Although the MCU is easily the biggest superhero movie franchise in history, there are a few that have also produced about a dozen or so films. For example, Batman has appeared in more than 10 movies and there are plenty of Spider-Man films. However, it's the X-Men who have actually been on the big screen 13 times.
Marvel's mutant team is the subject of a trilogy and four prequel movies, while one character got his own trilogy and another got a duology. There's also The New Mutants, which deals with a young group of mutants and takes a darker tone at times. Not all have been met with high praise though, evidenced by the scores given out by Letterboxd users.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - 2.55
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Long before the days when the MCU was consistently putting out well-received superhero films and even before Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy began, X-Men was a rare success for the genre. The first two installments were met with high praise but the third entry was a disappointment to many.
Released in 2006, X-Men: The Last Stand sees battle lines drawn as a cure for the mutant gene is developed. That's a strong concept on its own but critics say the plot got muddled with the inclusion of Jean Grey as the Phoenix and other aspects. Despite not living up to the hype, most reviews still have it at three stars (25%).
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - 2.65
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Once again, a trilogy of X-Men movies was brought down by the third release. After the prequel series started strong and brought back some original cast members for a massive follow-up, X-Men: Apocalypse had loads of potential, especially given that it also brought in a top-tier comic book villain.
In fact, it was that villain (Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse) that caused this film's biggest issue as he was mostly seen to be pretty generic and underwhelming. The show-stealing bit was once again a Quicksilver scene, as was the chemistry between the talented cast. Three stars (25%) is the most common rating.
The Wolverine (2013) - 2.93
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Most fans will agree that the first film centering on Wolverine missed the mark. It had lame CGI, questionable takes on characters, and was poorly received. Hype was actually down for the sequel but thankfully, The Wolverine delivered in a bigger way by telling a more grounded story.
Taking inspiration from a memorable comic book arc, The Wolverine sends Logan to Japan. That allowed it to be a self-contained story that featured exciting action sequences and gave Logan impressive character development. Three stars (32%) is easily what most Letterboxd users gave this.
X-Men (2000) - 3.31
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This is where it all started for the X-Men movie craze. Years after the ending of the acclaimed animated series starring the mutants, a live-action version was made and fans questioned early looks at it. Opting for dark costumes that lost the iconic colors from the cartoon wasn't something audiences appreciated.
However, once they saw the film they seemed to come around. X-Men was both a commercial and critical hit, as it uses Rogue and Wolverine to introduce viewers to the world of Charles Xavier's team. Although three stars (33%) is most common, three and a half stars (25%) is a close second.
X2 (2003) - 3.41
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Thanks to the success of the first film, a sequel was guaranteed and X2 improved on its predecessor. In fact, many held this up as the best X-Men movie ever made for a long time and it is sometimes mentioned with 2004's Spider-Man 2 as the greatest superhero film released before The Dark Knight.
This installment sees the heroes have to work with their rivals against an anti-mutant group led by William Stryker. Seeing these characters interact in new ways, while also showcasing the relationship between Professor X and Magneto, made this special. Four and three stars (25%) are tied for the rating given out most often.
Deadpool 2 (2018) - 3.49
Stream On Hulu
When most people think about the X-Men, their mind goes to the titular team but the movies focused on Deadpool are arguably the best and they don't have much to do with that group at all. After the first was a huge success, Deadpool 2 followed things up by allowing the "Merc with a Mouth" to try and start his own team.
The X-Force goes poorly in this film but that's part of the fun. Ryan Reynolds continued to shine as Deadpool, while Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino were fantastic additions. Everything that worked about the original was back and this was another massive hit to the tune of many four-star (27%) ratings.
X-Men: First Class (2011) - 3.54
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After X-Men: The Last Stand struggled and 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was seen as a critical flop, many believed the X-Men were finished on the big screen. That changed in a big way with the arrival of X-Men: First Class, which takes things back to the 1960s to depict the early days for many characters.
Fans get to see the start of Professor X and Magneto's friendship, a new spin on Mystique's history, and a look at mutants who hadn't been on screen yet. Almost every aspect was met with high praise and it helped breathe life back into the franchise. Four stars (29%) is the rating seen more than any other.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) - 3.57
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Thanks to what First Class did for the series, X-Men: Days of Future Past was possible. Using one of the most memorable arcs from the pages of comic books, this film brings together the prequel characters and blends them with those from the original trilogy in incredible ways.
Wolverine is sent back in time to help stop the extinction of mutants by preventing a single act. Before the days of things like Avengers: Infinity War, this felt like the biggest superhero crossover in cinema history and most fans were pleased with the outcome. 30% of users on Letterboxd gave it four stars.
Deadpool (2016) - 3.67
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It's interesting that the two X-Men movies to score the highest on Letterboxd didn't actually feature the titular team in action. Deadpool is a film that Ryan Reynolds tried to get made for a long time after his first appearance in 2009 saw the character done in a way that upset comic book fans everywhere.
What works about this movie is that it's true to the character with Deadpool cracking jokes at a rapid pace, holding nothing back in terms of the R rating, and breaking the fourth wall. Four stars (31%) is the most common score given out and this film helped turn Deadpool into arguably the most popular superhero outside of the MCU.
Logan (2017) - 4.05
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Like The Wolverine, 2017's Logan borrows from a major comic book arc starring Wolverine. This one is set way in the future in a world where mutants are basically extinct (none have been born in 25 years) and Logan is aging as his healing factor has started to wane. He cares for an elderly and ill Charles Xavier while also protecting a rare young mutant named Laura who has similar powers to his own.
Critics adored this film and it even made history as the only live-action superhero movie to score a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination. Fans also appreciated James Mangold's direction and the performances of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen, while giving this four (33%) and five stars (22%) most often.