Franchise Review - X-Men

Generation X (Jack Sholder, 1996)
This movie isn't about the same team of X-Men as the later theatrically-released movies, but rather tells the story of the next generation of X-men, a group of teenagers led by former X-Men teammates Banshee and the White Queen. Adapted from the critically acclaimed series of the same name this movie did it all wrong. The special effects were terrible, but not nearly as bad as the dialogue and character development. The team had virtually no chemistry and its leaders had no spine. None of the characters seemed like heroes and the noir-ish atmosphere of the fim didn't suit the story at all. The majority of this was probably the result of the film's low budget and straight to TV release but still, it would have been nice to see what one of Marvel Comics most interesting teams translated to on screen. This attempt was just a little too Saved by the Bell.
X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000)
Bryan Singer managed to toe the line between political allegory and good old-fashioned superhero fun with his first X-Men film. X-Men forced legitimacy on a comic book series in which mutants wore spandex and fought villains with names like The Blob. In this film, they are leather-clad, opressed, repressed, sometimes depressed heroes with the power to save the world. The casting was pitch perfect for the entire team and, despite some alterations from the source material, each character was fleshed out and had a backstory. While the film plodded along at some points so that it was accessible to new fans, the action scenes were excellently choreographed and shot so that a woman who controlled the lightning didn't seem that far-fetched after all. The film does make a serious mistake in trying too hard to be science-fiction and not reveling in its comic book origins, a strategy that made Spider-man successful. Thus, we are forced to sit through a forced monologue at the beginning which tries to legitimize itself by offering scientific evidence of mutation. Fortunately, it is not a complete failure thanks to the gravitas of Patrick Stewart's delivery. The film does seem uneven at parts, as if it is setting up a story moreso than telling one. Even after their victory on top of the Statue of Liberty, it is clear that the story of the X-Men is nowhere near over.
X2: X-Men United (Bryan Singer, 2003)
The most universally praised of the franchise, X2 is actually the most lackluster. Strong performances abound and the special effects are ramped up a notch and look spectacular, especially the opening scene where Nightcrawler "attacks" the Oval Office. However, even with fascinating new characters and fanboy shout-outs, it just doesn't manage to bring enough new things to the table to truly outshine its predecessor. The only real change is Magneto's position as a good guy and the confusion that it causes over the classic good vs. evil debate. Singer continues to prove his excellency as a director, lending just enough real world angst and grit to the film to keep it from degenerating into a silly comic book movie. There is never any question that this is a film about societal issues that just happens to be told from the point of view of mutants. Singer also continues to develop the saga of each character and the team as a whole. He proves that sequels can be bigger and better without being overwrought and bloated. The story is a little bit complicated and takes up a lot of different threads of story but in the end they all pay off. Singer's second foray into the X-Men is another movie that burns with uncontrollable energy but has enough restraint to not quite explode, much like the Phoenix that we finally glimpse in the final seconds of the film. Singer's passion for the team and the genre is obvious, especially considering the number of years of comic book continuity that he manages to pay lipservice to. He continues to make one serious mistake though; he continues to focus on Wolverine as his main character. The biggest obstacle that X-Men faces is the fact that its most overused, uninteresting character helms the movie, despite the plethora of more interesting stories going on in the background. But even that can't stop what many consider to be the best superhero movie of all time.
X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner, 2006)
Ratner is lucky to still have a job in Hollywood after the audience response to this film. However, its reputation as the worst of the three films is undeserved. The Last Stand has a lot to offer. It is by far the most visually stunning of the three movies and it deals with the weightiest themes, which is perhaps why audiences were so upset that tt commits the same mistake as the first two films by trying to cram to much into its screenplay. Admittedly, there is less character development here. However, there is certainly just as much grappling with real-world issues. The Dark Phoenix storyline is one of the most loved of all comic fandom and is given fair treatment here. Though not the same as the comic book story, it is clearly explained and the stakes are just as high. When she finally starts giving into her power and disintegrating the world around her. The film becomes almost operatic in its treatment of the destruction. Ratner takes a lot more risks than Singer ever would have, killing off two major characters and depowering a third. It's a risky move, for sure, but served to up the ante a bit for the X-Men. Ratner also finally gives fans what they want, finally revealing not only Sentinels but the Danger Room, Moira McTaggart and dozens of other little shout-outs to X-Men fans.
One can't help but wonder at the introduction of new, long-awaited X-Men that just don't do much but it's still undeniably cool to see Shadowcat face down Juggernaut and Kelsey Grammar hanging from the rafters as Beast. All of the build-up from the first two movies finally explodes here and the action is non-stop, high stakes excitement. Yet, Ratner never forgets about the emotions and the ideologies that started the fire. It is the perfect stylish ending to the trilogy, a final battle-- a last stand-- that is more than worthy of the X-Men name. Personally, it's my favorite of the three.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Gavin Hood, 2009)
We can only hope that this film lives up to the hype. With all of the glorification that has gone to Wolverine in the first three movies that should have focused on the team, I doubt they will mess it up now that it is rightfully all about him. The list of cameos alone has got me excited for this movie: Gambit (finally), Deadpool, Beak, Silverfox. The cast is amazing; Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan. it would take something huge to mess this up now. The only real threat is Wolverine's convoluted history, which could fill a franchise all on its own.
X-Men Origins: Magneto (David S. Goyer, 2009)
Not much has been released about the second film in the Origins series except that it is coming...