Logan Sork Film Reviews
X- Men Ranked
The X-Men franchise is arguably one of the most influential franchises in cinematic history. After several critical and financial disasters, people begun to think that the era of the superhero film was coming to a close in the late 90's. Fox took a big risk in producing the first X-Men film, seeing as these films had become box office poison. The gamle payed of in more ways than one, as the film not only spawned a major franchise for Fox, but also reignited public interst in dying genre. Fans of comic books have alot to thank for this franchise, as without it many of the frnachises we know and love today could not exist without it.
As for the franchise itself, it has produced many films that feature a diverse rang o characters and genres. While some have worked ut better than others, there's no denying that some of the best superhero films ever made have come from this long running franchise. And with the franchise comign to close this year, here's my ranking from worst to best of every single film from this fantastic franchise.
As for the franchise itself, it has produced many films that feature a diverse rang o characters and genres. While some have worked ut better than others, there's no denying that some of the best superhero films ever made have come from this long running franchise. And with the franchise comign to close this year, here's my ranking from worst to best of every single film from this fantastic franchise.
12 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The first spin-off of the franchise is not only the worst X-Men film but also one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Though the film has a lot to draw from and even starts out pretty good it’s all downhill after the opening credits as we are forced to sit through unoriginal chaotic action scenes with terrible effects punctuated only by cringe-worthy melodrama. Worse yet, the film not only ruins the title character, but also several other fan favorites along way, adding only more insult to this brutal injury. As far as I’m concerned, this movie is nearly unwatchable and anyone who hasn’t seen it should be thankful and continue to stay far away.
11 - X-Men: The Last Stand
The Last Stand is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it has a lot of great character moments and cool action sequences as well as an interesting moral dilemma that drives the main plot forward in an interesting manner. On the other hand, the film suffers from trying to do too much in too little time. From trying to introduce new side characters, finishing arcs fort he old ones and setting up things to come, the plot can begin to feel a little convoluted. Worst of all, it attempts to use what is arguably the most iconic X-Men story of all time (“The Dark Phoenix Saga”) as a side plot, resulting in the famous story line being robbed of its emotional weight. Had this movie focused on one story, delved more into the ideas of said story and gotten rid of useless characters, this film would’ve been so much better. As it stands however, this film is the worst of the original trilogy and for good reason.
10 - The Wolverine
The second film revolving around the character Wolverine is miles better than the first one (though I can’t imagine anything could be worse) but also frustratingly mediocre at best. The film has an interesting setup, sending Wolverine off to Japan to meet someone from his past and offers and intriguing premise as well. There are also a lot of good emotional moments as well as we watch Wolverine come to terms with the things he has done In his troubled past. These are all unfortunately sidelined in favor of putting style before substance as the film chooses to put more emphasis on the action sequences rather than the quiet moments. Add to it a chaotic third act climax and the film becomes something yet another forgettable superhero film that could’ve been so much more.
9 - Deadpool 2
The sequel to the 2016 hit is arguably still pretty good, just nowhere near as good as the first one. As is the case with a lot of other film sequels, this movie suffers from trying to outdo its predecessor in a lot of ways. While the results may often be bigger and more exciting than the first, it does not always mean it’s better. This can be seen in the way the film handles its time travelling plot which becomes so convoluted and confusing by the end you’ll be asking yourself weather things really happened or if it was all part of some big joke. That being said, the film has enough humor and fun characters to keep you interested even when the plot begins to lag behind.
8 - Logan
When this movie came out, people went nuts about it, with many claiming it to be one of the best superhero films of all time, some even saying it should win best picture at the Oscars. When I saw it, I thought it was… just another Wolverine movie. While Logan is arguably the best of the unofficial Wolverine trilogy, that’s really not saying much. Still, I will give the film credit as it does have some great emotional moments and interesting characters as well as a great story at it’s core that kept me invested even when the villains of the film and some creative choices made proved underwhelming. This film is good, not great, but good.
