'We're going to make you indestructible - but first, we're gonna have to destroy you.'

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2017)

'We're going to make you indestructible - but first, we're gonna have to destroy you.' Gavin Hood directs this 2009 cinematic version of the origins (read 'explanation') or the X-Men series of comic book heroes based on a screenplay by David Benioff ('Game of Thrones' etc) and Skip Woods ('Hitman', 'Swordfish', 'The A Team' etc). The team manages to pull of the credibility-testing feat with aplomb – just the right amount of humanistic emphasis on the early ears of Wolverine and a flair for the impossible feats and countless deaths of the latter half of this film. It is a look at Wolverine's early life, in particular his time with the government squad Team X and the impact it will have on his later years.
Leading up to the events of X-Men, 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. Two mutant brothers, Logan (Hugh Jackman) who will become Wolverine of the retractable claws and Victor (Liev Schreiber), born 200 years ago, suffer childhood trauma and have only each other to depend on. Basically, they're fighters and killers, living from war to war through U.S. history. In modern times, a U.S. colonel, Stryker (Danny Huston), recruits them and other mutants as commandos. Logan quits and becomes a logger, falling in love with a local teacher (Lynn Collins). When Logan refuses to rejoin Stryker's crew, the colonel sends the murderous Victor. Logan now wants revenge. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe (Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Dominic Monaghan, Daniel Henney, et al) whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.
The first half of the film is sensitive and humanistic (Ryan Reynolds manages to insert his expected spot-on one liners to keep the story light) – the second half is pure CGI tricks (though according to the featurettes Hugh Jackman performed all his own choreographic fights). Better than expected and a really fascinating cast!