Like Picking the Children of the Atom

The X-Men film franchise has delivered a lot of ups and downs over the years. From the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine to the fantastic X-Men: Days of Future Past, the quality of the films have varied. With the latest film X-Men: Apocalypse finally out, our editors banded together to come up with this definitive, obviously non-fallible, and completely unarguable ranking of all the X-Men films from best to worst. Click ahead to see where we ranked each one.

#9. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

The infamous X-Men Origins: Wolverine was intended to kick off a series of origin story films for the franchise’s most iconic characters; but we all know how that turned out. This train wreck of a movie fails to provide anything new or meaningful to the development its titular character. It’s a jumbled mess packed with plot holes and logical inconsistencies that also has a horrendous depiction of Deadpool. We only recommend watching this film if you’re a franchise completionist.

Metacritic Score: 40

#8. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

After the critically acclaimed X2: X-Men United, it was a shocking to see how far the trilogy had fallen with X-Men: The Last Stand. This ambitious film tried to adapt both the “Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Gifted” comic book storylines, but it simply had too much going on. X-Men: The Last Stand ended up focusing more on over-the-top set-pieces rather than stringing together a coherent narrative with its diverse cast of characters. This also marked the beginning of the dark ages for the film franchise, resulting in five years of uncertainty.

Metacritic Score: 58

#7. The Wolverine (2013)

The Wolverine is by far the most intimate X-Men film to date, offering an inspection of its main character that’s far better than the mess of X-Men Origins Wolverine. While its third act treads tawdry territory with an assortment of cringeworthy moments, The Wolverine still manages to tell a competent story with satisfying pacing and enjoyable action.

Metacritic Score: 60

#6. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Borrowing from the lessons of the spectacular X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse contains enough action, suspense, heartbreak, and excitement to keep you hooked. The movie juggles a lot of characters, and most aren’t fully explored or utilized, but the film remains entertaining thanks to the action and heart of the protagonists. Apocalypse is also a great addition to the film franchise’s pantheon of villains and his impact on the franchise is so grand that you can’t help but wonder how they’ll top him in the next one.

Metacritic Score: 52

#5. X-Men (2000)

After mostly disappointing adaptations (excluding Tim Burton’s Batman), X-Men showed that superhero movies could be serious, fun, and intelligent. With faithful depictions of iconic characters, the film brought its source material to life with grounded presentation, action straight out of the comics, and endearing humor. It’s worth watching if only to see the groundwork it paved for future superhero films to come.

Metacritic Score: 64

#4. Deadpool (2016)

For years, fans held disdain for the X-Men film franchise for the awful depiction of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Thankfully, this all changed with Deadpool, which finally gave audiences a version of the character that’s faithful to the comics. With its streamlined plot, crude humor, and over-the-top action, Deadpool is not only a top-tier X-Men universe film, but one of the best superhero films to date. It’s a smart and witty subversion of the popular genre that remains close to our hearts. We’re also going to get more of Deadpool in the future thanks to the now shared overall universe that has been established in the X-Men film franchise.

Metacritic Score: 65

#3. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Where X-Men: First Class reinvigorated the X-Men film franchise, Days of Future Past proved that it could continue to deliver quality storytelling. The film is an epic crossover, bringing together actors from both First Class and the earlier X-Men trilogy. It’s well executed, boldly handling an ensemble cast across a time-travelling storyline. The film also marks the return of classic series director Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2: X-Men United), who handles the plot and action with such finesse, that can’t help but admire the sheer quality of it all.

Metacritic Score: 74

#2. First Class (2011)

After the disaster that was X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it seemed like the franchise was doomed. But that changed in 2009 with X-Men: First Class, a prequel that chronicles the complex early relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto. Actors James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender play both magnificently. Its spy-film aesthetic also offers an entertaining retro take on the X-Men that’s both refreshing and charming. First Class revitalized the X-Men film franchise, preventing it from fading into obscurity. For that reason alone, we hold it high on our list.

Metacritic Score: 65

#1. X2: X-Men United (2003)

X2: X-Men United raises the bar set by its predecessor, providing even more exciting set pieces, tighter pacing, and fantastic performances from its ensemble cast. As an adaptation of the X-Men comic book arc “God Loves, Man Kills,” the film shines in creating a cohesive and well-balanced plot from its source material. If you’re inclined to see a stepping stone that shows how the modern superhero film evolved into what it is today, do yourself a favor and watch X2: X-Men United.

Metacritic Score: 68