Summer Binge Watch — X-Men

Next summer, "X-Men: Apocalypse" will be released. It will be the cap on a second trilogy of "X-Men" films. That's in addition to a pair of Wolverine-centric films. So, year, since 2000, the X-Men have made their presence felt on the big screen. Since Comic Con was abuzz with X-Men talk, and "Apocalypse" graced the cover of "Entertainment Weekly" last Friday, I thought it was a good time to summer binge through the cinematic world of mutants. Below are the seven films in order from my favorite to least favorite.

1. X-Men: First Class (2011)
About: This was actually the fifth "X-Men" movie released, but in my opinion it's the best. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, this film takes it back to the beginning when Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) were friends and allies. Of course that all goes south by the end of the film, but it's still a great chapter. It has some great, thought-provoking turns, good performances, and an engrossing story. It's darn near perfect as a film, let alone comic book film. In fact, personally, I'd rate it as my second favorite comic book film of all time behind "The Dark Knight."
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity and language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

2. X-Men (2000)
About: This is the movie that started it all. It's easy to forget now — in an era where comic book films run rampant — but there weren't a lot of modern comic book franchises when this film bowed. Yet it kick started a revival and put Marvel characters on the big screen map. It had a good assembled cast, an interesting take on the story, and really helped establish the world. Bryan Singer does a good job of bringing "X-Men" to life.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
About: This marked Singer's triumphant return to the franchise he helped create, and served as a follow up to "First Class." It was also a bridge between the original X-Men and the prequel cast, with the whole history of the franchise hanging in the balance. That's a lot to wedge into one movie. It was an all star cast and it's entertaining, but it's not as good as the original film or the "First Class" re-boot. It's good, and it helps clear the slate to create a new future for these characters — using a time altering mechanism similar to what occurred in "Star Trek" when it got a re-boot. That means the future is uncertain, which could make the upcoming "Apocalypse" a fascinating cinematic entry.
Rating: PG- 13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

4. X2 (2003)
About: This was Singer's follow up to the original, and it's a good film. Some people like it better than the original, but not me. I think it's good, a worthy follow up and certainly advanced some familiar stories. But I thought it marginalized Cyclops (James Marsden) a little too much. His plot felt a bit weak. The origins for Wolverine are somewhat interesting, and it works as a comic book and action film, but it's not as great a film as the first three entries on this list.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action/violence, some sexuality and brief language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

5. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
About: We've entered the marginal part of this list. This third installment in the "X-Men" franchise was the first without Bryan Singer. Brett Ratner has a certain style as a director that is sometimes effective, but he wasn't the right choice for this franchise. This movie and story had potential, but it doesn't really come together well here. Instead, this movie is just OK, and somewhat of a mild disappointment for fans.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
About: After the flame out of "The Last Stand," FOX shifted gears and tried to make some stand alone X-Men stories. "Wolverine" was supposed to be the first of a string of them. In theory, it seemed like a good idea. Wolverine is arguably the most popular of the X-Men, and Hugh Jackman is a popular actor playing the role. In practice, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was a chore to watch, at times. It just didn't have the pop of the other X-Men movies.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

7. The Wolverine (2013)
About: Some have argued that "The Wolverine" is better than the first Wolverine stand alone film. I don't agree. I think they're different, but roughly the same in terms of watchability. I saw this movie once, it was fine, but I don't know why I would need to see it again. This movie is OK, but it's hardly a great or memorable film.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.