movie actually scary. Because of this, there are scenes that start out as legitimately creepy but end up leaving the audience disappointed with their conclusions. 

This film was directed and co-written by Josh Boone, who had earlier directed (and co-written) the romantic movie, Stuck in Love (2012) and The Fault in Our Stars (2014). The New Mutants is a true departure for him as both a superhero movie and a horror film. However, his experience with romantic films shows itself in a surprisingly sweet and touching romance between two of the teenagers (a lesbian romance that barely calls attention to itself for being a lesbian romance). Boone's co-writer on this film was Knate Lee, who had worked as a writer, producer and camera man on the Jackass TV series and movies. Boone and Lee had worked together on the mini-series The Stand. The New Mutants is the only superhero film either of them worked on. 

This movie was originally going to be released on April 13, 2018. However, it was delayed until February 22, 2019, because of the release of Deadpool 2 (2018) and then to August 2, 2019, because of the release of Dark Pheniox (2019). After Disney acquired Fox, it was delayed again until April 3, 2020. It was then delayed to August 28, 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, its release was a theatrical release when many places where still in lockdown. Frankly the movie deserved better. 

Boone had planned sequels for this movie. He wanted to turn it into a full trilogy. However, Disney's acquisition of Fox and the plans to put the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe prevented this from happening.  

Logan (2017)

 

Logan was intended as the finale for Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine (though he would later return in Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)) and it would also be the last of be the last of the Wolverine solo trilogy (which also included X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013)).

This film takes place in the year 2029. It is believed that no new mutants have been born in 25 years and Wolverine's healing ability is slowing down causing me to start aging. He has become an emotional self-loathing wreck and is no longer acting like the superhero he once was. He is also taking care of Charles Xavier, who is dying. However, he discovers that there is in fact a new mutant, a child who was created using Wolverine's DNA, he must once again become a hero to protect her. 

From the start, the X-Men movies have had a darker and more serious tone than the majority of superhero films. This film takes this to a whole new level and stands as one of the most mature and smartest superhero films ever made. This movie feels gritter and more realistic than most superhero movies, while still feeling like a superhero film. Though there are action scenes here, this movie mostly plays as a serious drama and much of the story takes a slower pace. This works perfectly as it sucks you into the dystopian world of the film and into the minds of these characters. However, what makes this stand out from the previous entries in this trilogy is that it perfectly understands the character of Wolverine and delves into all the complexities of this character. You understand everything that makes this character far from your typical superhero but one who will reluctantly do that right thing when it counts. With a smaller cast of main characters then your typical X-Men film, this movie can delve into these characters in a greater way and that is just what it does. Laura (the kid with Wolverine's DNA) is a surprisingly deep and complex character, while barely saying a word for the majority of the runtime. She is a highly sympathetic and believable character, while also being one who often gives in to the animal-like instincts that Wolverine has learned how to control better. Charles Xavier has also rarely been better and more complex than he is here. With all this the movie is able to truly play on your heart strings making this a deeply moving and powerful film. These emotions can make this hard to watch at times but incredibly rewarding at the same time. These darker moments are balanced out by some very strong humor (even if it is less humor than there is in previous X-Men movies) and exciting action scenes (albeit very gory ones).

James Mangold returned to direct this film after directing The Wolverine. About making this film Mangold said, "Hugh and I have been talking about what we would do since we were working on the last one, and for both of us it was this requirement that, to be even interested in doing it, we had to free ourselves from some assumptions that had existed in the past, and be able to change the tone a bit. Not merely to change for change’s sake, but also to make something that’s speaking to the culture now, that’s not just the same style — how many times can they save the world in one way or another? How can we construct a story that’s built more on character and character issues, in a way as if it almost wasn’t a superhero movie, yet it features their powers and struggles and themes?”  He expanded on the difference between this and other superhero movies by stating, “We are in the future, we have passed the point of the epilogue of Days Of Future Past. We’re finding all these characters in circumstances that are a little more real. The questions of ageing, of loneliness, of where I belong. Am I still useful to the world? I saw it as an opportunity. We’ve seen these characters in action, saving the universe. But what happens when you’re in retirement and that career is over?” About allowing Wolverine to age he stated, “One of the things we all thought about as we worked on this film is, well, we don’t want to rebuild everything. We want to have some questions. In order to make a different Logan, and a different tone of a Wolverine movie, we felt like we couldn’t hold on to every tradition established in all the movies religiously, or we’d be trapped by the decisions made before us. So, we questioned whether Logan’s healing factor causes him to heal without even a scar. We imagined that it may have when he was younger, but with age, he’s getting older and ailing. Perhaps his healing factor no longer produces baby-soft skin. So we imagined he heals quickly, still, but it leaves a scar. The simple idea was that his body would start to get a little more ravaged with a kind of tattooing of past battles, lacerations that remain of previous conflicts.” Mangold co-wrote this movie with Scott Frank (Get Shorty (1995), Out of Sight (1998), Minority Report (2002), Marley & Me (2008) and Michael Green (Smallville, Green Lantern (2011), Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011), Alien: Covenant (2017), Jungle Cruise (2021)). This was Michael Green's only X-Men film, while Scott Frank had worked on The Wolverine. 

