X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.
| Hugh Jackman | Logan, Wolverine |
| Ryan Reynolds | Wade Wilson, Deadpool |
| Liev Schreiber | Victor Creed, Sabretooth |
| Dominic Monaghan | Barnell Bohusk, Beak |
| Lynn Collins | Silver Fox |
| Danny Huston | William Stryker |
| Daniel Henney | David North, Agent Zero |
| Taylor Kitsch | Remy LeBeau, Gambit |
| Kevin Durand | Frederick J. Dukes |
| Gavin Hood |
6.70 out of 10 (73274 votes)
Visitor Reviews
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is great!
posted on 31 Aug 2009"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is great! This is how the story goes: "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.
The cast led by Hugh Jackman (who also produced the film) (as Logan / Wolverine) & Liev Schreiber (as Victor Creed / Sabretooth) is great! The directing by Gavin Hood (who also directed "Tsotsi" (2005, also wrote the story & screenplay) & "Rendition" (2007) is great! The screenplay by David Benioff (who also did the screenplay to "25th Hour" (2002, based on his novel), "Troy" (2004), "Stay" (2005, also wrote the story), "The Kite Runner" (2007) & the upcoming "Brothers" (2009) & Skip Woods (who also wrote the story and screenplay to "Hitman" (2007) & "Swordfish" (2001, which he also co-produced and which also co-starred Jackman) is great!
The music by Harry Gregson-Williams (who also did the music to the upcoming "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3" (2009) & "The Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time" (2010), he also did the music to "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" (2005) & "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008) is great! The cinematography by Donald M. McAlpine (who also did the cinematography to "Moulin Rouge!" (2001) & "Romeo & Juliet" (1996), both which were directed by Jackman's "Australia" (2008) director, Baz Luhrmann), he also did the cinematography to "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe") is great! The film editing by Nicolas De Toth (who also did the film editing to "The Sum Of All Fears" (2002), "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" (2003), "Underworld: Evolution" (2006) & "Live Free Or Die Hard" (2007), both which were directed by Len Wiseman, who is married to Jackman's "Van Helsing" (2004) co-star, Kate Beckinsale) & Megan Gill (who also did the film editing to "Tsotsi" & "Rendition") is great! The casting by Debra Zane (who also did the casting, recently to, "The Uninvited" (2009) & the upcoming "Away We Go" (2009) is great! The production design by Barry Robison (who also did the production design to "Rendition" & the upcoming "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader" (2010) is great! The art direction by Michael Diner (who also did the art direction to "Juno" (2007), "Night At The Museum" (2006) & its upcoming sequel, "Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian" (2009), Brian Edmonds, Ian Gracie (supervising art director) (who was an supervising art director on "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" & its upcoming second sequel, "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader", he also was an supervising art director on "Australia"), Helen Jarvis (who also did the art direction to "X2" (2003) & "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006), she also did the art direction to "Watchmen" (2009) & was an supervising art director on "Night At The Museum" & its upcoming sequel, "Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian"), Karen Murphy (who also did the art direction to "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe", "The Kite Runner", "Australia", & the upcoming Narnia sequel, "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader"), & Mark Robins (who also did the art direction to "30 Days Of Night" & the upcoming Narnia sequel, "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader" is great! The set decoration by Rebecca Cohen & Sandy Walker is great! The costume design by Louise Mingenbach (who also did the costume design to "X-Men" (2000), "X2", & "Superman Returns" (2006), all three were directed by Bryan Singer, she also did the costume design to "Hancock" (2008) & the upcoming "The Hangover" (2009) is great!
This is a great prequel and back story to one of X-Men's interesting and intriguing characters, Wolverine. This is an action-packed film that is fun and fast-paced. This is a great start to the summer movie season.
Honestly, it is not that bad as long as you can cut its revisionism some slack
posted on 31 Aug 2009There is a certain kind of potential viewer for this movie that simply shouldn't: the comic book or fantasy fundamentalist. The most extreme example are those silly people who wouldn't see LORD OF THE RINGS because of the removal of Tom Bombadil or WATCHMEN because there was no squid (though in the case of the latter the fact that it was one of the least cinema films ever made is more to the point). WOLVERINE or as it is officially known X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE engages in a great deal of revisionism. Comic fans (of which I count myself) need to chill out. We've seen so many revisions of various comic characters and there are so many incompatibilities between various incarnations that if they do the same thing in the movies, how can we sanely complain? We can have debates about whether the changes are any good, but that things have changed from various versions in the comics is absolutely not a legitimate criticism. WATCHMEN proved that for all time. No film has been so slavishly faithful to a source before, and no film has ever suffered so much as a result.
