Ranking the X-Men Movies: From Worst to Best

With the release of Deadpool & Wolverine and the official merging of the X-Men movies into the MCU, I decided to rewatch all of the X-Men movies. The X-Men franchise is one of the OG superhero franchises. The original X-Men trilogy paved the way for the superhero franchises we see today. I have always enjoyed this franchise and while there are some bad movies in the mix and a continuity that is a mess, I have still found most all of these films very entertaining. The X-Men franchise also gave the start to many standout actors of today such as Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James MacAvoy, Nicholas Holt, Halle Berry, and many others. That said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 14 X-Men films.

14. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is easily the worst installment of the franchise. It takes a lot of elements that comic book fans are excited about and does them completely wrong. It takes an emotionally grounded story about the tragedy of Wolverine's origins and turns it into a mini X-men movie with a bunch of forgettable mutants. The movie also has a ton of tonal issues. It goes from being super dark with Wolverine getting tortured to the next scene as a comedy with Wolverine destroying a bathroom with his claws. The movie also ruins several fan-favorite characters. It takes the iconic Gambit and makes him a forgettable card thrower and absolutely destroys Deadpool by sewing his mouth shut and making him a mindless henchman. The movie also has a lot of very bad CGI specifically with Wolverine's claws. The only positive is that the movie has a decent enough budget and a lot of the effects look decent enough but all that does is make this a polished-looking bad movie. Overall, this is just a disappointing film that doesn't do anything that it is going for correctly.

Score: 4/10 Grade: D+

13. X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: The Last Stand is another pretty bad X-Men movie. The only thing keeping it from the bottom is that it does have a few decent moments. For the few positives, the action sequences were all very solid. I liked the battle at the end quite a bit. I also liked the addition of Beast and thought that Kelsey Gramer was a good addition to the story. Besides, there isn't anything positive about this movie. The big issues of this movie were that it tried to cram too much into one movie and the treatment of several of its characters. The movie tries to cram so many plots in with the Dark Phoenix saga, the mutant cure, Magneto's brotherhood of mutants, a love triangle with Rogue, Ice Man, and Kitty Pryde, and Scott and Logan coping with Jean's death while also trying to introduce several new characters like Beast, Angel, Juggernaut, and Kitty Pryde. It even takes the iconic X-Men storyline of the Dark Phoenix saga and makes it a secondary plot. Any one of these plots could have made a good movie but doing all of them doesn't do any of them justice. In terms of characters, the movie essentially ruins the character arcs of Scott, Jean, Charles Xavier, Mystique, Rogue, and Angel by glossing over their stories in the movie. In the end, this may not be the worst movie on this list but it is the one that makes me the most upset.

Score: 4.5/10 Grade: C-

12. The New Mutants

The New Mutants was Fox's attempt to make an X-Men horror movie. This movie was essentially doomed from the start. It has countless reshoots and rewrites and it was delayed about 5 times. The movie itself is really not very good. I can appreciate what they were trying to go for with a coming-of-age story with horror elements to it. However, the execution was so poor and caused the movie to be extremely dull. The movie markets itself by being this intense horror movie but then only half commits to the horror aspect of the film. It tries to be one part romance, one part horror, one part coming of age, and one part superhero, and doesn't do any of them right. Anya Taylor Joy steals the show here with her performance but all of the other characters are largely forgettable. The movie also feels like it lost its essence in the editing room. It seems like the movie was originally a lot longer but then had all of the substance and character interactions cut in the editing room. This movie doesn't do anything unforgivable like the previous two films on this list but it doesn't do anything special either. Overall, while this movie does have the most unique concept, it does nothing to positively utilize that and ends up being a dull and forgettable semi-horror film.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

11. X-Men: Apocalypse

X-Men: Apocalypse is a bit of a mixed bag for me. There are a lot of good moments in this movie but the plot itself is seriously lacking quality. It is a movie that I like parts of more than the movie as a whole. Everything Magneto does is very cool. His whole story and the tragedy that brings him back into the mutant world was very well done. There was also another cool sequence with Quicksilver. I also thought that the younger versions of the X-Men with Sophie Turner and Ty Sheridan were great. Finally, all of the action sequences were very exciting and well done. The big issue with this movie is that it tries to be this big sweeping epic story but just rings super hollow with a paper-thin plot. The basic premise of the story is that Apocalypse emerges, recruits his four horsemen and then the X-Men have their big battle against him. The movie is 2.5 hours long but somehow feels like nothing happened. There is also a random escape sequence in Stryker's facility that doesn't have to do with anything and feels like it is just there is a filler. The movie is also extremely lazy in its writing of Apocalypse. It doesn't make him compelling in any way. Overall, while it does have some great moments, the movie as a whole doesn't have a strong enough plot to make it exciting.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

10. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix is the last of the main run of X-Men movies before the Disney-Fox acquisition. This movie takes another run at the iconic Dark Phoenix storyline and while it is a significant improvement over The Last Stand, it still doesn't do the story justice. There are a few solid moments in this movie. I think Sophie Turner does a great job of playing Jean Grey as she struggles to control her powers. The movie also has a few solid action sequences specifically the end battle on the train. However, beyond that, the movie is largely disappointing. The movie makes the odd choice to change the premise of the Dark Phoenix inside of Jean. Instead of being a suppressed alternate personality as set in the comic, the movie makes the Phoenix power an otherworldly force that puts itself inside of Jean after a mission. This pretty much eliminates the conflict inside of Jean and neuters the whole story. The movie was also another victim of changes in the editing room. The movie was supposed to have a lot more cool sequences and have the Skrulls as the villains but the studio found it to be too similar to Captain America: Civil War and Captain Marvel so they changed things at the last second, cut all the interesting elements and swapped the Skrulls for some generic shapeshifting aliens. In the end, while this movie did have some potential, it ultimately lost itself once the studio interfered.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

9. The Wolverine

The Wolverine was the second attempt at a Logan-centered story with this one having more successful results. This movie brings a more grounded take to the character as we see him cope with the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and confer with his guilt over killing Jean. This movie doesn't overshadow Logan with a lot of other mutants and tells a nice isolated story with some solid samurai influence. There are quite a few great action sequences that take tons of inspiration from Samurai and Ninja movies. We get to see Logan more broken as he learns how to deal with being unable to heal himself. I just really appreciate how grounded the first 2/3rds of this movie are. We see Logan learn how to integrate back into society and start to become whole again. The main thing keeping this movie back is the final third of the film. The first two acts do great with the Samurai influence but the third act abandons all of that and opts for a big blockbuster fight with Wolverine versus a giant robot Samurai. I think the movie should have had a much smaller climax with a more practical fight and been much better for it. Overall, this movie does a great job of having a more grounded samurai film but ultimately fumbles in the final act and keeps it from being higher on the list.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

8. X-Men

This is the OG X-Men film and one of the baseline superhero movies that paved the way for the superhero craze that is still taking place today. While it may not be the best in the franchise, this film is definitely one of the most iconic. It introduces audiences to great characters like Wolverine, Professor X, Jean Grey, Storm, Cyclops, Magneto, and Mystique. This movie also delivers on great casting such as Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, and Ian McKellen as Magneto, and puts Hugh Jackman on the map in his career-defining role of Wolverine. This movie also delivers some iconic settings and scenes such as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngers and the big fight at the Statue of Liberty. The main thing holding this film back is that a lot of the plot components and effects feel a bit dated. Some of the lines of dialogue don't land as well as they used to and some of the effects just didn't age super well. Magneto's whole evil plan just feels a bit dated and forgettable as well. This movie is memorable more for its portrayal of the characters not so much for a compelling plot. In the end, this is a decent enough intro to the X-Men world and was successful enough to launch the superhero movie craze.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

7. Deadpool 2

Deadpool 2 is the weakest of the Deadpool films but is still a very fun X-Men movie. Deadpool 2 takes what works about the first Deadpool movie and makes it bigger and more absurd. The movie doubles down on Deadpool's shenanigans and makes an even funnier movie. This movie has a surprising amount of heart to it considering it is an R-rated raunchy superhero comedy. We see Deadpool have to cope with a heartbreaking loss and go through all these different chapters of his life to make himself whole again. The movie gives some standout new characters with Cable and Domino both of which play off great against Deadpool. Cable brings this level of high stakes to the story as he is trying to prevent an apocalyptic future. The movie also gives returning characters such as Colossus and Dopinder a few moments to shine that they didn't get in the first film. I have a lot of fun with this film. The thing holding this movie back is that it just tries to do too much in one film. It tries to be a time travel story, a prison break movie, an X-Force movie, and a movie about Deadpool joining the X-Men. Now, it doesn't feel as cramped as a lot of other movies do but you can still feel that a lot is going on. The movie does all of these plot lines reasonably well but could have been so much better if it just focused on one or two. Overall, this is a very addition to the franchise but has just a bit too much going on to make it in the top tier.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

6. Deadpool

Deadpool is the movie on this list that almost didn't get made. The studio was very hesitant to produce an R-rated superhero movie like that but when some test footage was leaked and very well received, the studio green-lit the project. Overall, the studio had no reason to be worried. This movie achieved exactly what it was going for. Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool and is just so much fun in this role. The story is very simple but ultimately works as it is really Deadpool and his strong personality that carries this movie. With Deadpool being known for breaking the fourth wall, this movie goes all in on the self-aware jokes and references. While it does have a lot of comedic elements, the movie still does a great job of balancing them with the serious moments. This movie is ultimately an R-rated superhero comedy wrapped in a love story and it does both elements very well. This movie was so successful that it became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. The only real hang-up I had with this movie is that it does take a bit to get going as the first hour is pretty much taken up by flashbacks. In the end, this is a very fun superhero movie that started a new trend of crass R-rated comic book stories.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