The trailer for this movie featured Johnny Cash's cover of the Nine Inch Nails song, Hurt. Mangold is obviously a Johnny Cash fan having directed the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line (2005). However, this is not the only reason the song was used. Mangold would state, “Obviously I have a connection and a fondness for Johnny Cash, and his tone and his message and his music. But the real driver in all these decisions is trying to separate ourselves, in an accurate way, from the other superhero movies. We think we’re going to deliver something a little different and we want to make sure we’re selling audiences on the difference. Sometimes even when a movie’s a little different, the studio’s trying to market the movie just like all the others. [Cash’s] music, in a way, separates us from the standard, bombastic, brooding orchestral, swish-bang, doors opening and slamming, explosions kind of methodology of some of these movies.” Over the end credits of the actual film, Johnny Cash's original song, The Man Comes Around, plays. Both songs come from John's highly emotional 2002 album, The Man Comes Around, which was made at a time when John himself was much older and weaker than the young rebel, fans had fallen in love with in the 1950's and 60's. This perfectly fits the themes and the emotional urgency of this movie. 

This movie grossed $619.2 million worldwide with a budget of $97 million. This makes it in the top 19 highest grossing R-rated movies of all time. The critical response was incredibly positive, and it has a 93% critic rating on Rotton Tomatoes. 

Resources Used

https://collider.com/logan-timeline-explained-james-mangold/#images

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3315342/

https://www.simbasible.com/logan-movie-review/

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

 

This movie marked Bryan Singer (who directed X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003)) to the X-Men franchise. The film was originally going to be directed by Matthew Vaughn (who directed X-Men First Class (2011)), but Vaughn backed out in order to direct Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). When Singer was brought on as director, he brought back many of those who worked with him on the first two X-Men films. This included production designer John Myhre (whose only previous X-Men film was the first), costume designer Louise Mingenbach (who had worked on X2 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and composer John Ottman (who not only worked on the first two X-Men movies but composed music for all of Singer's films starting with The Usual Suspects (1995). 

In this film, robotic Sentinels are about to destroy all mutant kind. These Sentinels contain mutant DNA from Mystique (AKA Raven). The only way to stop the end of mutant kind is to travel back in time to 1973, when the DNA was obtained. However, traveling back in time that far would destroy one's body. Because Wolverine's body can regenerate, he is the natural choice to travel back in time. Wolverine must team up with a young Charles Xavier, Magneto and Beast to save the future. 

This is possibly the best X-Men movie and is superhero movie making at its finest. Everything about this wonderful movie works very well. The time travel element is incredibly well used. Writer Simon Kinberg studied such popular time travel films as Back to the Future (1985), The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Meanwhile Singer did some research into string theory and spent much time trying to come up with as plausible a set of rules to how time travel could work to make this feel as plausible as possible. The result is more intelligent and believable than the majority of time travel movies. Yet the film never finds itself being bogged down by the inherent complexities of time travel, as the focus is not on the sci-fi elements but rather on the characters themselves. Thus, this becomes one of the most emotional of all the X-Men movies. Probably the most emotionally resonant part of this film is Charle Xavier's story here. Unlike in the other X-Men films, we see him at his lowest point here. He has been so emotionally broken by the events in X-Men: First Class as well as various events that have followed, that he has given up on all that he once stood for. He has closed the school and is addicted to a drug that gives him the ability to walk but makes him lose his powers. This makes his character feel even more human We can all relate to his pain and his feelings of loss, and we have all felt like giving up. We see so much of ourselves in him that we become even more emotional invested than in the previous films. Meanwhile we can also relate to Wolverine's self-doubt, Magento's desire for justice without caring about the price and Raven's journey to still try and find who she truly is. The film also does a great job of following the themes of prejudice, persecution and whether or not the means justify the ends. This is explored heavily through the villain (played magnificently by Peter Dinklage), who is one of the best villains in these movies. This is because he feels all too real and believable, exploiting people's prejudice to try and bring about what he believes is the greater good, he resembles too many people in the world today. With all these deeper themes and intelligence this movie also has its share of pure superhero fun. The action scenes are the best this series has had to this point and the humor is often laugh out loud funny. 