7 - Deadpool
After his drastically altered appearance in the maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine many fans wanted a proper Deadpool movie, and in 2016 their wishes were ultimately satisfied with this highly entertaining film. This movie has the ability to be extremely different from every X- Men film that came before it and uses the titular character’s meta humor to accomplish this goal. This is one of the best comedies I’ve ever seen as it perfectly balances the obscene humor and jokes with a surprisingly emotional narrative at its core. The film is made all the more exciting with it’s creative action sequences and perfect cast, making for a well rounded entertaining film that more than makes up for it’s small flaws along the way.
6 - X-Men
The first X-Men film is arguably the movie that is responsible for the popularity of the superhero film we know today and for that, we have a lot to owe to this film. It’s by no means perfect however, there’s a lot of exposition and sometimes the pacing can drag on in certain points. Despite these problems, the film more than makes up for it in many areas, one of these being the cast, which gave us some of the best comic book castings of all time in Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Wolverine, Professor Xavier and Magneto respectively. It’s also a surprisingly serious film, which presents a powerful story about prejudice in the world and how it can impact the people subjected to it. The characters are also given well developed personalities so when the superhero action kicks in, you are more invested in it as a result. While it may be flawed, the first film in this franchise is pretty excellent none the less.
5 - Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix tries to amend the mistakes of The Last Stand and does so with mixed results. While it is still an improvement over the third installment of the franchise, it still feels slightly underwhelming given the small scope for what was an epic story and the lackluster villains. However, there are more bright spots to be found here than most people are willing to give it credit for. Sophie Turner is excellent as Jean Grey, whose personal drama and revelations shine through in her wonderful performance. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are also excellent as Professor X and Magneto as are the rest of the cast, who do the most with what they have. The action sequences and visual effects are also pretty good and are elevated by an amazing score from the legendary Hans Zimmer. And while yet again it isn't a great adaptation of the iconic storyline, the intimate focus on characters and solid technical elements make this film good enough to warrant at least one go around.
4 - X-Men: Apocalypse
While a lot of people are eager to jump on the hate train for this film, I can’t really see a reason why. Sure, the film has some pacing issues and some of the visual effects are a little iffy, but aside from that, there is so much good to be found here that I can’t quite understand the hate this movie gets. Not only does it have some awesome action moments for every character, but it also has a surprising amount of emotion found in this larger than life film. There’s also a great villain to be found in Oscar Issac's Apocalypse, who brings a substantial weight to the film in terms of a threatening presence. This movie does not deserve the hate it gets, as, in the eyes of this X-Men fan, there is simply too much good to be found on screen to warrant such hate.
3 - X-Men: First Class
A prequel to all previous entries up to that point, First Class focuses on the younger versions of Professor Xavier and Magneto as they come together to prevent an evil group of mutants from escalating the Cold War. The cast in this film is beyond perfect, as James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are near dead ringers for Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen but also work on their own level. Their chemistry is what ultimately makes this movie so much better than most of the other films in the franchise. The scenes in which these two discuss their ideologies and bond with one another is what makes this film so investing, as all of he superhero stuff is just icing on the cake. There’s also a surprising amount of depth given to the characters and the way in which they deal with their struggles that makes this film so investing. This is one of the best prequels ever made as it not only adds to certain characters we know and love but chooses to stay focused on those characters rather than falling into the trap of focusing on the action that makes so many prequels fail.
2 - X2: X-Men United
This sequel takes everything that didn’t work in the original, gets rid of it and dials everything that did work up to an eleven. This film is not only a perfect sequel, but it’s also a near perfect superhero film. The excellent cast from the original film returns and turns in some fantastic performances. The stakes are also raised exponentially, resulting in a thrilling adventure as our heroes join forces with their enemies to achieve a common goal. With fantastic acting, writing, action and music, this is a sequel that surpasses the original in every way and elevated the franchise to new heights.
1 - X-Men: Days of Future Past
Days of Future Past is not only the best X-Men film, but also one of the best superhero films ever made. Serving as a soft reboot of the franchise, the film includes not only the original cast but also the younger generation introduced in First Class by way of time travel. Not only does this film balance out both casts perfectly, it also has everything a good superhero film should have and then some. Complete with breathtaking action scenes and visceral emotional drama, this epic film serves as the pinnacle of this franchise and serves as an example of how a great superhero epic should be made.