Frankly, this isn't a bad movie. Neither is it a great one. I can name a long string of superhero movies that are better. Heck, I can name four in 2008 that were infinitely better: IRON MAN, HELL BOY II, HULK, and THE DARK KNIGHT (and I rank them in that order), and we are likely to see better Marvel Studios films in the future. But that doesn't mean that this is bad. Did I like every change? Nope. I was especially bothered by the apparent nerfing of Emma Frost, seemingly eliminating her very powerful psychic powers and emphasizing exclusively her secondary mutation of turning into diamond (which is interesting primarily because when she is in that form she loses her emotions and abilities, hence her sometimes nickname The Ice Queen). But overwhelmingly, Emma Frost is psychic, and that is rather too large of a thing in my opinion to leave out. (Though I did find it interesting that in multiple shots they paired Emma Frost and Scott Sommers. Foreshadowing? In the most recent reimaginings of the X-Men Emma and Scott have enjoyed an extremely complex relationship before Jean Grey's death; after her death they are a full-fledged couple.) But I found the creation of a much, much deeper background between Logan and his traditional nemesis Sabertooth to be a lot of fun and fairly compelling.
Another group of comic book fundamentalists are going to be upset because the timeline doesn't work, especially with the timeline of the three X-Men movies. But I agree with Emerson that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. And of course there is the complication that we had a completely different Sabertooth in the first X-Men film. But none of this really bothers me. Liev Schreiber is just outstanding as Victor/Sabertooth. He has for many years been one of the least utilized great actors in Hollywood and hopefully after this he will be in more high profile films.
The one person I was most interested in seeing in this was Taylor Kitsch, who plays Gambit. A lot of newspapers and magazines and critics, whenever lists are make of "upcoming stars," Kitsch persistently makes an appearance. He has been one of the most exciting young actors on television as Tim Riggins on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, where he not only has displayed lots of acting ability, but has put on display physical charms that make three of my closest female friends declare that he is the most attractive male in the world. But for those who are not watchers of FNL, this could be their introduction to Kitsch. And I have to say that he manages to put on display as Gambit a lot of the same charm that he flashes on FNL. That is one consistent element in Gambit in all of his X-Men appearances, a roguish charm. and Taylor Kitsch has that in spades (no pun intended, given Gambit's skill at cards). It has been interesting seeing how they handle various X-Men in the movies. Some are almost impossibly nerfed, most horribly Rogue, who went from being one of the most dominant X-Men to being one of the lamest, with them stripping her of just about all of her powers. I mentioned above Emma Frost having her greater powers removed. But the strange thing with Gambit is that he is made, if anything, more powerful than usual. My greatest disappointment was, however, with one of the most powerful of all the Marvel Universe entities, Weapon XI, Deadpool. As presented he was simply not very interesting.
All in all, however, I found this pretty entertaining. It won't go down as one of the greatest superhero movies. I did enjoy it as much as the three X-Men movies. I think in all four Hugh Jackman has been excellent as Wolverine. The really odd thing about that is that he is utterly wrong for the role. He pulls the hair and facial expressions off, but like Peter O'Toole in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (where the 6'3 O'Toole played the 5'3 T. E. Lawrence), he is far too tall for the role. In the official Marvel description, Logan is 5'3. He is supposed to be stocky and squat and thick, like a wolverine. Still, apart from that he has made this role his own. Unless you are a comic book fundamentalist, you should find plenty in this film to enjoy.
If you don't know any better!!!
posted on 31 Aug 2009I went into this movie knowing that it would have some slight differences from the comic book story. But I didn't expect 90 percent of the movie to be different!!! I was extremely disappointed with this movie. Not only was the story warped but they also warped the powers and capabilities of certain characters. The special effects and the fight scenes were on point but the story line blew it for me. If you are a avid comic book fan like me you will not like this movie. If you don't know any better you will probably love it.