This film had the worldwide highest grossing opening weekend for any X-Men movie at this time at $262.8 million. By the end of its run, it would gross $747.9 million worldwide, the largest gross for an X-Men film until Deadpool (2016). The critical response was quite positive with many critics feeling that this was one of the best of all X-Men films. It currently holds a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

   

The Wolverine (2013)

 

Before X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), completed production, that film's director Gavin Hood was thinking of a sequel featuring Wolverine in Japan. This film would be inspired by a 1982 limited comic book series starring the character by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman loved the idea as he had read that comic book series and was a fan of it. After opening weekend of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this sequel was confirmed. However, Gavin Hood would no longer be in the director's chair. The job was offered to Bryan Singer (who directed X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003)) but he turned it down. For a while Darren Aronofsky (who previously directed such artistically inclined films as Pi (1998), Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010)) was set to direct. That such a director was even considered to direct a superhero movie, shows the direction it was planned for this film to take from even its early stages. This was not planned to be your average lightheartedly fun superhero film and would go even further away from this direction than the previous X-Men films had. However, Aronofsky would back out of the project after realizing that it would keep him out of the country and away from his family for more than a year. Eventually James Mangold would be put in the director's chair. Mangold had already proven himself to be a very versatile and talented director by this time with a filmography that included Cop Land (1997), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Kate & Leopold (2001), Walk the Line (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Knight and Day (2010). Mangold would go on to direct the next film in the Wolverine trilogy, Logan (2017), which many consider to be one of the best superhero movies ever made. 

Taking place after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), in this film Wolverine comes to Japan to visit an old friend, whose life he saved a long time ago. However, once he gets there, he finds himself in for more than he bargained for, especially when his mutant powers get stripped away from him. 

This second entry in the Wolverine trilogy is a marked improvement over the first. That is because unlike the first film, this movie actually does a great job delving into who Logan really is. We get to see a really vulnerable and troubled side to the character here. We get a look into what it truly means to be immortal and the internal pain it has caused Logan. There are times when the story slows down to truly meditate on death and the fear of death as well as the emptiness of a life where you outlive everything you ever loved and cared passes away long before you. These moments are truly intelligent and thought-provoking. Also incredibly effective is exploring the guilt that Logan feels over having had to kill Jean Grey. These scenes are very emotionally resonant and draw you into the psyche of the main character. Hugh Jackman continues to be a great Wolverine with this being one of his finest performances as the haunted and often reluctant superhero.  Adding to this is that many of the supporting characters are quite likable and the performances from Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima really help sell their characters. This movie also features some pretty good action scenes, and the Japanese setting gives it a great atmosphere. 

This movie does have one major problem though and that is the villain.  Svetlana Khodchenkova does her best in this role, but the character is incredibly underwritten. The Viper turns out to be one of the most boring and bland villains in any of the X-Men movies. This may be one flaw (it is not the only flaw but the only truly major one for me), but it is such a major one that it really hurts this otherwise excellent movie. 


The writers of this film were Mark Bomback and Scott Frank. This is the only X-Men film Mark Bomback worked on, though Scott Frank would later be a writer on Logan. Other movies Mark Bomback wrote for include Live Free and Die Hard (2007), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Unstoppable (2010), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War of the Planet of the Apes (2017). Scott Frank's other credits include Get Shorty (1995), Minority Report (2002), The Lookout (2007) and Marley & Me (2008). 


