Not quite X2, but still worth watching

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2009)

After three hugely successful films, Marvel's X-Men franchise returns with a prequel of sorts for arguably the series' most popular character: Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman once again dons the claws and sideburns to become Logan, a mutant with the ability to heal from any wound. It's this power that brings him and his brother Victor (also a mutant, but with more cat-like features and agility) to the attention of US government agent William Stryker, who is putting together a special forces team of people with abilities to carry out dangerous missions. After spending years with this group, Logan decides he's had enough and leaves to start a normal life. But that is soon interrupted when Stryker reappears to warn him of a new danger. Motivated by revenge, Logan volunteers to take part in the Weapon X program, where his bones are surgically enhanced with an indestructible metal. But once the truth about the program is revealed, Logan finds himself pitted against some of his former colleagues, including his own brother.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine combines tons of action with good doses of drama and lite humor to make one of the more enjoyable X-Men films to date. Hugh Jackman turns in another great performance as the title character and Liev Schreiber's turn as Victor AKA Sabretooth is fantastic. He and Jackman have great chemistry and the scenes in which they appear on screen together are the highlights of the movie. The main flaw of the film is the use of supporting characters, especially Gambit. He just feels out of place in the story, as if the filmmakers included him merely to please the comic book fan-boy crowd. Plus the actor portraying Gambit, Taylor Kitsch, doesn't even bother speaking in the Cajun accent his character is famous for.
All in all, despite some character issues, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an entertaining entry to the growing franchise and a step up from 2006's messy X-Men: The Last Stand.