X-Men fans--prepare to be underwhelmed.
posted on 31 Aug 2009"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was a disappointing film for several reasons, mostly because it broke the cardinal rule of superhero films: have a villain that's just as interesting as the hero. Sabertooth was never shown to be the truly evil monster that he is (there was a surprising lack of violence in this film). Wolverine himself is never shown being a true bad@$$ either--Logan had more exciting action scenes in "X2" than he did in his own movie! Also the third act of the film is fairly anticlimactic and rather than the ultimate Wolverine vs. Sabertooth battle fans have been waiting for, we get Victor & Jimmy battling a totally new character, which while this guy has some cool powers the battle with him lacks any emotional weight at all.
The film was not without its highlights though. The all too brief encounter with Gambit was (aside from some ridiculous wire-fu moments) perfect. The origin of the "Blob's" name was a surprisingly good scene, Sabertooth vs. Wraith and Wade/Deadpool vs. a room full of bad guys with guns was also pretty spectacular. Fans of the comics and X-films also get a few more cool little moments sprinkled out through the film that I won't spoil here.
The bottom line is this film definitely has flashes of brilliance that are too short and too brief to keep "Wolverine" from being the weakest and most disappointing addition yet to the X-Men film franchise.
Oh how I want those claws
posted on 31 Aug 2009Entering the theater today I was expecting the worst after reading many negative reviews, but I have to say that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was pure popcorn entertainment. I know it's not in the same league as the second X-Men film or in the same galaxy as something like The Dark Knight, but I really liked some of the characters and action scenes. The CGI is pretty good for the most part, though for some reason Wolverine's claws looked terrible when he is inspecting the new metal for the first time in the bathroom. Hugh Jackman could play this character in his sleep, but thankfully he put a lot into the role yet again (dude must lift some serious weights). I also thought Liev Schreiber made a fantastic Sabertooth. He doesn't overact the part and manages to inject the right amount of menace. Sadly, fan favorites like Deadpool and Gambit (been waiting for him to enter the mix since the first X-Men movie) aren't given much to do and amount to little screen time. The story itself wasn't as bad as I feared and it moved at a good pace, while leaving room for some quieter moments early on.
I enjoyed Watchmen when it came out of couple of months ago and I understand why some didn't. This flick is like the anti-Watchmen. Its sole purpose is to provide the goods for everyone and not trying to be anything special. I'm sure Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will all overshadow this one, but I must admit that Wolverine isn't a bad way to start off the summer movie season.
3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Brothers Mutant
posted on 31 Aug 2009Of the comic book characters I'm familiar with, which really isn't that many, I can't think of anyone I'd like to be less than Wolverine. What a depressing character, a man well over 100 years old who at one point or another loses everything he holds dear. He has no real home, no real friends, and no real family (with one exception, but we'll get into that later). Worse yet, he's a mutant, with retractable blades that emerge from his knuckles and the ability to regenerate damaged skin. Because of this, he's relentlessly pursued by the government, who, naturally, want to capture him and perform all sorts of nasty experiments. They succeed in one regard; he's injected with a special metal from outer space that makes his bones unbreakable. So not only is an outsider, he's also forced to live with being at outsider seemingly for all time. Compared to Wolverine, being Bruce Wayne is downright fun, especially with all that money at his disposal.
As the title suggests, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" takes place before the events of the first three "X-Men" films and documents the history of the title character. It does a decent job explaining how he became so indestructible and why he's so miserable, but it fails to explain how he (or anyone else, for that matter) was born a mutant in the first place. Nor does it explain how he stopped aging or when it might have happened. Honestly, I had no idea Wolverine was such an old man. He discovered he was a mutant in 1845 when he was only a boy named James Logan, an event that coincided with the untimely death of his father. It also marked the start of a rivalry between him and his half-brother, Victor, who has fangs and claws and can run on all fours. As the years pass, we see them grow into primal warriors who were a part of many major wars, including the Civil War, both World Wars, and Vietnam. It's during the latter war that the story proper begins.
After surviving a firing squad, Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) are approached by William Stryker (Danny Huston) and offered a chance to be part of a mutant military squad. The other members of the group: John Wraith/Kestrel (will.i.am), who can transport himself from one place to another in the blink of an eye; Chris Bradley/Bolt (Dominic Monaghan), who can manipulate electrically operated objects with his mind; Fred Dukes (Kevin Durand), who will eventually gain a lot of weight and become The Blob; David North/Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), who's lethal with a gun in each hand; and Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), a martial arts expert who can't seem to shut up, especially when it begins annoying everyone else. There comes a point where Logan has had enough of Stryker and decides to turn his back on the squad. This doesn't please Victor, who feels that brothers should stick together no matter what.