While the movie outgrossed X-Men Origins: Wolverine at the total box office and failed to do as well in the U.S. Critical reviews were decidedly mixed with many praising it for its darker and more complex story, while also feeling that its action packed third act felt out of place after the more serious and slower paced first two acts. 

   

X-Men First Class (2011)

 

With X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) in the works, Fox planned to make another movie following the origins of Magento. This film would soon find itself in development hell and would eventually be cancelled. Ideas from that cancelled film would find its way into X-Men: First Class. This movie came about when producer Simon Kinberg read the comic book series, X-Men: First Class and suggested to 20th Century Fox, that they should adapt this series as the next X-Men film. 

The storyline takes place in 1962 and as the title suggests it revolves around the formation of the first group of X-Men. The bulk of the story involves the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (later to become Magento) as they form this group of mutants. However, when a dark figure from Erik's past comes around, he is consumed with vengeance creating a strong rift between him and Charles. 

After X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, showed the franchise starting to falter, this movie shows it again reaching the heights of the first two films. There is a lot to love about this movie. All the characters both old and new are great, with each of them feeling fleshed out and real to us (an impressive feat for a film with this many characters). Each gets their own arc here and each arc is given the proper time to develop. Though there are action scenes here, it is these characters and their arcs which are at the forefront. The 1960's setting is also perfectly utilized. This is not one of those movies where a time period is employed as a setting but only superficially so. Instead, the time period is integrated into every part of this story, which is just as much about Cold War America as it is about superheroes. With Cold War America as its setting, this movie helps explore the themes of prejudice and the replacement theory in a very intelligent and smart way. 

This film does have a few flaws though. The special effects are often times not that great and can't hold a candle to those in other superhero movies from the same time period (Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Thor (2011) came out the same year). This can get a little distracting at times, especially during the action scenes. Meanwhile some of the action scenes seem underwhelming and not have the weight or scale that they should have. 

This movie also benefits from a very strong cast. James McAvoy is wonderful as a young Charles Xavier (a role he would reprise in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Pheonix (2019). Michael Fassbender is equally wonderful as Magento. a role that he seemed to completely understand. Kevin Bacon does a very good job as the film's villain, providing a character that may have a point but still comes off as completely evil. Jennifer Lawrence's career was just on the cusp of taking off with this film. The year before she had starred in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone for which she had won an award for best actress at the Stockholm International Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards. The year after this movie she would receive the role she is best known for as Katniss in The Hunger Games (2012) as well as Silver Linings Playbook (2012) for which she would win an Oscar for Best Actress at only 22 years old. She is wonderful in this X-Men role, showing how great of an actress she is even this early in her career. She would reprise her role as Mystique here in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Pheonix (2019). Zoë Kravitz is great as Angel makes one wish this character would also be brought back for more X-Men movies. However superhero fans will know her for playing Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie (2017) and The Batman (2022). Nicolas Hoult is quite good as Beast, though no one can top Kelsey Grammer in the role. He would later reprise the role in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Pheonix (2019). Hugh Jackman's cameo as Wolverine is laugh out loud funny and the best use of an F-bomb in a PG-13 film. 

Though the producers originally did not want Matthew Vaughn as the director, because he had briefly started working on X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) before backing out of that film, after seeing Vaughn's satirical superhero film Kick Ass (2010), Kinberg approached Vaughn to direct First Class. Discovering that this film was both a prequel and a soft reboot of the franchise, Vaughn became interested in this movie because of the greater freedom it offered him.  

Upon its release this movie earned $55.1 million on its first three days. While this was less than the last movie had earned on its opening days, it was slightly more than the first film. Critics gave this film mostly positive reviews. While the critics admitted that the movie had flaws, they praised the casting and intelligent social commentary. 



 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

 

After the success and conclusion of the original X-Men movie trilogy, the most natural next step would be to make a spin off film starring the franchise's most popular character. 

This film tells the story of Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) early years and how he became the character we know today. The movie especially focuses on his rivalry with his brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber). 

