Hugh Jackman is one of today’s most versatile performers. He can provide serious performances like The Prestige and Prisoners, but he also adds levity to family pictures like Happy Feet. He can even make a picture that should seem ridiculously tacky, like Real Steel, feel better than it should.
1. The Wolverine: Legacy
Since the first film in the series, 20th Century Fox has continued to release yes movies. Although the latest X-Men: Dark Phoenix doesn’t include Wolverine, this movie is still worth watching for Jackman’s performance as Professor Xavier and his battle against Magneto. The movie combines elements from the previous films, and even features the original cast! The movie also stars Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Halle Berry as Storm, and Anna Paquin as Rogue.
This movie is the best one in the entire franchise! Jackman perfectly captures the cynical, world-weary character of Logan. He also gives a heartbreaking performance as he fights against a technologically-augmented enemy.
2. The Wolverine: Revelations
While many people associate Hugh Jackman with the X-Men series, the actor’s filmography extends far beyond that. From Darren Aronofsky movies like The Fountain to contemporary classics such as The Prestige and Prisoners, Jackman has proved he’s a great dramatic actor too.
While Jackman’s physique is ideal for superheroes, this movie shows he can be equally terrifying without the benefit of CGI claws. He portrays a vengeful father who turns into a monster and manages to convey his grief and remorse perfectly.
Featuring heart-pounding set pieces, ripped muscles, and a senile Patrick Stewart, Logan has it all. This is the perfect example of how Jackman can combine his Hollywood charisma with his dramatic stage acting skills to create a truly defining character. The movie earned a whopping $619M worldwide!
3. Real Steel
Real Steel is a science fiction sports drama about robot boxing in the near future. It is based on the 1956 short story “Steel” by Richard Matheson, which was also made into an episode of The Twilight Zone.
The movie stars Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up former boxer who works as a sleazy fight promoter in the shadowy world of robotic prizefighting. He thinks he has found his next champion contender in Atom, a trash-heap robot who improbably rises to the top.
Directed by Shawn Levy, who previously delivered Night at the Museum and its sequel, Real Steel offers old-fashioned pathos mingled with clanging metal-on-metal action. It’s a win-win for sci-fi fans. And, of course, for Hugh Jackman fans. It’s a thrill to see him onscreen. He nailed this film. It’s his best performance since The Fountain.
4. Happy Feet
In the first movie on this list not related to the Marvel Universe, Jackman proves he’s just as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it. Directed by Michael Gracey, this movie tells the story of circus tycoon P.T. Barnum, and it shows off Jackman’s talents as a singer, too. The film also stars Allison Janney, Welker White, and Ray Romano.
Despite a low Rotten Tomato score, this underrated movie is one of Jackman’s best. It’s a thriller that takes its time building characters and establishing tension, and it features one of Jackman’s most nuanced performances. Prisoners also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, and Viola Davis. This is a must-watch for fans of the actor.
5. The Wolverine: The Last Stand
Hugh Jackman is known for playing the mutant superhero Wolverine in nine X-Men films, but his career has also included many more great movies across multiple genres. From musicals to action thrillers, he has starred in some of Hollywood’s best films.
He also stars in Darren Aronofsky’s visually stunning science-fiction drama The Fountain, and he is a force to be reckoned with as Jean Valjean in Baz Luhrmann’s lush historical epic Australia.
He even does voice work in the craziest animated movie of the 21st century, Flushed Away, as Roddy St James, a pitiful sewer rat. He was the perfect choice for this role, and he delivers his lines with so much spirited energy that you can’t help but love him. He also stars in Prisoners, a taut and haunting film by Denis Villeneuve. This was his final outing as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise before he retired the character in 2017. It’s a tour de force performance.