Love it or hate it, Rotten Tomatoes is now more important than ever when it comes to whether moviegoers decide to check out the latest releases in theaters (well, when they were still being released in them), and it's not uncommon for studios to tout scores as proudly as star ratings.
The X-Men franchise has felt the wrath of critics and their love over the years, and while Marvel Studios now plans to reboot the characters for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's hard not to look back at the twenty years of stories Fox delivered without at least a handful of fond memories.
It goes without saying that looking back at how these movies fared on the review aggregator makes for interesting reading, and we think you'll agree after seeing how they all stack up against each other.
To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button below!
14. Dark Phoenix
Score: 22%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Dark Phoenix ends an era of the X-Men franchise by taking a second stab at adapting a classic comics arc -- with deeply disappointing results.
The final chapter in the X-Men saga was a complete and utter disaster, and Simon Kinberg proved that he's simply not capable of stepping behind the camera and directing a movie. While the production was plagued by reshoots, that's only because the original cut he delivered wasn't good enough to be played in theaters, an irony considering how he stepped in to take charge of Fantastic Four!
13. The New Mutants
Score: 34%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Rendering a list of potentially explosive ingredients mostly inert, The New Mutants is a franchise spinoff that's less than the sum of its super-powered parts.
The last Marvel movie from Fox before the company merged with Disney suffered from countless release date delays, and no reshoots meant that what did eventually arrive in theaters felt extremely rough around the edges. More of a decent TV pilot than bad movie, The New Mutants' score is a tad harsh, but no one was surprised to see this franchise go out on a low after years of questionable storytelling.
12. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Score: 37%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Though Hugh Jackman gives his all, he can't help X-Men Origins: Wolverine overcome a cliche-ridden script and familiar narrative.
Every bit as bad as Dark Phoenix, Wolverine's first solo movie was a mash up of ideas, none of which really worked. A rushed origin story, convoluted ties to Sabretooth (an excellent Liev Schreiber), and whatever the hell "Barakapool" was, there was nothing to be found here beyond disappointment. The tie-in video game was pretty rad, but it's no wonder there were no more "Origins" tales after this one.
11. X-Men: Apocalypse
Score: 47%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Overloaded action and a cliched villain take the focus away from otherwise strong performers and resonant themes, making X-Men: Apocalypse a middling chapter of the venerable superhero franchise.
X-Men: Apocalypse was probably the closest Fox ever came to making a Marvel Studios movie, and...it didn't work. There was a lot here that was good fun, but with way too many characters, a massively underwhelming spin of En Sabah Nur, and a director at the helm with no real ability to make a true blockbuster, this might have been doomed from the star. At least it gave us Olivia Wilde as Psylock, though, eh?
10. Once Upon A Deadpool
Score: 54%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Once Upon a Deadpool retains enough of the franchise's anarchic spirit to entertain, but doesn't add enough to Deadpool 2 to justify its own existence.
It's surprising this even justified separate reviews as it was essentially the same film as Deadpool 2, albeit with toned down humour for a PG-13 audience and a few extra bits of footage. If nothing else, it proved that a non-R-Rated Merc with the Mouth could fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it's easy enough to understand why critics were disappointed that it was so lacking on fresh content.
9. X-Men: The Last Stand
Score: 57%
Rotten or Fresh? Rotten
Critics Consensus: X-Men: The Last Stand provides plenty of mutant action for fans of the franchise, even if it does so at the expense of its predecessors' deeper character moments.
It's hard to understand how this one scored as well as it did, especially when it screwed up both "The Cure" storyline from Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run and the classic "Dark Phoenix Saga." Brett Ratner was the wrong fit for the X-Men franchise, and while he delivered better action scenes than Bryan Singer ever did, the filmmaker (a generous term) simply couldn't tie together a cohesive story.
8. The Wolverine
Score: 71%
Rotten or Fresh? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Although its final act succumbs to the usual cartoonish antics, The Wolverine is one superhero movie that manages to stay true to the comics while keeping casual viewers entertained.