The storyline here is that of a simple revenge flick and it offers no surprises along the way. As such this is one of those movies that is enjoyable to watch, but not long after you watch it, you can easily forget everything that actually happened. There is quite a bit here to enjoy. The action scenes are excellent and a lot of fun. While not especially deep, the rivalry between Wolverine and his brother is handled quite well and Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber work very well together. Wolverine is just as likable and relatable here as he was in the original X-Men trilogy and Hugh Jackman is once again wonderful in the role. The movie also has a strong ending scene that perfectly leads into the previous X-Men trilogy. 

This movie does suffer from bland and forgettable supporting characters, even those who are quite interesting in the comics and other movies. Many of the new mutants introduced here are barely developed beyond their powers. The movie is also full of cliché dialogue and humor that falls flat. 

Still the biggest problem with this movie remains, that it is so similar to other films that it simply blends in with them. Among the other X-men films (and action movies in general) this one fails to stand out. That does not mean it is a bad movie (there are definitely weaker X-men movies) at all though, as it is enjoyable for what it is.  

This movie also introduced a new director for the franchise, Gavin Hood. This would not only be his only X-Men film but his only superhero movie. This South African director had already won an Oscar for directing Tsotsi (2005), which would win for Best International Feature Film. X-Men Origins: Wolverine marks the second English-language movie that Hood directed (the first being Rendition (2007)). Though Hood was admittedly not a comic book fan, he admitted that he grew a fondness for the character while working on this film. 


This film's writers would be David Benioff and Skip Woods. Benioff is best known for being the co-creator of the TV version of Game of Thrones. His film work includes 25th Hour (2002), Troy (2004), The Kite Runner (2007), Brothers (2009) and Gemini Man (2019). Skip Woods' filmography includes Swordfish (2001), Hitman (2007), The A-Team (2010) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). This is the only superhero film for both writers and the only time these two would work together. 

Probably the most notable part of this film is that it introduced Ryan Renyolds as Wade Wilson (also known as Deadpool). Renyolds and David S. Goyer (best known as a writer on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel (2013)) had been working on a Deadpool movie. Yet the two were too busy working on Blade: Trinity (which Goyer directed, and Renyolds acted in) and that film fell by the wayside. Of course, a trilogy of Deadpool movies starring Ryan Renyolds would later be made but Goyer would not be involved with those. However, with this in mind, Benioff decided to write the character into this film. The take on the character here is quite different than the one used in the later trilogy. Though he talks a lot when he first appears here, he does not break the fourth wall or have his trademark meta-humor. Many believe that his character is completely wasted in this movie, and I personally have to agree. This film robs the character of anything that makes him stand out or feel unique. 

This film was a critical failure, with most critics viewing it as the weakest X-Men movie up to this time. The critical reception has not improved over time and the film only receives a 37% on Rotton Tomatoes. Hugh Jackman remains unhappy with the final project feeling that it did not delve enough into who this character is. The movie was a finical success grossing $373,062,864. Upon its release to home video the movie sold over 3,000,000 copies. 

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

 

X-Men: The Last Stand was intended to be the final entry in a trilogy that also included, X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003). However, unlike those two films the director would not be Bryan Singer (who was busy working on Superman Returns (2006)) but Brett Ratner instead. Ratner had started off as a director of music videos includes ones for Mary J. Bilge, LL Cool J, Lionel Riche, Mariah Carey and Madonna. By the time of this film, he already had a couple hit movies including Rush Hour (1998) and Rush Hour 2 (2001). Ratner was still directing music videos at this time and the same year this X-Men film was released, so was a Jessica Simpson video directed by him (A Public Affair). This marked the only superhero film that he would direct. 

In this film, the government is developing a "cure" that will suppress the mutant gene. When Beast (Kesley Grammer), a mutant who has become the government's secretary of the Department of Mutant Affairs finds out about this, he comes to warn the X-Men. Meanwhile Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) finds a darker persona (named Pheonix) taking over and begins to align herself with Magneto (Ian McKellen). 

This may be the weakest of the original trilogy, but it is still a good movie. Though his films are often far from perfect, Brett Ratner really knows his way around an action scene. This probably has the best action sequences of the original trilogy. The action scenes are excellent here. They are very well paced and staged and therefore quite exciting and fun. The special effects have also come a long way since the first film, and they truly look fantastic here. The storyline (which heavily comes from the comics themselves) is quite a good one. The whole concept of a "cure" for the mutant gene is a great one that continues the very clever commentary on prejudice that was in the first two films. The returning characters here are also just as great as they were in the previous two movies. Wolverine and Rouge are essentially likable here and Magento remains the complex character that perfectly walks the line between anti-hero and villain.

