X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of a young James Logan (Hugh Jackman) as he makes his way through adolescence and adulthood. Alongside Logan on his journey through life is a team of extraordinary individuals, including his brother, Victor Creed (Liev Schrieber). The brothers have their differences, and their rivalry has lasted decades, often leading to death and destruction. As the two face one another, and their tension rises to the surface, the anti-hero known as Wolverine is born–this is his story.
As previously mentioned, Wolverine is a fan favorite, and his presence in any film is warranted and welcome, more than most other superheroes in Marvel lore. Behind Wolverine, however, is Jackman–a jack of all trades (no pun intended) that has brought this character to life. Without Jackman it seems that the live-action version of this beloved character may have failed to entertain the way in which it was intended. Jackman is the key; he is the primary reason why the character finds success and why X-Men Origins: Wolverine is entertaining. The world knows that Jackman is immensely talented, and I’d be wasting my time trying to express this sentiment to readers. The question then is: “why is he the perfect candidate for the titular Wolverine?” It’s almost hard to put into words what Jackman brings to the table in the X-Men-related films, but he’s passionate, energetic, and simply built like a superhero. He embodies what it is to be a superhero, and his relentlessness in terms of this character is unmatched in this universe.
The story struggles for one, massive reason. There is a lot going on throughout the course of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and while the film is technically cohesive, it does jump around more than it needs to. Wolverine becomes somewhat of a world traveler throughout the film, and it sometimes becomes difficult to follow his journey. Again, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is cohesive in the sense that nothing is technically out of place, but with the film jumping around the globe through only about an hour and forty-five minutes, the story begins to feel a bit convoluted and underwhelming.
What has often evaded some mainstream superhero films is genuine violence. Films of this nature are often geared toward families, resulting in more “appropriate” action sequences. X-Men Origins: Wolverine refuses to adhere to these ideals, and it shifts the narrative on mainstream superhero cinema forever–introducing viewers to true, spine-tingling violence. As the feuds between brothers, mutants, and loved ones play out, viewers are encapsulated in a world of ironic reality as human emotion comes into play–and those viewers become immediately intrigued by what X-Men Origins: Wolverine has to offer in this field.
The obvious, glaring issue that resides within the walls of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the horrific choices in regard to Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds). The ‘Merc with the Mouth’ is silenced for nearly fifty-percent of his screen time, and all that the character truly is becomes hidden behind a sad wall of nonsense. This, alone, is enough to fail the film, as viewers hate, beyond a reasonable doubt, all that this character becomes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an attempt to provide the beloved Wolverine (as portrayed by Jackman) a chance to shine in his own film. While it gives him a chance to be the sole lead in an X-Men film, the film is entirely too rambunctious to compare to the other X-Men installments. Jackman, as usual, brings a vigor to the table that allows Wolverine to shine supremely bright, being the most important reason why X-Men Origins: Wolverine finds any level of success.
Directed by Gavin Hood.
Written by David Benioff & Skip Woods.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monoghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds, Scott Summers, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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