April 2009
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (12a)
Published 29th April 2009

In a funny way, all the behind-the-scenes kerfuffle the unwieldy-titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine suffered during its production might end up working in its favour. First there were rumours of much-required, quality control reshoots, then there was that famous, much-downloaded, unfavourably-reviewed, leaked workprint that hit the net a few weeks ago (and shame on you if you watched it). Couple this with the fact that, despite its X-legacy, Wolverine is one of the lesser anticipated big hitters (Star Trek XI/Terminator 4/Transformers 2) for summer ‘09 and what you end up with is reduced
eXpectations for a film that should have lofty pretensions.

Meaning, when you go into your local fleapit presuming bad and getting pleasantly surprisingly good, perhaps you rate the film eXperience slightly better than you otherwise normally would. Like scoring this ropey, poorly-paced, plot-holed, probably-should-be-rated-two-star X-Men prequel as a three-star semi-decent effort at creating a big screen history for everyone’s favourite mutant.

Comic book character backstories are historically littered with rewrites, reimagining’s and inconsistencies (arguably none more so than Wolverine). Therefore, taking liberties and putting your own stamp on James Howlett’s/Logan’s and the Weapon X program that laced his bones with adamantium and left him blank in memory really shouldn’t rankle anyfan. Because really what’s another take?

Saying that though, screenwriters David Benioff (25th Hour) and Skip Woods (Swordfish) stick fairly closely to the most widely-accepted and Singer-established origination: born in the mid 19th Century, James Howlett is a boy with unusual abilities. Running away from home with his half-brother Victor Creed (who will later become a Liev Schreiber-looking Sabertooth), the mutant boys channel their aggression and abilities into fighting for their country in several wars (in the best segment of the film, as we see them charging into battle through the always appreciated medium of montage).

Later, Logan and Victor are recruited by William Stryker (the ever-great Danny Huston – 30 Days of Night) into a mutant strikeforce team that take on the missions no-one else can perform. But when Logan disagrees with some of the team’s tactics, he leaves and starts a new and happy life (in a lame, way too long, love interlude) with schoolteacher Kayla SilverfoX high up in the Canadian Rockies (Lynn Collins – TV’s True Blood). Of course it could never last and when some familiar faces comes calling, Logan’s life will be irrevocably-altered by loss and mutation into the weapon known as Wolverine.

Full of crowd pleasing, excellently-orchestrated action sequences, offering plenty of opportunity for Wolverine and others (more on which later) to get slash-happy, there’s no doubting that XMO will satisfy even the most fervent “snikt ‘n’ smash” addicted summer blockbuster fan (the best of which is undoubtedly Wolverine on a motorbike vs. an attack helicopter). What’s unfortunately missing though is any sort of insight into the psyche of the mutant man or perceptive and prescient comments on the nature of prejudice that were present in all three of the preceding X-Men movies (even the much-maligned third instalment The Last Stand – which is nowhere near as bad as everyone makes out, FYI).

Which frankly are required from this film series, especially one that aims to “flesh-out” its most popular of characters. Instead all we are treated to is simplistic “origins” of exactly how Wolverine got his “look” (from a far too earnest Ma and Pa apple pie as it goes) and attitude (the death of loved ones – ooh insightful) and how his bones and claws became coated with near-indestructible metal and his memory erased (which was covered in enough detail in all honesty in X2). So what, unfortunately, XMO actually ultimately feels like is an extensive retread of parts of the X-ology that we’ve already seen and an advertisement for other characters stories we might be about to see.

Luckily then, for both the audience and hopeful film producers FoX, all-in-all the most important ones have been handled successfully and presented in a way that makes you want to see more. Of the new mutants on-show, without a doubt the breakout characters deserving of more screentime are Ryan Reynolds’ wisecrackin’ merc with a mouth Deadpool (given far too short a shrift here) and Taylor Kitsch’s (TV’s superlative American Football small town drama Friday Night Lights) spot-on and long overdue realisation of fan-favourite Cajun kinetic Gambit. There’s also the distinct feeling that XMO’s botched ending involving familiar-looking young mutants was specifically written in mind to bleed straight into the already-announced X-Men: First Class, where several previously-established X-characters learn to harness and use their abilities under the tutelage of one bald psychic professor.

Returning as Wolverine, and despite the increased and focused screentime, for some reason Hugh Jackman makes less of an impression this time around. Perhaps this is a fault in the writing more than his performance though, because his snarky and snarling anti-hero from previous X-flicks has been watered-down into a bit of a wet and whingy do-gooder: there’s just too much of trying to make a hero out of a bub everyone prefers when he’s berserker. When he does cut loose though, Jackman is all rippled torso and pure animal instinct, the things which made him so perfect for the role in the first place. He notably steps up a notch when sharing the screen with Schreiber’s fantastically feral Sabertooth too. Much of the promotion for the flick has centred on the dynamic between these two and when on-screen together they crackle and fizzle and don’t disappoint, it’s just there’s not enough of it.

Despite the many gripes and grumbles though, you do come out from XMO on a high anyway thanks to it continuing to increase in quality as its short-and-sharp 108-minute running time briskly passes by, culminating in the kinetic sight of Wolverine, Sabertooth and Weapon XI in a brutal (but strangely bloodless – as it is all the way through despite people being stabbed with claws and swords, damn those 12a seeking censors) brawl atop a nuclear power station that ends in a Darth Maul way for one of the trio. Until that botched ending, that is. Which the least said about the contrived way in which Wolvie loses his memory the better. * BEWARE SPOILERS * Okay, so you had to have him out and about of the Weapon X facility after he’s got his adamantium with his brain intact to service your direction(less?) story, but could you not think of a better way to resolve this plot hole/thread? Like you defeat him in the big three-way end battle and then wipe his memory clean so he will be your willing foot soldier? Simple, clean, effective. Surely even that would have been good enough and definitely far better than accurately fired and unhealable adamantium bullets to the brainpan!? Lame. * END SPOILERS *

In the end though, X-Men Origins: Wolverine ultimately lives up to, but doesn't significantly improve, the studio-interfering FoX track record of comic book movies (which is less than WB or Marvel’s own of course), comfortably slicing into place amongst the X adaptations after the undisputed (and surely, then, less suit-fiddled?) champion of the mutant movies X2. Just keep those claws crossed that Wolverine is good enough or box office kerching! enough to warrant a sequel (or further prequel, if you prefer?) so that we can get the Ol’ Canuckle-Head story we all want to see on the big screen: Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s essential Gaijin takes Japan mini-series (but please go back to old stick-on adamantium claws, 'cos the poorly rendered CGI ones in this instalment beggar belief. Why they look so bad when the rest of the film's effects look pretty damn good and they've looked better in X's gone by is a mystery that even "the best there is at what he does" would struggle to solve).

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