James Mangold's first Wolverine movie definitely struggled to escape the constraints of the wider X-Men franchise, and this adventure was undeniably at its best before it tried heading down the blockbuster route with a CGI heavy final battle that caused all sorts of continuity issues (we still don't know how Logan managed to get his Adamantium claws back or why that scene ever really needed to happen).
7. X-Men
Score: 81%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: Faithful to the comics and filled with action, X-Men brings a crowded slate of classic Marvel characters to the screen with a talented ensemble cast and surprisingly sharp narrative focus.
It didn't respect the source material anywhere near as much as it should have done, but for its time, X-Men was definitely a game-changer and helped open the door to Hollywood taking superheroes seriously. It also gave Kevin Feige his start, and with a phenomenal cast, it's easy enough to overlook a few flaws (a silly final battle, some underwhelming Brotherhood members, and those black leather costumes).
6. Deadpool 2
Score: 83%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: Though it threatens to buckle under the weight of its meta gags, Deadpool 2 is a gory, gleeful lampoon of the superhero genre buoyed by Ryan Reynolds' undeniable charm.
We know a lot of you loved Deadpool 2, but the sequel really didn't live up to what the first instalment delivered, and recycled one too many jokes. Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin were great, as was Zazie Beetz, but the story was nowhere near strong enough, and the gross, R-Rated humour became something of a chore to sit through at times. A fresh start in the MCU would definitely be welcomed at this point.
TIE: Deadpool
Score: 85%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: Fast, funny, and gleefully profane, the fourth-wall-busting Deadpool subverts superhero film formula with wildly entertaining -- and decidedly non-family-friendly -- results.
After X-Men Origins: Wolverine so badly dropped the ball with Wade Wilson, it was a real joy to see Ryan Reynolds get the chance to shine as the Merc with the Mouth in 2016's Deadpool. The movie was a total blast, and while it was occasionally held back by Fox cutting the budget, Tim Miller and company made the best out of what they had, and it's no wonder Deadpool was put on the map as a result.
TIE: X2: X-Men United
Score: 85%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: Tightly scripted, solidly acted, and impressively ambitious, X2: X-Men United is bigger and better than its predecessor -- and a benchmark for comic sequels in general.
Bryan Singer still didn't really have much respect for the comic books when it came to X2: X-Men United, but the movie was pretty great, and the exploration of Wolverine's time with Weapon X really hit hard. In some ways, this was more of a Wolverine movie than anything else, and it's a tad frustrating that Magento had such a large role after being showcased in the preceding chapter (even if Sir Ian McKellen was great).
3. X-Men: First Class
Score: 86%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: With a strong script, stylish direction, and powerful performances from its well-rounded cast, X-Men: First Class is a welcome return to form for the franchise.
Matthew Vaughn's reboot of the X-Men was desperately needed back in 2011, and while it didn't deliver the "First Class" many fans hoped for or expected, heading back to the 1960s to delve into Professor X and Magneto's first meeting made for fascinating viewing, as did sticking Mystique between them. There was once again a reluctance to embrace the source material, but Vaughn was a great fit for the franchise.
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Score: 90%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: X-Men: Days of Future Past combines the best elements of the series to produce a satisfyingly fast-paced outing that ranks among the franchise's finest installments.
Arguably the best X-Men movie in some respects, this X-Men: First Class sequel was perhaps a little soon to bring together the characters from the "past" and "present" era of stories, but it was still incredible watching them come face to face. The Sentinels underwhelmed, but Hugh Jackman was incredible, and while X-Men: Days of Future Past deserves that score, but could and should have been better.
1. Logan
Score: 93%
Rotten or Fresh? Certified Fresh
Critics Consensus: Hugh Jackman makes the most of his final outing as Wolverine with a gritty, nuanced performance in a violent but surprisingly thoughtful superhero action film that defies genre conventions.
Like a lot of the other movies listed here, Logan wasn't necessarily the "Old Man Logan" adaptation we wanted or expected, but it was still damn great. Having Wolverine battle his younger clone sucked (why not Sabretooth?), and Donald Pierce and Dr. Zander Rice were equally disappointing. However, Logan, X-23, and Professor X's respective story arcs all made up for that and that ending was undeniably powerful.