The Original X-Men Trilogy
The X-Men Prequels
The Wolverine Trilogy
Here’s Where You Can Stream Or Rent Every ‘X-Men’ Movie
By Ethan Anderton/Aug. 10, 2021 6:00 am EST
The Original X-Men Trilogy
X-Men
Released back in 2000, this was the comic movie that launched Hollywood’s obsession with superheroes, and it hasn’t stopped since. X-Men ushered Marvel’s mutants onto the big screen for the first time, and even though it gave us a version of the superheroes that had much more leather and far less color than fans would have preferred, it was still a huge hit that made the characters more accessible than ever. X-Men also turned then-unknown Australian actor Hugh Jackman into a star with his debut as Wolverine. It hasn’t held up very well when compared to the superhero movies that would follow, but the blockbuster still earned its place in cinema history.
X2: X-Men United
Since the X-Men were successfully established in the first movie, the sequel allowed the mutant team to grow considerably. Along with a bigger cast that introduced mutants such as Nightcrawler, Deathstrike, and Pyro, the action was also beefed up, allowing for a story that expanded the origin story of Wolverine and also allowed each member of the ensemble cast to play a pivotal role. Confidence in the X-Men was so high that it even ends with a blatant tease for the next sequel.
X-Men: The Last Stand
Thanks to a perfect tee-up from X2: X-Men United, fans were itching to see how X-Men: The Last Stand adapted the famous Dark Phoenix Saga storyline from Marvel Comics for the big screen. Unfortunately, this entry is a massive misfire that completely destroys the excitement of seeing an all-powerful Jean Grey turned into a villain. The cast gets too big for the franchise, Wolverine gets turned into a walking punchline machine, and the final battle is an absolute mess that loses sight of what made the first two X-Men movies work so well.
The X-Men Prequels
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: Apocalypse
Apocalypse is one of the most deadly villains to grace the pages of Marvel Comics, but he’s completely wasted in this sequel that goes back to the rebooted timeline featuring the young cast of mutants from First Class. But there are even more fresh faces here as Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan debut as young Jean Grey and Cyclops, respectively, along with Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler and more. Oscar Isaac stars as the titular villain, and he’s criminally underutilized, hidden beneath hideous make-up and offering nothing but digital destruction without any substance.
Dark Phoenix
The Wolverine Trilogy
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Even though the primary X-Men franchise ended with a whimper, it doesn’t get quite as bad as the first attempt at a spin-off. Digging even deeper into Wolverine’s origins, we learn a lot more about Hugh Jackman’s character. Unfortunately, it’s all stuff that we didn’t need to know. He’s surrounded by a boring array of characters, including a famously half-assed version of Deadpool that Ryan Reynolds would mock for years before properly suiting up as the mouthy mercenary in his own franchise. Even the visual effects are lazy in this complete dud.
The Wolverine
Logan
All right, now this is the epitome of both the X-Men and Wolverine film franchises. Director James Mangold brings the X-Men into R-rated territory with this gritty, violent emotional gut-punch of a superhero movie that follows an aging Wolverine taking care of a fading Professor X and reluctantly helping a young mutant that appears to share his DNA and some other trademark traits. Taking cues from westerns and dramatic thrillers, the superhero antics are a little more grounded than usual, allowing the characters to shine outside of their superpowers. It culminates in a heart-wrenching ending that should be regarded as the proper conclusion to the entire X-Men franchise.
The Misfits: Deadpool and The New Mutants
One of these things is not like the other. Deadpool expanded the X-Men franchise with a meta, comedic take on comic book action led by Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. Meanwhile, The New Mutants tried to pass the torch with a touch of horror, but it couldn’t escape the limitations of the superhero genre. While Deadpool found great box office success, The New Mutants crashed and burned. While Ryan Reynolds will return as the red-suited rascal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The New Mutants will be relegated to the bargain bin.