This film certainly does have its flaws though. Jean Grey's storyline feels very rushed here and because of that the movie never gives us a real peak into her internal conflict. Because of this we never truly connect to her and her character arc doesn't hold the emotional weight that it should have. The film also suffers for some really bad and corny dialogue that can take you directly out of the movie. 

This film introduces quite a few characters. Some of them are very well handled like Kitty Pryde (who adds much of the heart to this movie) and Beast (Kelsey Grammer is perfectly cast). However, others are not as well handled here. Angel seems wasted and Juggernaut becomes just a typical bad guy.

Kelsey Grammer as Beast is one of the most praised casting choices in these movies and it is easy to see why. He is simply fantastic and is exactly how I picture the character when I read the comics. Kelsey Grammer wanted to play this character so much that he agreed to have an audition, the first he had an audition in over twenty years.

The writers for this movie were Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. Simon Kinberg would go on to be a writer on the X-Men films, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and X-Men: Dark Pheonix (2019). His other work as a writer includes XXX: State of the Union (2005), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Fantastic Four (2015) and The 355 (2022). Zak Penn had previously worked on the Marvel movies X2 and Elektra (2005). He would go on to write the script for one of the most popular Marvel films, The Avengers (2012) as well as The Incredible Hulk (2008). His non-Marvel work includes Last Action Hero (1993), Inspector Gadget (1999), Ready Player One (2018) and Free Guy (2021). He would also write for the Marvel video games, Fantastic Four (2005) and X-Men: The Official Game (2006).

Though Bryan Singer is openly gay, and many believe that he drew upon homophobia that he had been the recipient of to show the persecution the mutants endure, Brett Ratner seems to have been homophobic himself during the making of this movie. Then-18-year-old, Elliott Page (who played Kitty Pryde) accused Ratner of sexual harassment and for making inappropriate comments about Page being a lesbian (this is before she came out as a trans man). Others on the set confirmed Page's statements.  

The movie grossed approximately $459 million worldwide and became the seventh highest grossing film of 2006 as well as the highest grossing film of the original trilogy. However, the film received mixed reviews from critics. Both Ebert and Roeper gave the movie thumbs up with Roger Ebert stating, "I liked the action, I liked the absurdity, I liked the incongruous use and misuse of mutant powers, and I especially liked the way it introduces all of those political issues and lets them fight it out with the special effects." Justin Chang called the film "a wham-bam sequel noticeably lacking in the pop gravitas, moody atmospherics, and emotional weight that made the first two Marvel comic book adaptations so rousingly successful." Peter Travers wrote, "Last stand? My ass. Billed as the climax of a trilogy, the third and weakest chapter in the X-Men series is a blatant attempt to prove there is still life in the franchise. And there is: just enough to pull a Star Trek and spawn a Next Generation saga." David Edelstein put it best though calling the movie "just another big-budget B-movie. It's a fast and enjoyable B-movie, though."



    

 

X2 (2003)

 

After the finical and critical success of X-Men, Fox rushed a sequel into production. Not only did the cast from the first film return but so did director Bryan Singer and writer David Hayter. Hayter would this time be joined by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. This team would go on to work on two future superhero movies with director Bryan Singer, Superman Returns (2006) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Michael Doughtery would later become a successful director in his own right, directing such films as Trick ‘r Treat (2009), Krampus (2015) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). 

This movie begins with a brainwashed Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) attack the United States President. Meanwhile Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is trying to try to find some clues to his past but is unable to do such and after this search returns to Xavier's school. At same time Jean Grey is finding it harder to control her powers. However, things get even worse when Colonel William Stryker leads an attack on Xavier's school and abducts some of the students. The X-Men must team up with their former enemy Magento to stop a common enemy. 

