Hack writers destroy what might have been

Rating: 1/10 (3 May 2009)

Hugh Jackman has to be one of the most talented actors working today, and that just doubles my disappointment with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Not only have the producers pried $8 from my wallet by the premise of expanding our understanding of Wolverine, but they wasted Jackman in nonsense drivel that besmirches the Marvel Comics canon.
And for that, the responsibility rests solely with writers David Benioff and Skip Woods. This film should have been character driven, with slices of Wolverine's life subtly shaping the mutant he became. In fact, the advertising suggested this is the film's raison d'etre. Instead, what hit my theater was a series of action set pieces "loosely" (being generous) connected by neck snapping plot twists.
I got the feeling the writers sat down with a a six pack of Icehouse Beer and a bucket. In the bucket they tossed slips of paper with the ideas for scenes that would make a really cool trailer. And then they laid them out in a line and came up with ideas to connect them. I mean, memory erasing bullet? How else do you explain that?
2 writers with 5 movies between them, and except for Wood's "Hit-man" they all lost money. (Frankly, find Hit-man's estimated budget of $24M hard to believe). Who in Hollywood green-lighted a $130M for two guys that can't tell a story? Particularly grating was the Vietnam material because it plays like it had a 2001 transplant. They don't remember what that time was like and it shows.
The box office should fall off sharply as the public smells ripoff, too late for me.