Better than X-Men 3.... Just!

Rating: 5/10 (6 May 2009)

Phil's Quick capsule Review: Not as bad as you have heard but not that great either, Wolverine is an average film with a few great performances.
The Hollywood Exec Pitch: It's another comic book movie. What's that I hear money!
The Review So after a leaked work print, a rather naff looking couple or trailers and enough Jackman press junkets to fill a book (bless he has been busy) the first real big film of the year is here (no Fast & Furious didn't count). But is it more X 2 than X-men: The Last Stand?
Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program to become the metal framed monster of the comic books.
After dominating the first three X-Men movies Wolverine, the guy with the big side burns, bad temper and the rather scary claws gets his own movie with X-Men Origins: Wolverine as we find out what made Logan into the berserker we all know and love. Well that was the idea.
Disappointingly in reality we mostly just get the last few years before the first X-Men movie, save for a very well laid out title sequence where we see a brief history of Logan and his brother Victor Creed (future Sabretooth) fight their way through a host of wars. This by far would have been a more interesting story than the one we got, which has to jump through hoops to ensure continuity with the later X-Men movies. Worse still most of the story you already know, especially if you're a fan of either the films or comics.
We know that Sabretooth doesn't die because he fights him the first X-men movie. Same for William Stryker who appears in X-Men 2. Cyclops can't see Wolverine because when they meet in the first film they have never met before. So for the most part of the film you pretty much who lives and who dies, which makes for a hollow experience overall.
Other franchise pleasing cameos such as a CGI'd younger Patrick Stewart, Gambit & The Blob also get short changed. Even the Weapon Eleven (Played by Brit Scott Adkins) doesn't work either. What is cool on paper – a hybrid mix of mutant powers and skills - is introduced so late in the game that he serves little point than to (quickly) die. As for the constant Sabretooth v Wolverine fights that drive the story when they meet again in the finale what should be the epic smackdown between the two brothers is just a damp squid due to the fact that the we know that Sabretooth can't die. No tension. No emotional connection.
That said it's not all bad. It's well made and is well paced. Liev Schreiber, who at first seemed a rather baffling choice for Sabretooth being that he isn't exactly a big bloke, is very good as is Jackman (but not quite enjoying it as much as he used to). The effects aren't bad and the story (whist often a bit silly) drives the film nicely and at least gives proper motivation for the characters and the few proper action scenes there are aren't bad. Although, frustratingly, most of the action (save for the short Weapon Eleven fight) and explosions are in the trailer AGAIN. The short of it is this isn't a bad film. It just isn't great either. Director Gavin Hood has done his best to inject some pace and invention into the film but in terms of story it's a real let down as we either know what's coming or don't really care.
Let's hope any future Origin movies correct this and go back to the old fashioned way of film-making writing a story rather than a release date.
In short: For fans only.
The Good: Jackman once again
The Bad: Weapon XI/Deadpool.
The Ugly: The ending. Ugh!
Best Bit : Wolverine Vs helicopter
IMDb Rating: 5/10
If you liked this watch: X-Men (8/10); X 2 (8/10); X-Men Last Stand (4/10)