The X-Men Movie Retrospective Series by Now Playing Podcast Retrospective Series

X-Men Series Episode 10

Director Bryan Singer is back to take the X-Men to the ’80s for a totally tubular fight against Apocalypse! The film debuts the fan-favorite mutant villain on film. It also features the return of classic movie X-Men Cyclops, Jean Gray, and Nightcrawler. Is the result boss or bunk? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart to find out!

X-Men Series Episode 9

Oh, hello there! Deadpool here. It took ten years but I’ve finally got my own solo film! Now, I know I’m awesome, but even I’m shocked at how many box office records it broke. I have to give a lot of credit to the marketing, but the movie stars me, so it has to be awesome. The real question, though, is what Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob think. So whatever you’re doing – STOP! You need to just put your life on hold for the next 100 minutes and listen to this show to hear the guys review of my first movie!

X-Men Series Episode 8

Marvel’s Avengers film upped audience expectations by bringing four solo cinematic superheroes together for one explosive adventure. Now Fox tries to go one better by bringing two entire superteams together! The catch: they’re both the X-Men. In X-Men: Days of Future Past the original X-Men and the First Class cast share the screen with a dozen new mutants to try and save their species from annihilation at the hands of giant robot sentinels. Does this giant cast lead to X-treme confusion or, in the hands of returning director Bryan Singer is this X-ceptional entertainment? Listen to Now Playing Podcast’s review to find out!

X-Men Series Episode 7

Wolverine cannot be killed, and it seems neither can his film franchise. Despite tepid fan response to X-Men Origins: Wolverine a second solo film featuring Hugh Jackman was quickly put into production. With creative changes behind-the-scenes and a change to make The Wolverine a sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand, it was released with the promise of being “The Wolverine film you’ve been waiting for.” Does it live up to that hype? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart’s latest X-Men movie review to find out as we bide our time until 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past!

X-Men Series Episode 6

Our X-Men retrospective ends where the X-Men began. X-Men: First Class rewinds the timeline to the 1960s, recasting Charles Xavier (now Wanted’s James McAvoy) and Magneto (now Eden Lake’s Michael Fassbender) and rebuilding the franchise from the ground up. Matthew Vaughn, coming off Kick-Ass, takes the director’s chair while Bryan Singer returns in a producing role, steering the series into prequel territory. Can this rebooted origin story stand alongside successful franchise relaunches like Star Trek and Batman Begins? Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart for this First Class finale of their journey through the X-Men saga.

X-Men Series Episode 5

Hugh Jackman steps out on his own in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel tracing Logan’s life from 19th-century Canada through wars, Weapon X experiments, and the events leading to his memory loss. While there’s no Xavier’s School, there’s still a slew of fan-favorite mutants like Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), Blob (Kevin Durand), and a very different take on Deadpool. But does this deep dive into Logan’s past add meaningful layers to the character? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they revisit Wolverine’s first solo outing and decide whether these origins sharpen the claws or dull the legend.

X-Men Series Episode 4

With Bryan Singer graduating from Mutant High to direct Superman Returns, and much of the original creative team gone, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) stepped in to close out the mutant trilogy with X-Men: The Last Stand. The long-foreshadowed conflict finally explodes when a “cure” for mutation is announced, splitting the mutant community and forcing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) into open war. The film swings for epic, tackling the Dark Phoenix storyline while juggling an expanding ensemble. It’s also one of the most divisive entries in the franchise, with fans split over its choices and casualties. Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob as they revisit the trilogy’s conclusion and decide whether The Last Stand earns its place in the saga or buckles under its own ambition.

X-Men Series Episode 3

Three years after X-Men helped redefine superhero cinema, the mutants return with a bigger budget and new enemies. X2: X-Men United brings back Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and the original cast, but does the focus on Wolverine’s mysterious background overshadow the team?  Join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they break down Bryan Singer’s follow-up and decide whether X2 is the rare superhero sequel that improves on the original, or just a case of mutant overload.