Six years later, Logan's quiet life as a lumberjack is brutally interrupted when he learns that the squad members are being murdered one by one. This reunites him with Victor, who now goes by the name Sabretooth and is hell bent on punishing Logan. After a series of unpleasant encounters and unfortunate losses, Logan turns to Stryker, who takes him to a secret laboratory and oversees a complete molecular refit of his body. This includes a new set of stainless steel knives to replace the bony protrusions he was born with. It also includes a name change from Logan to Wolverine. Basically, he has unleashed the animal that was always lurking somewhere within, abandoning any notion of restraint and compassion.
And that's pretty much where the story becomes a prolonged seek-and-destroy mission, which can only go so far before it stops being entertaining. You'd think that characters like Remy LeBeau/Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) or Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins) would help enliven the film, but they don't. They are important characters, yet they aren't given the chance to contribute much to the story.
To be fair, this movie will give action lovers and comic book fans everything they've been expecting. Just wait until the unveiling of Weapon XI, a strange looking mutant with a number of impressive superpowers. There's also a fun shot of Wolverine flying over a helicopter in slow motion, which happens just after being ejected from a fast-moving motorcycle.
But spectacle comes easy in a film based on a comic book. What I really wanted was a more substantive story, something that could make the Wolverine character seem like more than an angry, brooding victim. I also would have appreciated a bit more insight as to how and why specific things came to be, mutants most of all. Regardless, I'm sure "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" will be a great financial success, appealing to those who want nothing more from their superhero movies than cool stunts and eye-popping visual effects. There's also a fair amount of humor, which is good because it saves the film from becoming an action-packed melodrama. Much of the audience's laughter was reserved for a brief boxing match between Wolverine and The Blob, whose proportions make him look more like a living beach ball. I didn't laugh quite as hard as everyone else, but in my defense, I was still thinking about all the bad things that happened earlier in the story.
Should have been called Sabertooth!
posted on 31 Aug 2009First of all I would like to point out that Victor Creed/Sabertooth stole the show for me. I just thought that his sadistic sarcastic character was gratifying in a twisted dark kind of way. But Wolverine was pretty darn cool too. I wish Gambit and Deadpool would have got a little more screen time, there stints in the movie were by far to short. The action is non stop so all us testosterone hack and slash lovers will leave this movie feeling satisfied. It even should be appealing to the ladies since Jackman prances around alot barley dressed. Overall I think this movie is absoultly fantastic. I highly recommend.
Comic book fans may not love this movie as much as I did...
posted on 31 Aug 20091840's Canada, two boys are together. They are Logan (later Wolverine) and Victor Creed (later Sabretooth). When they lose their father, they go off together to fight. They're both mutants and virtually indestructible.
Present day and the pair has fought in almost every war since then. Col. William Stryker recruits them for an elite strike force. When Logan realizes Stryker's ultimate plans, he opts out and moves to the Canadian Rockies and marries schoolteacher, Kayla.
But, the fight's not over. Sabretooth is going after the former team and Wolverine's got to step up before they're all killed.
Fandom of "Wolverine Origins" seems to be currently divided between two camps: those who read the dark character in the Marvel comic books and those who have not. For the record, I have not read the comics--only seen the movies. That being said, I enjoyed watching "X-men Origins." I cannot speak to the story's authenticity to its source material, but I can say the action was interesting, the scenery spectacular, and it was 2 hours well spent in the theatre.
Easter Egg Alert: Stay until the very end of the film. There is an Easter Egg.
Rebecca Kyle, April 2009
Marvel-ously Origin-al
posted on 31 Aug 2009Do you want to know how Wolverine got those shiny claws? Do you want to know about his past? Do you want to know why he has lost memories? If you answered yes to all or to at least one of those questions, then "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is something you should check out for the answer(s).
Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine to show us, finally, where he came from. We get a glimpse of his birth sometime in the 19th century. We see that Wolverine is a war-weary soldier who's fought in battles ranging from the Civil War all the way up to Vietnam. We see the beast that lies within him and what drives all his rage.
Some of what you know about the other "X-Men" films needs to be forgotten, particularly anything to do with Sabretooth. In "Origins" the Sabretooth character is re-imagined as Wolverine's half brother, which has been subject of comic book fan speculation.
