X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the latest comic superhero movie to hit our screens. There has been a relentless queue of comic book titles vying for our hard earned pennies since the release of Spiderman in 2002 revamped this neglected genre of films.
For every successful film like Spiderman, Dark Knight or Iron Man there is always an unsuccessful one – Catwoman, Daredevil or the Punisher anyone? So as Wolverine the most popular stand out X-Men character takes his turn to unsheathe his claws will he deliver a fastball special or will he sink?
The film is centred on Wolverines' pre X-Men days, where he comes from and what drove him to volunteer to become part of the weapon X programme at the hands of Stryker. It tells a story of friendship with Creed and how this changed and also how Wolverine became a 'man with no past'.
The film delivers everything you could ask of this genre of movies. Jackman again fills Wolverines boots well and the supporting characters are good especially Liev Schreiber as the animalistic Sabretooth, and and Taylor Kitsch as the flamboyant Gambit.
This movie has a lot of supporting mutant characters and comic book fans will no doubt enjoying spotting them in the supporting cast – Cyclops and Deadpool for instance although there are also many others who we get tantalising glimpses at before they are moved on never to be seen again.
There are fights, special effects, brutality, love, revenge and Hugh Jackman naked (well I am female), and so in that respect this film ticks all of the boxes. This film is not a perfect superhero movie though; some of the mutant characters powers seem to be the same as others and as often happens some of the special effects look a little unfinished. I found one of the major villains of the piece very disappointing, it's a new character thought up with very little imagination and almost verges on the ridiculous, this though didn't ruin the film for me. This film is also a 12A certificate film so all of the violence (which is a fundamental part of Wolverines character) is suggested and occurs off-screen which, for me, dilutes the overall effect of the film.
Its good popcorn movie, its not going to change the world but it is a lot of fun.
Directed by Gavin Hood
Hugh Jackman – Logan / Wolverine
Liev Schreiber – Victor Creed / Sabretooth
Danny Huston – William Stryker
Will I Am – John Wraith
Lynn Collins – Kayla Silverfox
Kevin Durand – Frederick J Dukes / The Blob
Dominic Monaghan – Chris Bradley/ The Bolt
Taylor Kitsch – Remmy LeBeau / Gambit
Read more at: Nerve Curve