This is a top-notch superhero movie and one of the best X-Men films. X-2 takes everything that worked about the first movie and expands on it. The characters are more complex and real here. This is especially true of Wolverine, who feels completely real and human here. As he finds out who he is, through a dark and emotional backstory, he becomes a tragic and touching figure who truly serves as the heart of the film. This also allows for Hugh Jackman to really stretch his acting chops, a feat that he does brilliantly. Meanwhile, Magento perfectly rides on the edge between hero and villain, making him a much more complex and fascinating character. With the sheer number of characters in this film, it is amazing how well it balances each and every one of them. Each main character gets their own arc which feels properly realized and complete. Though the actual villain of this film may not be very complex, he does work extremely well. He feels like a major threat to our heroes and his ties to Wolverine's past means that he also gives the film a certain emotional urgency. 

This movie also better delves into the themes of discrimination, hatred and the dangers and stupidity of the replacement theory. This is not just a mindless action film but one that actually leaves its audience with real food for thought. In exploring these themes, the movie is also not afraid to make its audience feel uncomfortable especially during the scenes involving Iceman's (Shawn Ashmore) parents (Jill Teed, Alf Humphreys) and brother (James Kirk). These scenes seem like such a perfect representation of discrimination as the characters don't view themselves as prejudice and actually think of themselves as being kind and compassionate people. 

This movie is also a great improvement over the first when it comes to the action scenes and special effects. The special effects look much better here than in the first film and the action scenes are much more exciting, fun and tense. 

Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry

The film was a great success upon its release. It grossed $85.6 million in its opening weekend, surpassing Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) for the highest grossing opening for a Fox film. It also surpassed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) for the record for largest number of screenings, a record that would later be beaten by Shrek 2 (2004). It remained in the number one box office spot for two weeks before being supplanted by The Matrix Reloaded (2003). The movie ended up grossing $214.9 million in the United States and Canada becoming the sixth highest grossing movie of 2003 in those countries. It $407.7 million worldwide becoming the ninth highest grossing film of 2003 worldwide. Its DVD release would gross $107 million in only its first five days.

The movie was also a critical success. Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, praising how well it handled using so many characters. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times stated that it was a rare sequel that was better than the first film. Peter Travers stated, "X2 is a summer firecracker. It's also a tribute to outcasts, teens, gays, minorities, even Dixie Chicks." Not every review was so popular though. Stephen Hunter called stated, "Of the many comic book superhero movies, this is by far the lamest, the loudest, the longest."

The movie would even win the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. The Political Film Society would recognize the film in the categories for Human Rights and Peace. In 2006 Empire Magazine would call this the greatest comic book movie of all time. 

This film would receive a video game tie-in, 2003's X2: Wolverine's Revenge. This game would feature the voice of Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier and have Wolverine's design resemble Hugh Jackman. A 2006 video game, X-Men: The Official Game would tell the story of what happened between this film and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). That game would feature some of the voices of some of actors from the movies. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

X-Men (2000)

 

 While Superman and Batman had blockbuster movies before X-Men was released, the average person was already very familiar with these characters by the time, their movies hit the big screen. Though X-Men had been a top selling comic book (and a popular Saturday morning cartoon show), the thought that average moviegoers might be unfamiliar with these characters gave great hesitancy to the studio executives. After all most of these studio executives knew little about either the comics or the animated TV series. Though Fox received the film rights in the 1990's, the studio executives still nervously sat on the property (while in hindsight it is easy to make fun of these executives, with most superhero movies that didn't feature Batman or Superman having been critical and commercial failures, their position is understandable). The fact that this movie even got made was heavily thanks to a woman named, Lauren Shuler Donner. She had become a producer at Fox in 1994. She was well aware of the comic books and the cartoon series and felt there was great potential for a blockbuster with these characters. She was also aware that Marvel Comics had filed for bankruptcy. Lauren would spend the rest of the 1990's trying to get an X-Men film off the ground. She approached such top Hollywood filmmakers as James Cameron, Michael Chabon, and Joss Whedon. Ideas for the drafts and outlines from these filmmakers would find their way into the final script, though the screenplay would be end up being solely credited to David Hayter. (Hayter would later be a writer for two more superhero films, X2: X-Men United (2003) and Watchmen (2009)). However the directing job had instead gone to Bryan Singer, who was fresh off his critical and commercial success, The Usual Suspects (1995). Another early decision to separate this from previous superhero films was to cast classically trained actors in two of the most important roles. Therefore, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen would be cast as Charles Xavier and Magneto. This would hopefully lend an air of respectability for those who might normally overlook a superhero movie. 