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is as solid as adamantium. The re-imagining of Sabretooth worked well and created an emotional connection between protagonist and antagonist. Jackman was solid again as Wolverine. But, he seems overshadowed by Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth who gave a much more dark, menacing performance. Overall, the film is well made and thoroughly exciting.
Comic book fans will probably nitpick at whatever they see fit. But, the bottom line is that "Origins" is much better than the dreadful "X-Men: The Last Stand" and seems to be clawing at the origins of something great.
Insider tip: Stay for the end of the credits, there is a hidden scene.
What character was this? I thought I was watching a Wolverine movie
posted on 31 Aug 2009"X-Men Origins: Wolverine", written by David Benioff and directed by Gavin Hood.
The world is familiar with Wolverine as his antics have been displayed in the 3 X-men movies but now it is time to examine his origins. Not too much story to elaborate on; Witness marvels favorite mutant from the very beginning and get Hollywood's take on his relationship with Sabretooth, his first love, his war adventures all the way up to just before the first X-Men movie...
What an abortion of a great character. How did Marvel let this happen? With the success of Spiderman, and Iron Man and a great comeback with a much better Hulk Sequel, how did this movie get made? I have been a huge fan of this character for over 20 years now and I really really wanted this to be good but instead saw the most disappointing comic movie adaptation yet.
The Good: Trying to find some but have yet to be successful.
The Bad: Why did they have to make a campy Wolverine movie? Wolverine is one of the darkest Marvel characters and his movie is full of camp, how does that make sense? Why did they turn one of the hardest Marvel characters into a compassionate crying machine? How did a movie with the Marvel stamp on it come out looking so cheap? When did Gambit turn into a nice guy? Have CG effects gotten worse cause they looked pretty bad in this. Why are there so many forced attempts at iconic shots? I could go on an on.
Overall: This has to be the worst Marvel movie to date and the furthest off the mark with regards to the original source material. The movie looks bad and was written worse. My favorite character has been watered down and then had cool aid added to him. Absolutely terrible and unforgivable.
Although Not Entirely Faithful To The Comic, It Is Well Worth Seeing, Bub! Or Maybe It Isn't!
posted on 31 Aug 2009I just got back from the movie and let me tell you that although it isn't entirely faithful to the comic books, it is still one heck of a thrilling ride. Now I am not going to post any real spoilers, although I will tell you a bit about the movie.
The opening sequence is short but really to the point and quickly explains the relationship between James Howlett (Wolverine/Logan) and Victor Creed (Sabretooth/Logan's older brother) and how James was treated kindly and with love by both his mother and father, while Victor was left under the care of his abusive alcoholic father with no mother whatsoever. This all plays out during the 1840's.
After a particularly violent episode, James and Victor leave their respective homes together and proceed to look out for each other as they participate in every major war from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. A particularly funny scene takes place when both James and Victor are sentenced to die by firing squad after Victor kills a superior officer who attempts to stop him from raping and killing a Vietnamese girl.
Things really start progressing from this point and it would truly be remiss of me to give you too many details, but I will give you a bit more about some of the characters.
Now some reviewers have been a bit harsh about Liev Schreiber playing the role of Victor Creed/Sabretooth because he doesn't look anything like the comic book version. Well let me assure you that even though he may not look like him, he does and outstanding job of portraying him. Unlike Taylor Mane who did really look like the comic book version, but unfortunately he didn't really fulfill the part at all in the first X-Men (Widescreen Edition) movie.
Ryan Reynolds on the other hand did an outstanding job, as always, playing Deadpool. Reynolds since of humor and delivery has always been enjoyable ever since I seen him in National Lampoon's Van Wilder - Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition) and later in Blade - Trinity (New Line Platinum Series), although that movie really needed some help.
I didn't much care for the performance of William Stryker, and I thought that the actor who portrayed him in X2 - X-Men United (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition) did a much better job. However, a lot of the character actors throughout the film did a great job. Especially be on the lookout for the performance of the old farmer.
We also get a chance to see Fred Dukes a.k.a. The Blob, John Wraith, Emma Frost (although I really don't like how they portrayed her), and of course the "ragin' cajun" himself, Gambit. Which I felt was portrayed rather well. I also rather enjoyed the appearance of a younger Scott Summers/Cyclops and his sudden realization of his powers.
