Come on Hugh give Roger Rabbit his cartoon claws back!

Rating: 4/10 (3 March 2017)

X men Origins: Wolverine
With Logan the final Wolverine movie just released in cinemas as I'm writing this review I thought I would give my thoughts on his first solo outing. Two movies. Yin and Yang. One a belter of a movie the other a total pile of tosh. Soon you'll guess which is which.
Well what can I say? The frustration begins to boil. Wolverine is my favourite Superhero. Hugh Jackman is brilliant in the role despite never been allowed the freedom to really nail the character. He has done brilliantly with what he's been given by studio executives. Or should I say not given. Wolverine is a bad ass. Not really a hero. Not really a nice guy. When he kicks ass he doesn't just rough you up. He f's you up! However with the restrictions of PG ratings Hugh's version of Wolverine can only tickle you with those claws. A problem that is rectified in the new Logan movie. Please see my Logan review for my thoughts on that.
X men Origins is a complete wasted opportunity. The opening credits would have made a far more compelling story to the one we actually got. Seeing Logan take part in numerous wars through out history. We could have learned what made him become the animal he is. Wolverine is a far more deeper darker character than most other Superheroes. Yet this film is as shallow as a kids paddling pool. I knew this film was going to go belly up as soon as we see junior Wolverine at the beginning. They could have at least got a boy who's testicles had dropped. When he screams in rage he sounded like a seven year old girl. Then a set of chop sticks begin to protrude from his hands and he kills his father. The only way he could kill someone with those little things is if he had fed his dad a rice ball with them and he choked to death. In this movie we see how Logan gets his Adamantium claws (again). Something already explained far better in the flashbacks shown in Bryan Singers two X men movies. What Singer did with thirty seconds was far more gripping than this entire movie. Remember X2 when Wolverine is screaming in agony, covered in blood as his claws come out for the first time. That's the tone we need. Instead Origins feels like it was shot to be an MTV music video. All style over substance. Will.i.am is in it for gods sake and even Logan's hairstyle makes him look like he's auditioning for a boy band. Here we are subjected to a watered down Wolverine. I don't mind seeing Logan get his Adamantium again but at least keep it in tone with what came before. Continuity is a word totally void in the X men movie universe. We only have to look at Sabretooth. In the first X men movie he looks like a half lion/human hybrid. In this he's Ray Donovan! Oh and he's Logan's brother. That was never mentioned before! Colonel Stryker? Where's Bryan Cox? He was an asset to the cast of X2 and instead they use Danny Huston. I even read somewhere that Cox was up for reprising the role. Why not use him. Give the audience something to relate to! Continuity!!!!!!!! Beloved characters are butchered far worse by the screen writers and studio execs than what Wolverine could ever do with those Adamantium claws. Take Deadpool for example. The studio executives should have been jailed for the crimes they committed against that character. What's with the swords coming out of his hands? How could he even bend his arms? Not to mention they sewed his mouth shut! The Merc with the mouth and they sew his mouth shut! Thank god Ryan Reynolds persisted to have another crack at it and nail it. I think Fox were far more willing to take a chance on Logan due to this. Another character, the Blob! The boxing ring scene, again totally the wrong tone for a Wolverine movie. That scene was like something straight out of a Three stooges sketch. Another totally ridiculous part is the whole Coo Coo cachoo nonsense! WTF is all that about? If you've seen the movie will know what I'm referring to. Utter drivel! To be fair I could go on for hours as this film is filled with so much tosh! It's not as a if they had a tiny budget to work with. $150 million to be exact. Compare that to Deadpools measly $58 million and you have to ask questions. We live in a post Jurassic Park world people. In 1993 they brought dinosaurs back to life yet in 2009 when Origins came out they couldn't even give Wolverine a convincing set of claws. They looked like he had stole them from Roger rabbit! The bathroom scene when he is clashing his claws together. I have seen better SFX on one of those movie maker apps you can get for your smartphone. It pains me so when I think back to this movie. The ridiculous finale when he frees all the mutant by cutting open the locks to their cages with his claws. All those incarcerated powerful mutants thwarted by a pad lock and some chicken wire! WTF!!! Then right at the end Professor Xavier turns up looking like a creepy guy who hangs around school gates! And what's with his face? He looks like he's had a fight with Botox- man and lost! Anyway rant over. The four stars I have awarded this is down to Hugh Jackmans commitment to the character and his performance. The guy is a legend and he tried his best with what he had. Believe me watch the new Logan movie. Now that's the real Wolverine.