Beat my expectations, which were pretty low

Rating: 6/10 (2 May 2009)

Wolverine is an exercise in mediocrity. It's the best way to sum up the film and be fair to it. I walked into the picture not expecting much, the hype was generally saying the film would disappoint. It doesn't, I got exactly what I expected, Hugh Jackman slashing hordes of henchmen around a loose plot. Wolverine is designed simply to serve as a summer blockbuster, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Go into Wolverine expecting an "Iron Man" or God forbid a "Dark Knight" you will leave extremely disappointed, but if you expect action and Jackman eating up the screen well then my friend you will get your money's worth.
There is a total lack of character development in the picture. No character is fleshed out, all of them are simply walking plot pieces designed to take the story from point A to point B. We never truly get to know any character at all, even our hero is a mystery to us. I have been waiting for this prequel/origin story since the brilliant X2 and it is kind of a let down to see it executed in this fashion. The story is simply that Wolverine is simply looking to cut up his brother Victor Creed and anyone who gets in his way. Victor and Wolfie have similar powers and have been brothers in arms for nearly two centuries. Why there relationship would delude so quickly is up for debate. Colonel William Stryker is the true villain. Stryker wants to create the ultimate mutant to serve as his super weapon. Which is hinted at in Singer's X-Men films, but here it really isn't touched upon to satisfaction. Stryker was the most interesting character in X2 because he both hates and loves mutants for their extreme power. The idea of what he sees them to be made for interesting motives. Personally I was hoping to see Stryker's failed relationship with his son Jason on film. By the time of X2, Stryker has grown to truly hate mutants, here he has a jealousy for their power. It just leaves too much to be inferred in my opinion.
There are mutants a plenty in Wolverine, none of whom we truly care about or are genuinely amazed by. They all have pretty standard powers and characters in the comics are shown simply to please fans despite the fact that they don't match the comic's intent. Gambit is merely there to make an action figure.
Again this was what I expected of Wolverine. I didn't pay to see character development or to get to know mutants. I knew there would be deficiency in these departments. Surpirsingly they weren't as excessive as what I was lead to believe. Liev Schrieber whom I think is the film's strongest point has a genuinely satisfying story behind his character and the relationship with his brother Jimmy. Stryker's plan to end Wolverine's threat is actually pretty brilliant. The one character whose lack of development hurts the film is our main character.
We don't know Wolverine at all. He wants to do good and yet we don't know why. Why does he have faith in humanity even before his Weapon X treatment? Wolverine Post X was supposed to be a different character. He didn't know who he truly was and he was scared that he may have been what he hated. This Wolverine is all the same, cheap cigars, punchlines, and that horrible haircut. I expected a change in Jackman's intent or performance. Stryker's line in X2, "As I recall you volunteered for the procedure" and Magneto's constant warnings lead you to believe that Wolverine had a seedy past, that was what I was hoping to see more of and that is my greatest disappointment with the picture.
Another disappointment is the total lack of social commentary from the other films. The idea of being an outcast as a mutant is completely gone here when it should serve a purpose with Stryker. Wolverine could have evolved over the course of the film and been called to be the hero Charles Xavier wanted him to be. We don't see mutation being thought of as anything other than the explanation for powers. By doing this you miss out on why X-Men is/was such a relevant and intelligent comic.
Gavin Hood does an excellent job with a downright poor script. The action scenes are extremely impressive. I wish he was given a meatier script because I know he could have better showcased his talent. Hood is a very competent director and if they wanted pure brainless action only they should have gone for Len Wiseman.
All in all it delivers what it advertises, pure escapism with superheroes in the summer.