I only had two HUGE complaints with this movie and actually considered giving it a much lower ranking because of it, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it because I am such a fan and really had been anxiously awaiting the release of this movie, along with everyone else I might add.
1. I really didn't like the way the director and writers presented Logan's memory loss and thought that they really should have stuck to the original method presented in the comic books.
2. The character of Wolverine, as he was portrayed in this movie, was way too wimpy and whiney for my taste. I mean really, all these claws and swords flashing around and through human bodies and yet not a single drop of blood anywhere? They're bone, metal, and fingernail type claws, not lightsabers which cauterize the wounds as they go through them. What's up with that?
3. To do this movie justice, it should have been rated R and really shown a vicious and brutal pre-X-Men Wolverine and stayed true to his character. But that is just mine and several million others opinion. What do we know, we are just the fans.
Other than that, I really did enjoy the movie. Or did I just enjoy it so much because I am such a HUGE fan and wanted it to be good? I don't know, go to the movie yourself and you be the judge.
Now a bit of friendly non-spoiler advice;
1. Look for a special guest cameo from a very famous and powerful mutant.
2. Don't leave the theater right after the end of the movie.
3. And finally, don't leave the theater until after the entire end of the credits.
Trust me, it is well worth it! Or maybe it isn't, you be the judge!
Shawn Kovacich
Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Review from The Massie Twins
posted on 31 Aug 2009Neatly tying in and building upon many of the characters in the mutant universe, X-Men Origins: Wolverine will undoubtedly satisfy fans of the franchise. Anyone else needn't apply. Plenty of action scenes find their way into the origin story, and while most are wildly spectacular with inventively insane stunts, certain superpowers lend themselves to rather staid showdowns and the occasional over-the-top confrontation that no amount of belief-suspending tactics can overcome. In its defense though, it is a comic book movie, and we finally get to see a glimpse of some twin mutant girls.
One of the most famous X-Men characters, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), receives the full origins treatment, and the latest installment in the series chronicles the harrowing events in the mutant's early years leading up to the first film. The year is 1845, and young James Howlett discovers in a cruel twist of fate the consequences of his temper and the power of his mutant abilities. Swearing to stay by his older brother Victor's (Liev Shreiber) side, James fights through several major wars and the duo wind up more than dishonorably discharged for their failure to respect authority. A way out comes to them in the form of William Stryker (Danny Huston), the leader of a shadowy elite military group carrying out dangerous missions with an army of powerful mutants. When an assignment in Africa sours, the brothers are separated and James, now adopting the name Logan, begins a tranquil new life with girlfriend Kayla (Lynn Collins) as a lumberjack in the Canadian wilderness. But his newfound happiness doesn't last long as Stryker reappears and draws him once again into a world of violence and deception, and Logan must rely on his own cunning, a skeletal upgrade, and the aid of a few new mutant heroes to survive a threat of unimaginable destructive power.
The expected staples of blockbuster superhero movies are naturally included, right down to the outlandish fight sequences, pose-striking before and after important battles, slow motion explosions and loud noises galore. Despite all the intense bells and whistles, the generic plot points also find their way into Origins. Brotherly friends find themselves fighting on opposite sides of morality wars, allies hunt down their own kind blindly for a supposed greater good, the villains must create an uncontrollable monster to defeat an even deadlier foe, and innocent victims along with true love stumble into the mess of sacrifices and revenge.
Of course the main event is the overload of action sequences sure to numb the senses. But the PG-13 rating puts a brazenly noticeable cap to the violence and bloody realism that could be witnessed when mutants duel with Adamantium claws, swords, and razor-sharp fingernails. Instead, the bloodless fights consist primarily of carefully timed charges like a bull squaring off with a matador, running, yelling and grappling. The cautious attention to avoiding truly bloodthirsty engagement limits creative violence. Even when the hand-to-hand combat looks impressive, the stunts get far-fetched, pushing the special effects to the limit.
The mutant super powers are still entertaining, even when they're not specifically defined (Gambit's abilities include a little of everything, although the comics summed it up as the manipulation of kinetic energy), and several new skills get to make a sharp introduction. But perhaps the most fascinating element, the ethical ideas behind living normal lives, concealing inhuman differences, having not asked for such "gifts" and choosing to exploit them, which made the original X-Men movie trilogy so thought-provoking, never quite makes it into this new Wolverine spectacle.