5. X2: X-Men United

X2: X-Men United is the best of the original run of X-Men movies. This movie takes everything about the original film and builds on it to make it better. This movie brings a much more cohesive story than the original X-Men movie as well as brings a stronger villain and conflict. This movie introduces a villain that is a threat to all mutants and we get to see both sides of the mutant world having to work together to defeat him. I enjoyed seeing Magneto, Mystique, and the X-Men having to work together as you see a lot of their conflicting ideologies. The movie also does a great job of diving a little deeper into Wolverine's past as it gives us a basic idea of where he came from. I thought Stryker was a great villain for this story as he has a personal connection to Wolverine and solid justification for doing what he is doing. This movie also takes a lot of inspiration from another great sequel, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan. The only hold-up I have is that I wasn't a fan of how they sidelined Cyclopes and Professor X. Other than that, I found this to be a very good sequel.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

4. Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine is the newest and probably last addition to the franchise. This movie delivered exactly what I wanted from a movie involving Deadpool and the multiverse. This movie did a great job of capturing the magic of the other two Deadpool films while allowing Deadpool to do his thing in the multiverse. The movie also delivers on the cameo fest that one would expect from a movie like this. The best part of the movie is seeing Hugh Jackman return as Wolverine. Hugh Jackman goes all in on the performance provides a bit of gravitas to the film and is the emotional backbone of the whole story. I was also happy that Disney didn't water down the movie at all and maintained the crass humor that is expected from a Deadpool movie. The only thing keeping this movie back from number one is that the story itself was a bit too simplistic. You could summarize the whole movie in one sentence. I also wasn't a huge fan of the setup that gets Deadpool and Wolverine in their main setting. Overall, this was a very fun movie that delivered everything I wanted and a solid closer to the franchise.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

Click Here to read my full review of this movie.

3. X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class was the original reboot of the franchise. This movie shows the origin of the X-Men and follows a young Charles Xavier and Magneto during the Cold War Era USA. This movie is just a great blend of a Spy story, a superhero movie, and an origin story. We get to see how a lot of the famous X-Men came to be as well as the beginning of Charles and Erik's relationship. There are a lot of solid action sequences and some cool historical tie-ins. I like how we get to see Charles hone in on his ability to teach mutants to control their powers. I thought the casting in this movie was perfect. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are as perfect as Charles and Erik. This movie also gives a great career bump to Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult as it was a breakout role for both of them. The spy aspect is probably my favorite part of this movie as we get to see these mutants go on missions for the US government. The movie also does a great job of showing the opposition of Charles and Erik's beliefs and how that causes them to split apart. In the end, this is a great addition to the franchise with fantastic choices for the characters and a solid way to reboot the universe.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. Logan

Logan is the other R-rated addition to the franchise outside of Deadpool but it could not be further from that tone. Logan is a fantastic grounded take about an aging Wolverine as he has to cope with a post-mutant world with a body that is actively rejecting the adamantium in him. Whereas the other X-Men movies were big superhero blockbusters, this movie is a very character-driven study about what makes Logan tick. The movie also does a great job of showcasing Logan in a bit of a reluctant father role as he has to take in the mutant Lara. Aside from the character work with Logan, the movie also showcases a new angle with Charles Xavier. Patrick Stewart does a great job of playing this broken man with dementia as we see him portray Charles Xavier in a way never seen before. While it is very character-driven, this movie still manages to deliver a good amount of action. We still get some great Wolverine fight scenes. The movie also delivers a lot of emotion as we see the relationship between Logan and Lara develop and its payoff at the end of the movie. Overall, this is a fantastic deconstruction of Logan and is one of the peaks of the franchise and superhero movies in general.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

1. X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men Days of Future Past is my favorite of the X-Men films. I am always a sucker for a good time travel story and this movie absolutely delivers that. I enjoy how the movie manages to balance the darker tone of the future with the lighter tone of the past while still doing justice to both. I also liked how they were able to connect both versions of the X-Men characters so that we were able to see them on screen together. I really like Wolverine as the lead in the film and making him have to travel between the two timelines. I also enjoyed being able to see the original X-Men characters one last time before they were retired to make way for the reboot. Finally, I think the time travel logic in this film actually holds up and is handled in a way that actually makes sense. Overall, it is a solid X-Men time travel story that delivers what fans wanted.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A+