Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

OPENING: 05/01/2009

STUDIO: Fox

RUN TIME: 107 min

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

SOUNDTRACK:

The Charge
You got a problem with me, Bub?

Opening Statement
With one bullet already in its back, this Summer’s first actioner comes flying out of the gate with claws slashing and teeth gnashing. Exploring the origins of The X-Men‘s most enigmatic member, director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) once again proves his cinematic flair, thanks in part to a strong cast overcoming a script that’s far from nigh invulnerable.

Facts of the Case
Sickly young Jimmy Howlett’s mutation manifests itself, the night his father is murdered by the family’s drunkard groundskeeper, Thomas Logan. Only, as Jimmy sinks his frightening new bone claws into the chest this killer, does he come to learn he’s exacted revenge on his real father. Overcome with grief and rage, Jimmy finds himself on the run alongside his best friend and now half-brother, Victor, who’s dealing with a violent mutation of his own.

As we fast forward through the next 150 years, the slowly aging brothers fight alongside each other through the world’s most devastating military conflicts, that is until Victor’s ever increasing bloodlust results in court martial by firing squad. When it’s discovered their healing factors prevent death by normal means, it draws the attention of Col. William Stryker who’s assembling a team of gifted mercenaries. But when Logan (having adopted the surname of his father) discovers their mission objectives are far from honorable, he bolts, setting off a chain of events that will ultimately give birth to the conflicted hero we know as Wolverine.

The Evidence
Like the character himself, Wolverine overcomes production problems, a workprint leaked to the internet, and bad fanboy buzz to prove this is one franchise that’s darn near impossible to kill. Synergizing source material from Marvel Comics writers and artists Bill Jemas, Paul Jenkins, Joe Quesada, Barry Windsor-Smith, Larry Hama, Grant Morrison, Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza, and more, the film takes 35 years of character history and repackages it to fit within the framework of the existing X-Men film franchise… with mixed results.

With any film adaptation, audiences need to set aside their personal connections to the source material to fully enjoy the ride. Despite several moments of comparison criticality, I was thoroughly entertained. Hugh Jackman had this character nailed from the first frame of X-Men and his continued commitment to the role has every fiber of Logan’s rich history on display here. Like an NBA All-Star, Jackman elevates the game of everyone around him, rising above the weaknesses of David Benoiff (Troy) and Skip Woods’ (Swordfish) script, which feels bloated and often unsure of itself, lacking enough humor to balance the darkness.

Director Gavin Hood makes the most of what he has to work with, which includes some less than impressive CGI work, especially when it comes to Logan’s Adamantium claws. We get nice opening titles, sweeping visuals, stylized fight sequences, and an ill-conceived climax which had more than half of our audience laughing. But, as his track record shows, it’s the quiet, intense moments where Hood excels.

Where I had the most trouble were the story elements which felt unnecessarily forced. Granted, we still traverse Logan’s well-established history from point to point, but the journey he takes and the people he encounters are often quite different. For example, his relationship with Silverfox (known here as Kayla), the Weapon X program, and the use of familiar names and faces in odd and unsatisfying ways (e.g. Emma Frost and Scott Summers) will likely be quite off-putting to X-Men purists. But again, if you leave your baggage at the door and open yourself to the story being told, the payoff does work and we get to experience some great moments along the way.

Taking over the mantle of William Stryker — played with devious brilliance by Bryan Cox in X2: X-Men United — Danny Houston (30 Days of Night) is the film’s heavy, doing a nice job of leaving us off-balance as to which side he’s really on. There are times when his acting skills fail to deliver true authenticity, but he bridges the gap between young and old Stryker quite nicely.

I was initially concerned with the casting of Liev Schreiber as Victor (or Dog or Creed or however you’d like to refer to him), but the minute you see him in action, he fully embodies the man who will eventually devolve into Sabertooth. With each kill, his lust grows, and though he needs an authority figure to replace his abusive father, any vestiges of humanity are quickly being shed. Schreiber plays extremely well off Jackman and, if the two are game, there are more movies to be made.

The two people I wanted to see more of were Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) as Remy LeBeau and Ryan Reynolds (Smokin’ Aces) as Wade Wilson. Everyone’s favorite Cajun is given little more than a cameo, but sets up a potential sequel in which we may experience his own rich origin. The same holds true for The Merc with a Mouth; but, if you stick around after the credits, the ridiculous changes to Deadpool’s character are in some small way forgiven.

Just an aside: This is not a family friendly picture. Attending a screening with parents who brought kids aged 4-8 was a bit head scratching. Although stylized, the violence here is very real. I know we’ve all become desensitized by the world around us, but unless you want your little ones seeing a dude taken out by multiple gunshots to the head at close range, you’re gonna wanna pickup X-Men: The Animated Series or Wolverine and The X-Men on DVD.

Closing Statement
Wolverine is not this year’s Iron Man. Despite being a fun ride and fitting nicely into the franchise, the film has its problems, and won’t define the Summer box office. However, with lines fully formed for opening day, it’s sure have a strong albeit brief run.

The Verdict
7.5/10

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