- The Massie Twins
already disappointed
posted on 31 Aug 2009I haven't seen the film yet but a couple things really bother me. Firstly, why does sabertooth look nothing like the marvel character or the one from the first Xmen movie? From the looks of it he is actually shorter than Hugh Jackman...? That stinks. Secondly, I know I will not get to see Deadpool as he should be. He should be in costume. It would be infinitely better. Nothing against the actor playing him, but if you are going to make a movie and use certain characters, then use those characters, otherwise call them something else. The movie producers completely miss the point that these characters have become popular as they are, and not as they want to make them. I don't care if you want to see the actor's face so they can give expressions and act. I don't need to see Ryan Reynolds. I've seen him on the movie screen. I want to see Deadpool on the movie screen. Thank goodness we'll get to see Snake-eyes in the G.I. Joe film this summer (in mask). I guess these people would have him out of costume as well..
what is hollywood without special effects?
posted on 31 Aug 2009i have read that one of the motives why it's unfair this movie is circling the net unfinished is because people are starting to crticize it before its conclusion which in theory i would agree but after seeing this "gem" i think most of the hollywood movies should be seen with apparent wire work, bad transitions, weak post production. that way it is in your face the way this and other movies have no interest in doing something good. its completely marketing research and "professionals" that are professionals because they deliver and are there on time but by no means you could call them creative. this really really sucks. the industry is going to a scary place right now. one of the nominees this year for best cinematography was benjamin button which was done almost entirely in green screen. "cinematography"? best actor??? that is trully wrong. this industry has failed and has been failing for years. this is just another example.
Not the best X-Men movie, but ultimately a worthy entry in the series
posted on 31 Aug 2009As you may or may not know, the workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine has
just recently leaked out onto the web. I am one of the many people who
have seen it, and me being an X-Men fan (OK, well I wasn't too big a
fan of X-Men 3: The Last Stand), I decided to check it out. Movies that
explore the origins of a specific character are usually a dime a dozen,
which is why I wasn't looking too forward to X-Men Origins: Wolverine
upon seeing the trailer, but I decided to give it a go anyways.
The result is that I was surprisingly satisfied! It's not really a
typical X-Men movie. Then again, you have to know what you are seeing
before walking into the theater: an X-Men movie. And Hugh Jackman is
excellent as usual in his performance as Wolverine, the mutant with
those metal claws that come out of his knuckles we all have come to
know and love.
This movie is the start of a series of movies that explore the origins
of characters. The storyline isn't really as confusing or "Stupid" as
some people have made it out to be, actually. It's not the best story
but it serves well. Whereas X2's storyline was easy to follow, this
story IS a tad confusing in some bits. As for the humor- this movie
isn't as humorless as people are complaining about, there is lots of
dry humor, And we even get a pretty funny introduction to the character
of Gambit, as well as the boxing match scene is pretty funny too. Ryan
Reynolds' performance as the talkative Deadpool is pretty funny as
well.
The action scenes are the real highlight, though. The multiple battles
between Wolverine and Sabretooth are very well done, and the
introduction to the newly-embalmed Deadpool is quite stylish too.
There's an entertaining chase scene, which ends with a nice finish.
I can't really judge the Special effects yet since the finished cut is
not released but I can tell they are going to be great. What WAS
finished was pretty impressive, in fact the opening credits played over
the war scenes were full of some great effects. There's some good plot
twists too- one towards the end that was very strong and unexpected.
Sure there are some let-downs- some of the introductions (most notably
Cyclops) were a tad rushed, the ending was a bit too quick, the
character of Gambit, while funny, was a bit confusing, the story was a
tad hard to follow in a few places. But looking past the discrepancies,
this is a pretty good film, and they may be fixed with the 15 minutes
they are going to add to the finished cut. While this isn't the best
X-Men movie, I'd say this is worthy, and the start of something great.
A Flawed but entertaining movie
posted on 31 Aug 2009 Hugh Jackman stars in this prequel to the X-Men movies. It's about how he got the claws and how he lost his memory. I was curious about how he lost his memory but the first 2 X-Men films covered pretty well how he got his claws. I doubt I'm giving anything away that hasn't been already, but in Wolverine we learn right away that Victor Creed/Sabortooth (an excellent Liev Schreiber) is Wolverine's half brother. They fight in many wars alongside each other.
