With three new X-films being released next year we look at the series so far.
Which one tops the X-list?
This article contains spoilers for all of theX-Menmovies.
X-Men is a beloved property with a rocky cinematic history.
Its an odd task ranking films in order of quality, especially ones that come from comic books.
Wolverine is one of the best loved X-Men stars and this plot does him no justice whatsoever.
The bad boy renounces his life of crime but someone from his past tries to lure him back.
Protagonist has his wife/girlfriend stuffed in the fridge then goes on a rampage to seek retribution.
Evil villain doing evil experiments in a secret medical facility.
Leading mans lover turns out to be in on the plan the whole time.
When you add all this together it feels achingly banal.
On an aesthetic level, things dont get much better.
It seems strange to say this after the combined underperformance ofJohn CarterandBattleshipbut Taylor Kitsch is a nifty Gambit.
That final show down between him, Victor and Logan should be awesome but its just dull.
Its a lovely background to some excellent set pieces and widens the X-World beyond the shores of the USA.
Whilst some of the cultural references feel over-explained, the setting is the movies strongest point.
As Run DMC astutely said, its tricky.
X-Men: The Last Standpicks the perfect character to express this in Rogue.
Still,The Last Standis a textbook example of how Hollywood wrongly thinks adding more stuff makes films better.
This abandonment doesnt end at new characters.
doesnt deserve to work with this kind of big name property.
Fassbender plays the first two acts like a Bond audition tape and McAvoy is effortlessly charming.
First Classdoes suffer slightly from the multitude of mutants problem but not nearly as much asLast Standdoes.
Some of the team are a tad underdeveloped but the general sense of camaraderie helps paste over the cracks.
Those outside the inner circle dont fare as well.
Emma Frost and Moira MacTaggert are woefully underused and painfully insipid.
The trouble with prequels is the level of inbuilt expectation from anyone familiar with the original story.
That said, the overwhelming feel ofFirst Classis one of fun, and lots of it.
The same thing that happens to everything else.)
but it also helped give comic book movies back some credibility.
With the exception of the aforementioned line, the dialogue inX-Menis great.
This works on two levels.
Firstly, it makes a vast and sprawling universe easy to get your head around.
Secondly, the action scenes make so much more impact because theyre given breathing room either side.
Its full of great dialogue with a cast that adds gravitas to a genre that many thought little of.
Its a gentle introduction but a nonetheless effective one.
The Past and Future elements gel together really nicely although its the Past that comes off best.
Its a brilliant sequence in a film that boasts a myriad of brilliant moments.
The absolute stand out of this film is Quicksilver.
Not just Time In A Bottle, but whenever Evan Peters is on screen he absolutely lights it up.
His powers have limitless scope meaning the question why didnt they just call Quicksilver?
In fact, all of the cast are putting the best in.
The Past is equally on form.
X-Men: Days Of Future Pastis not without its Huh?
Chris Claremont,X-Menwriter 1975 1991.
Nightcrawler was a great addition to this film; banf-ing here, banf-ing there in a glorious cold open.
Brian Coxs William Stryker is by far the best villain the series has had to date.
This is also the film with the best group dynamic and number of characters.
