X-Men: A-
X-Men (2000)
X-2: X-Men United (2003)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)
X-Men: Apocalypse (Scheduled for a 2016 release)
The release of X-Men in 2000 can sort of lay claim to kickstarting the superhero genre off again. After the dismal showing by Joel Schumacher’s Batman films, the superhero franchise was in the doldrums. Looking back at X-Men could be a fatal error though. It hasn’t aged well at all. A jarring storyline jam packed with a lot of messy scenes make this film now seem terrible.
Three years later we received the follow up, X-2, probably the strongest of all the X-Men films before this year. This film does unfortunately have its flaws. Bryan Singer’s direction can be a little frustrating at times, as he seems to try and cram as many subplots leading the story being unfocused generic in style.
The X-Men franchise was in full flow come 2006 when X-Men: The Last Stand was released. Brett Ratner was given the reigns and he delivered a fairly pleasant film. Although Last Stand is a little baffling, it’s a gutsy film. It does however seem to suffer from the same illness X-2 had; too many subplots, too many characters, no clear villain.
Just recently we were handed the fourth X-Men film, Days Of The Future Past, arguably the best X-Men film to date. With a cast full of riches, director Bryan Singer mixed past with future expertly. We were treated to phenomenal action sequences, intriguing sub-plots and a surety of the source materials heritage. Days of Future Past didn't disappoint and lived up to it's intensive promotional campaign sending this franchise from it's grade B to a comfortable A-.
With the announcement of X-Men: Apocalypse coming our way in 2016, the next chapter in the X-Men saga is hugely anticipated.
