X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Rating

Director

Gavin Hood

Screenplay

David Benioff, Skip Woods

Length

107 min.

Starring

Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will i Am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds, Scott Adkins, Tim Pocock

MPAA Rating

PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity.

Review

There is a point in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where you really come to understand that this isn’t really an X-Men movie. Absent are the detailed background explorations and deep plotting. Instead, you have one stylized action sequence after another that sometimes begin to feel old hat by the time the film fizzles to its conclusion.

You can’t fault Hugh Jackman for the film’s struggles. Jackman, whose performance is every bit as ferocious and emotional as the ones he delivered in the series’ first three films, has little to do with the direction of his character, his story arc or the haphazard way he’s forced to interact with a number of fellow mutants who could have proven to be more enjoyable with more development.

The film revolves around Wolverine’s humble beginnings as a member of an elite American military force comprised of powerful mutants each with a desire to vent their frustrations. After a rather lengthy credit sequence following Logan and Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) as they move through various wars including the American Civil War, World War II and Vietnam, showing us just how old these immortal mutants are, we are treated to an intense and enjoyable sequence of scenes.

The sequence culminates in the series’ coolest action sequence yet, featuring Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), two katana and a room full of bullets. Describing it would do the scene no justice, but suffice it to say I became rather excited at the prospect of a movie following this new character. However, as the film settled into its pre-destined conclusion and rather predictable trajectory, the series’ biggest flaws are amplified as we have only one real story to follow and only one real character with any depth. Yes, the film is titled Wolverine, but it would have been nice to get some fascinating character studies of potential new mutants or side-by-side friends. Instead, we’re forced to watch the lame introductions of Scott Summers (Cyclops, performed as a young man by Tim Pocock), the Blob (Kevin Durand), Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Emma Frost (Tahyna Tozzi). Anyone familiar with the previous films or the comics on which they are based, will be chagrined to see so little time devoted to these characters.

When the last reel finally unspools, my search of the faces of those who were filing out of the theater and the tongues of those discussing it while they waited for a final, throwaway scene after the film’s credits, told me that this wasn’t what anyone was hoping for or expecting. Director Gavin Hood, while partially to blame for his limp and listless style, isn’t the true failure of the film. Screenwriters David Benioff (Troy, The Kite Runner) and Skip Woods (Swordfish, Hitman) have the kind of film credits that make for a bad action film. Without Bryan Singer at the helm and David Hayter (both for the first two X-Men films), the series feels almost as cliché as the lame Marvel properties adaptations that end up stinking up the first half of the year (Daredevil, Elektra).

How the series has fallen so low is hard to understand. They’ve already greenlighted a sequel to this film and a Deadpool movie without the film having even finished its run. So, whether the series can actually reinvent itself or not remains to be seen, but for now, I’m not going to hold my breath. Because, aside from Jackman’s screen presence and Reynolds’ stolen moments early in the film, there isn’t nearly as much to be excited about as I had expected.

Review Written

May 20, 2009