RANKED
1. X-Men: First Class
Matthew Vaughn breathes new life into the series with his colourful, kinetic and classy direction. If only he stuck around to direct the sequels. Michael Fassbender steals the show with Magneto's inglorious origin. Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw is superb. And we finally got costumes!
Premiere: Jun 1, 2011
2. Deadpool
The perfect example of what is possible when studios get out of the way. Ryan Reynolds and Wade Wilson complete each other. Getting Tim Miller (the guy behind all the best video game FMVs) to direct was genius. They even pull off a love story thanks to Morena Baccarin.
Premiere: Feb 12, 2016
3. Logan
James Mangold's back to undo the X-Men's happy ending for a bleak western swan song for Wolverine. It butchers Professor X, portraying him as senile, bigoted and disgraced. A predictable plot, cliche villains and a messy ending elevated by a talented cast and stunning cinematography.
Premiere: Mar 3, 2017
4. The Wolverine | Unleashed Extended Edition
James Mangold gets the series back on track by mostly ignoring the previous train wreck. The Japan setting and visceral action is exactly what the fans ordered. The extended over-the-top bloody ninja fight delivers, but the big dumb climax feels tacked on.
Premiere: Jul 23, 2013
5. X-Men
It pushed the genre by pursuing a dark realism, setting the path for adaptations like The Dark Knight. Leans into the allegory of Mutants representing LGBTQ issues, deepening the story to great effect. Though it does feel ashamed of its comics roots at times. Stewart and McKellen are perfectly cast.
Premiere: Jul 13, 2000
6. X2: X-Men United
It opens with the best action sequence in the entire FoX-Men film series. The pacing is all over the place, letting character moments breathe then rushing past important plot points. The focus is almost solely on Wolverine. Mundane villains lead to a disappointing finale.
Premiere: Apr 24, 2003
7. Deadpool 2 | The Super Duper $@%!#& Cut
It holds up under the weight of an overstuffed sequel, but in doing so becomes the cliché it was satirizing. Cable just feels like another Fox bastardization and fridging Vanessa is asinine. Thankfully, the great action and comedy manage to salvage the mess.
Premiere: May 18, 2018
8. X-Men: Days of Future Past | The Rogue Cut
Bryan Singer is back-in-black(leather), focusing again on Wolverine. Quicksilver is a scene stealer, but could have solved the plot faster than a needle could drop. It resorts to using time travel to clean up their continuity only to somehow make an even bigger mess. It really swings big.
Premiere: May 20, 2014
9. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Doug Jones is perfect and should reprise the role in the MCU, this time without the jarring Fishburne dub. Unfortunately, he deserved a much better film. Weta did their best to save it, even working over time to render the Galactus showdown free of charge.
Premiere: Jun 15, 2007
10. New Mutants
It simply aims for a Blumhouse style PG-13 horror and somewhat hits the target, but doesn't get anywhere near the comic's potential. The cast could work but they just don't have the material. Anya Taylor-Joy helps offset the blandness with her scenery chewing portrayal of Magik.
Premiere: Aug 26, 2020
11. Fantastic Four | Extended Edition
Chris Evan's Human Torch is the only part that really works. Dr. Doom is reduced to a corporate billionaire like Green Goblin, with scenes ripped right from Spider-Man. Some of the worst cringe put to (comic book)film, like the erotic scene between The Thing and Alicia.
Premiere: Jul 8, 2005
12. Elektra | Director's Cut
A slight improvement over Daredevil, trading try-hard & corny for rushed & bland. Targets girls instead of the male gaze while attempting to keep some of the comics edge, resulting in something akin to a CW show. Garner doesn't fit the role.
Premiere: Jan 14, 2005
13. X-Men: The Last Stand
Bryan Singer abandons the film to Brett Ratner who proceeds to directs the franchise right into the ground. It all hinges on Famke Jensen's performance, but she was never the right fit for Jean. Fire FX are costly so Phoenix just pixelates stuff instead. The intimate finale between Jean and Wolverine works atleast.
Premiere: May 26, 2006
14. Daredevil | Director's Cut
A tacky corporate product inline with Schumacher's Batman. Miscast, wasting talent like Michael Clarke Duncan on a caricature of Wilson Fisk. Elektra & Bullseye are among the worst adapted comic characters. The sonar-sense effects are well done.
Premiere: Feb 14, 2003
15. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
It can be unintentionally funny, especially the leaked pre-final FX cut. Little improved from there, so I guess they decided to just cut their losses. They bafflingly disgrace Deadpool. Hugh Jackman carelessly recasted Sabretooth with his buddy in the role.
Premiere: Apr 29, 2009
16. X-Men: Apocalypse
Bryan Singer overstays his welcome in this Emmerich style disaster. Oscar Isaac's is buried alive under embarrassingly bad makeup. Magneto levels the biggest cities on earth and is immediately forgiven by Professor X again with no consequence, making a joke out of their nuanced friendship.
Premiere: May 18, 2016
17. X-Men: Dark Phoenix
It opens with Jean getting the Phoenix Force during a space mission, but she used it last time. The decade time jumps between films have caught the cast up to their elder counterparts without any visible ageing. It's all so dumb it hurts. A remake of Last Stand that is somehow even worse.
Premiere: Jun 5, 2019
18. Fant4stic
A troubled adaptation of the Ultimate Fantastic Four. Its serviceable before the time jump, then becomes offensively bad. The Thing's kill counter, Invisible Woman left out of the mission, Dr. Doom's as an incel wrapped in a garbage bag. There's some fun body horror at least.
Premiere: Aug 6, 2015
