Finally! A Superhero Flick That Gets It!

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a non-stop romp featuring improbable scenarios, ripping biceps, and a massive amount of CGI. It is action packed, exciting, and more than a little over-the-top. In essence, it is precisely what every superhero movie should aspire to be.
Alright, so the movie isn't likely to win any Oscars. To be honest, it probably won't even curry a single nomination, unless the venerable Academy decides to throw it a bone with a nod for the spectacular CGI (cheesy rendering of Patrick Stewart notwithstanding).
But unlike half of the so-called dramas that are released every year, this movie isn't chuck full of pretense. It doesn't even try to push some tremendous social statement into its length. It just aims to entertain. And whether you're in the cinema looking for a touch of drama, or some explosive action, or just the latest muscle-laden action/adventure outing, you'll probably leave the theatre with a smile on your face.
Why? Because there's something supremely entertaining about watching a bunch of ridiculously pumped-up (or, in the case of the superb Kevin Durand, ridiculously 'chunked-up') guys smack each other around.
The film takes liberties with a few story lines, but by this point in time any fan boy with a brain stem should understand that the latest comic book-to-cinema screen outing isn't going to follow the series directly (it'd be far too difficult to bring new blood into the fold that way, don't you think?). And Taylor Kitsch may not have been the best pick for the Gambit role. And they probably could've left some of those excess mutants (Emma Frost, for instance) out of the picture. And the storyline was a tad predictable. And there were a few tragically cliché/corny moments. But overall, the film was solid, and well worth the money I dropped on it.
Seriously, take off the critic's lenses and kick back. You might find yourself enjoying it.