Then they meet General Stryker (Danny Huston) who wants them to join his mutant group. Wolverine and Sabortooth go seperate ways when Wolverine refuses to kill innocent people for Stryker. Wolverine then tries to live a normal life but soon finds himself going head to head with not only Stryker's group but his half brother as well.
The movie is much better than X-3 but it's still not perfect. It doesn't lead into the first film that great. It does in some ways but not when it comes to the Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Sabertooth relationship. Sabortooth barely even talked in the first X-Men and when he did, he certainly didn't mention that Wolverine was his half brother.
The best thing about the movie is the work by both Jackman and Schreiber. They are so good together that I wish Schreiber was cast in the role of Sabortooth in the first film. He's a lot more like the Sabertooth from the comics than Tyler Mane's. It's pretty kick [...] to watch Schreiber play the part as good he does. He pulls off excellent how war transformed him into a monster who loves violence and murder.
He's so good that he almost steals the movie away from Jackman. Jackman was really good as Wolverine, but as good as he was in previous films. When the movie was over, it was Schreiber I actually wanted to see more of as Sabertooth.
The rest of the cast was okay as well. Kevin Durand (Lost season 4, Wild Hogs) is entertaining as the Blob. While Taylor Kitsch (Friady Night Lights) made a good Gambit even if he was just there for the heck of it. Ryan Renolds was a little wasted as Dead Pool though. He was perfect in the role but he just wasn't used right, so in the end, both the actor and the character were wasted.
The action and the performances are what make the film worth watching. It's just the script that just needed a little work. It pulled off a lot, but there's also plenty that it didn't. But I still would rather have seen an X-4 and now instead there's a Magneto prequel coming out as well that just isn't needed. The X-Men series is something that could have went on and on but instead part 3 was the last and that's just dumb. I'm hearing that a teeny bopper Mutant movie might be in our future but that's just something I don't want to see. Bring Jean and Cyclops back to life and give me an X-4 any day lol.
hot Hugh Jackman and decent effects, but not much else
posted on 31 Aug 2009A decent production and the script provides a good explanation of how Logan came to be Wolverine. The explanation fits neatly with the canon of the first "X-Men" movie. The story isn't necessarily compelling and the special effects are good but not amazing. Still, for a fan of Jackman and/or the "X-Men" (and who isn't?) - this is a special treat. Beware: Be sure to stay all the way through the credits.
Good, Not Great, X-Men Film
posted on 31 Aug 2009There are really two good reasons to watch "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"; Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber as, respectively, Wolverine and Sabretooth. Schreiber's performance is especially noteworthy since he's probably the best villain I have seen in an X - Men film since Ian McKellen's wicked, quite twisted, take on Magneto. Indeed, in almost every scene, Schreiber almost steals the spotlight from Jackman. Replete with great action adventure sequences, this film sags a bit in discussing the origins of Wolverine and his conflicted relationship with his half-brother Sabretooth, whom we meet first in the desolate wildnerness of Canada's Northwest Territories, sometime in the mid 1840s (We see next a thrilling montage of both brothers servicing in the USA's armed forces from the Civil War through Vietnam and beyond.). Another compelling reason to see "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is Danny Huston's creepy performance as Colonel Stryker, who finds himself as both mentor and sinister overlord to both X-Men. Have no doubt that diehard fans of the "X-Men" series will enjoy this film, especially for the fine screen chemistry between Jackman and Schreiber, but I also suspect that those unfamiliar with this classic comic book series may feel a bit underwhelmed.
A good movie, but not for true fans of the comics.
posted on 31 Aug 2009The movie is definitely worth seeing. But if you have ever read the X-Men and Wolverine comics, you may be slightly disappointed from the story that is told in this movie. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a very huge departure from the origin story in the comic books. I'm not sure why the directors and writers decided to go route that they went, but I guess they had to do something for the people who don't read comic books I presume. Someone they manager to stitch some of the greatest moments of Wolverine's comic book story into a movie. The jury is out on if they threw this buffet of clips from the comics books together in a good way or not. I may need to check this movie out again. Someone they managed to even mess up the origins of other mutants that appeared in the film like Agent Zero, Deadpool, Cyclops, and Gambit. The most surprising stunner of them all is that Mangeto didn't make his way into this flick too, which I applaud them for. This very well may be the end of Wolverine on the big screen, but at least he went out with a bang, two bangs to the head to be precise.