The movie finally went into production in the late fall of 1999 with an expected release of Christmastime 2000. Still the studio heads at Fox were still nervous about this film. They cut the budget down to $75 million, a low budget for a special-effects heavy blockbuster, even 25 years ago. This meant that the filmmakers had to remove some of the more special effects heavy characters such as Beast. This was not the only production trouble. The original actor cast as Wolverine; Dougray Scott had to be replaced when there was scheduling conflicts due to the shooting of Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). He was replaced by Hugh Jackman, an unknown actor at the time. This would turn out to work for the best though as Jackman would become the film's breakout star. 

This movie eschews the type of lighthearted campy storytelling that many associated with superhero stories at this time from the very start. This film opens with a scene centering on Magneto as a child being led to a concentration camp during the holocaust. When the movie first transitions to modern day, we see a teenage Rouge (Anna Paquin) accidently nearly kill her boyfriend with her powers. These two scenes immediately tell us that what we are about to watch will not talk down to us and will not be either campy or silly. As the film continues it tells us the story of two mutants (the next step in human evolution, meta-humans with superpowers) named Wolverine and Rouge. The two find themselves at The Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. This is a school that helps mutants learn how control their powers. Some of the graduates have become what are known as X-Men, a group of mutants that help protect human and meta-human alike. Meanwhile humans discriminate against mutants, feeling that they are danger to mankind. Magento is tired of this discrimination and decides to lead a group of mutants to destroy humankind. The X-Men must stop Magento and his Brotherhood of Mutants. 

This is a strong start to this series of movies. What makes this film work so well is Rouge and Wolverine. These two are truly the heart of this movie. They are the ones that we connect to and being newcomers to the world of the X-Men, we see things through their eyes. The last part is especially true of Wolverine. His skepticism and how he initially writes off everything about Xavier's school as silly, keeps the movie feeling grounded while not eschewing comic book fantasy. Rouge is simply a heartbreaking figure, and it is hard not to feel for her. That she can kill anyone who even touches her makes her feel more like a threat than a hero. This type of self-doubt and feeling like you don't belong is something we all can relate to and understand. The friendship between these two characters is very heartwarming. This film also benefits from having a fantastic cast. Not only are the actors who portray these two characters excellent but everyone in the cast is perfect. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen do exactly what they were brought into do and help us take this superhero story seriously. Though they don't get as much to do James Marsden and Famke Janssen bring a certain likability to Cyclops and Jean Grey. And of course, Halle Berry is the definition of cool as Storm. This movie also does a wonderful job of digging into the deeper themes of discrimination and how people find ways to try and justify their hatred. The messaging may not be subtle, but it is effective with some quite intelligent dialogue.

As much as I enjoy this movie, I do have to admit that the smaller budget really hurts the film. The special effects often look very fake, and this frankly takes you out of the movie.

Director, Bryan Singer is an openly homosexual filmmaker. Because of this many having viewed his take on mutants to be a commentary on the discrimination that homosexuals receive, especially with lines about them reveling or hiding who they truly are. This interpretation is not unfounded. Since the comics of the 1960's the X-Men have been a representation of marginalized groups. It is understandable that Singer might connect with this and draw from the discrimination he received due to his sexual orientation. 

The movie grossed $157 million domestic and received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film was a surprise breakout hit and would spawn an incredibly successful movie franchise. 

Resources Used

Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye. 

https://nerdist.com/article/x-men-2000-most-important-superhero-movie/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_3_cdt_c_8




          

Movie Review: Deadpool

 

Note: My opinion on this film has improved quite a bit over time and I actually really like it now. But still here is my original review from when I first saw it. This is a case where I admit I was wrong about a movie. 

Review Written by Michael J. Ruhland



















Michael's Movie Grade:D

Review: Despite the hype around this movie, it sadly isn't very good.

Most of the humor simply misses. Except for like one or two jokes it simply is not funny at all. It is immature and crude, but not funny. It honestly feels like it is just trying too hard to be funny. The gratuitous violence simply adds nothing as well. The side characters and villain are not interesting. Honestly this is one of the weakest movie villains I can think of. The story is a bit of a mess, and just doesn't work. However I will admit that Ryan Reynolds was perfectly cast.

There is not not much to say about this film, except it just isn't a good movie.

-Michael J. Ruhland