The X-Men franchise while its rights were owned by the 20th Century Fox released a number of X-Men movies. X-Men are mutant superheroes based on Marvel comics written and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The very first film was released in 2000, titled – X-Men. And after that, the franchise was divided into two trilogies, Original X-Men and the prequel movies, and a few spin-offs.
The fans have mixed opinions on the X-Men movies as these movies lack consistency. There are divided opinions on which was better – The Original X-Men Trilogy or The Prequel Trilogy. Both the movies have their good and bad aspects. Each of the two trilogies did something right and that makes one better than the other. Here are a few reasons why each of them is better for you to go through and decide for yourself.
The Original X-Men Trilogy had a better depiction of Mystique
Rebecca Romijn played Mystique in the original trilogy. And it is not to say that Jennifer Lawrence‘s Mystique isn’t good. But the original trilogy had a better way of presenting her. In the original movies, she is seen as a mutant and proud personality. And is also a cunning villain. Not just a great rival in physical confrontations but also just smart at playing with her enemies for fun. Like tricking Logan into thinking she is Jean Grey just to enjoy. Romijn managed to capture the intensity of the character, and that in a way made Lawrence’s Mystique not as fun to watch as the one from the original trilogy. Romijn also managed to portray each and every emotion felt by Mystique so well that anyone who would’ve followed would not be able to match her perfection.
The Prequel Movies brought back the Classic X-Men Costume
One of the best things that got the fans excited to see the prequel trilogy was the classic uniforms of the X-Men being brought back. A Marvel comic book fan would love the X-Men to wear their authentic costumes. But the original trilogy decided to give the favorite mutant superheroes a hideous black suit for some reason. It was done in an attempt to make it look familiar with the late-90s fashion. And added the reasons behind it in the script. Though, the prequel trilogy was not as good as the fans expected it to be. They did do one right thing. And that was to bring back the original X-Men costume. The one with yellow spandex. It made the series look more authentic, with the real costumes and the bright colors.
The Original X-Men Trilogy had a better Wolverine
Wolverine undoubtedly is one of the most popular characters from the X-Men series. And Hugh Jackman is known to be the face of the character from the very beginning of the franchise. In the first films, Logan was always the central character, a lonely mutant struggling to find his place in the world. Then later discovers the group of mutants who accept him as their leader and he finds a new home. But the prequel trilogy does not treat him like the central character. The character development that we see in the original movies was missing in the prequels. The prequels were more focused on action and comic relief. And forgot to add the storyline of the character. They forgot why Logan is one of the most famous and loved X-Men out there.
The Prequel Movies has a better Setting
Taking us back to show the story of the younger versions of our favorite mutants, the prequel trilogy is set in the 60s. Especially the X-Men: First Class. The movie not only saved the dying franchise but also added a better setting to it. And gave the characters some background. It just did not take influence from the historical setting but also was inspired by the movies from that time. Like the Bond movies from the Connery era. Matthew Vaughn took his movie in the past and added some real event references to it. The movie talked about the Cuban Missile Crisis. And that was one of the most intriguing factors. Also added a political angle to the movies, like it is in the comic books. The fans believe that First Class really is the savior of the X-Men franchise.
The Original X-Men Trilogy had an Impactful Storyline
Mutant vs. Human storyline was the base plot of every original trilogy movie. And it did well with the fans. Also, the politics of the government against the minorities (mutants in the case of the movies) was a good representation of real-life politics. The first movie dealt with the “Mutant Registration Act”. It made it compulsory for mutants to get themselves registered and state their powers. In the second film, William Stryker tries to control Cerebro to find and kill mutants. Also, in the final film, a pharmaceutical cure was developed to heal the mutants. And suppress the mutant gene. Despite the attempts of Charles Xavier to make mutants and humans live in harmony, the government seemed to be against it.
The Prequel Movies introduced Quicksilver
Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its own version of the character, Quicksilver, who is the twin of Scarlet Witch. But his role on the big screen was quite limited and the fans could not see much of him and his abilities. All the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron told us about him was he is fast. And in the end, he dies while saving Hawkeye. Quite heroic but not enough. In X-Men: Days of the Future Past, brought in their own version of the character, played by Evan Peters. And he became one of the most loved mutants of all time. The X-Men Quicksilver has a more character arc to him and we get to see more to his powers. Like his photographic memory.
Related: Why X-Men’s Nightcrawler Is Worthy & Deserves His Own Solo Movie
