X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review
Hugh Jackman Stars, Gavin Hood Directs
Despite the critical and commercial success of the X-Men trilogy, and the undisputed popularity of its favourite character, the cigar-chomping, virtually indestructible Wolverine, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has been receiving plenty of doubt and negativity amongst the fans, and recently endured some disappointing controversy regarding a leaked work print of the film.
However, Wolverine isn’t the major disappointment many expected. It’s a solid film with occasional brilliance, but suffers from a lack of character development, questionable differences to the source material, and a surprising amount of shoddy special-effects.
“I’m the best there is at what I do.”
Wolverine’s story is an amalgamation of dozens of comics and new ideas. It follows Logan (Hugh Jackman), our eponymous hero, a mutant who can heal from almost any wound, and is gifted with a pair of three bone-claws on each hand. Logan and his half-brother, Victor (Live Schreiber), who shares his sibling’s powers, flit aimlessly from war to war until they are adopted by Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston), a military scientist who’s assembling a team of mutants for Weapon X.
But when Logan witnesses a horrific act of murder and violence, orchestrated by Stryker and carried out by Victor, he distances himself from Weapon X and retreats into the Canadian wilderness. Logan enjoys the quiet life for a while, until familiar faces return and tragedy befalls him. Enraged, Logan accepts Stryker’s offer of an indestructible adamantium skeleton to aid him in his quest for revenge.
Anyone familiar with the comics, the 90’s television series or the recent films will recognise certain plots and story elements in Wolverine, but changes have been made to the formula, some drastic, some minor. Logan and Victor were never brothers, but it’s a palatable difference to the canon and adds an almost biblical quality to the story. Logan’s eventual memory-wipe, however, isn’t so welcome, and reeks of a desperate attempt to conclude matters.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Suffers from an Underdeveloped Plot
Wolverine’s story suffers most from a lack of character development and sudden, jarring transitions. Appearances by certain beloved members of Weapon X, such as Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), despite featuring prominently in trailers, are fleeting and unfulfilling.
These shortcomings pertain to a surprisingly short film. Wolverine lasts for around ninety-minutes, with Fox presumably worried the film might overstay its welcome and so had it shed a few scenes. In fact, the opposite was required.
Sabertooth, Gambit and Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The casting and performances in Wolverine vary from inspired to underwhelming. Jackman, reprising the role that made him a star, portrayed Logan's berserker rage and wry humour wonderfully. Schreiber is pitch-perfect as Victor, lending the fanged villain a menace both physical and dramatic.
Weapon X is comprised of half a dozen or so characters, with decidedly mixed-results. Whereas Reynolds conveys the sardonic, katana-wielding Wade Wilson with aplomb, Will.I.Am’s John Wraith is poorly acted and feels almost like a stereotype.
When the first clips from Wolverine were aired at Comicon, the audience effusively applauded an appearance by Gambit, a street-thief who can imbue objects with explosive force. In the comics, Gambit is defined by his red-and-black eyes and Cajun accent. Sadly, Klitsch's Gambit speaks in a Texan drawl, although he is as suave and nonchalant as his comic-book counterpart.
Gavin Hood and Fox Clashed on the Set of Wolverine
The choice of Gavin Hood as director for Wolverine continued a tradition among studios to employ directors moresuited for character dramas than explosive blockbusters. Hood earned an Oscar for Tsotsi, whose protagonist’s similarities to Logan convinced co-producer Jackman to hire the South African director.
However, rumours of a dispute between Hood and Fox leaked, pertaining to the director focusing on too much so-called emotion and drama than the fireworks and bombast the studio required.
It’s disappointing to see Hood so ostensibly restrained, as when the script allows him to demonstrate the drama and emotion he’s so keen to portray, the film succeeds. When a young Logan first discovers his bone-claws and illegitimate father, his pain, both physical and mental, is superbly conveyed.
However, Hood does seem to believe bellowing and bulging muscle equates emotional torment, and after three or four similar scenes, Logan’s grief and anger become farcical.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s Lacklustre Special-Effects
While certain scenes, such as the terrific opening credits sequence where Logan and Victor participate in almost every war America has waged, are well-crafted and convincing, there’s a suspicious amount of shoddy, lacklustre special-effects scattered amongst the mostly solid visuals.
Logan’s claws, in particular, look incredibly fake, which is surprising considering how effective they were in the previous three films. Explosions, too, feel heavy-handed, and their poor quality may result from Fox’s rushed interference. One in particular, where a leather-clad Logan strides away from an exploding helicopter, seemed more suited for an action film parody, rather than an action film itself.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review
It’s disappointing to have so much to lament about Wolverine, as despite its shortcomings, there’s an enjoyable film beneath it all. The writing, while stilted and cliché, is true to the comic-books, and the cinematography is excellent, with the Canadian wilderness and countryside portrayed in sumptuous detail and breadth.
For fans of the comics and, in particular, the character of Wolverine, this film may anger as much as it delights. For fans of action-films in general with a weaker understanding of the character and his history, Wolverine has enough explosions, battles and bone-claws to please them all.
Hugh Jackman Stars As Wolverine
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