Superhero Movie Countdown — No. 11


Today's superhero movie countdown continues with the one that started the modern wave.

No. 11 — X-Men (2000)
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry
Director: Bryan Singer
Quote: "Does it ever wake you in the middle of the night? The feeling that one day they will pass that foolish law or one just like it, and come for you? And your children?" — Magneto
About: Superhero movies and TV shows are everywhere in 2016. We've already had four major superhero movie releases — four if you count the Ninja Turtles — and at least two more on the way. But when Bryan Singer brought his vision for the Marvel Comics "X-Men" to the big screen in 2000, that wasn't the case. In fact, at that time his film was an outlier. The Superman franchise had died out in the 1980s and Batman's franchise had withered on the vine in the 1990s. When Singer tapped into the Marvel vault in 2000, no one knew if superhero movies could be a thing. Then "X-Men" was released, the market exploded, and now we're saturated. A lot of the modern wave owes a debt of gratitude to Singer, who just this year released his fourth "X-Men" film. The original does a great job of building characters and establishing the world. Is it a great film? Probably not. But it's important in the cinematic history of the genre, and it is a very enjoyable film. It also is responsible for launching Jackman as Wolverine, an iconic character that he has played eight times over the past 16 years. I always loved the "X-Men" as a kid, and I was really excited for this movie. It didn't disappoint. Even 16 years later I still love watching it and seeing the story develop. It's not the best of the "X-Men" movies but it does a great job of establishing the world and characters, spawning a film franchise that is eight movies and 16 years strong at this point and still going.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.

Superhero Movie Countdown:
No. 12 — Spider-Man (2002)
No. 13 —Batman Begins (2005)
No. 14 — Superman II (1980)
No. 15 — Batman Returns (1992)

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