"Wolverine" Entertains, but Lacks a Certain X Factor"
Logan, AKA, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) had a choice at the end of 2003's "X2": discover the truth about his forgotten past alongside his villainous, prejudiced ex-boss, or risk his life fighting alongside his fellow mutants. His answer: "I'll take my chances with them." That's all the audiences needed to know about Wolverine. It's not his past that shaped him in the first three "X-Men" titles, but how he conducted himself now. So, in a narrative stance the prequel "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" fails: it's all about what made Logan the man he became in the first three movies, bit if he doesn't need to know, why should we?
This film is little more than a cynical cash grab. The execs knew Logan's backstory was superfluous at best, but we couldn't get enough of the ill-tempered lug and would be clamoring for more adventures. The funny thing is: as shallow as the motives for making this film are, "Wolverine" manages to be an entertaining spectacle in spite of itself. The story is full of faults, the dialogue becomes cheesy at points and its attempts to fit in with the storylines that came in the earlier films are forced and incomplete, but on pure entertainment value, old Logan is still reliable to make a rocky road fun.
Credit for the success of the flawed "Wolverine" goes to Hugh Jackman. Jackman, who became a star in the original 2000 film, also serves as a producer here, and works tirelessly to make things respectable. He got into ridiculous shape for the role and effortlessly steps back into the persona of the easily ticked off hero. He displays the same charm, sarcastic wit and furious anger that made him a star nearly a decade ago. Even when the lines get patchy, Jackman pulls them off with his character; he can make one believe in the rage and bad attitude; it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling off the role this well.
Jackman is given a lot of help this time around with the superb Live Schreiber as Victor Creed, AKA Sabretooth. Schreiber, a real-life comic fan, brings Logan's longtime nemesis to life with gleeful, mean-spirited menace. He puts Tyler Mane's work in the original film to shame. Schreiber's Sabretooth is a dude that is almost cool enough to hang out with except that's he's likely to gut you for kicks and laugh about it over a beer.
The film opens with younger versions of the aforementioned leads, brothers living in Canada, circa 1845. After a violent encounter that leaves the boys' father dead, young "Jimmy" (Logan's real name) and Victor flee, vowing to watch out for each other against whatever the world throws at them. In one of the better sequences, the opening credits show them living in America, fighting in the Civil War, both World Wars and in Vietnam. As they grow into their familiar movie star likenesses, the tone is set: Logan is somehow the more level headed of the two, growing more disgusted at the atrocities they have committed, while the fanged, clawed Victor seems to relish the bloodshed.
Their exploits catch they eye of one William Stryker (a wonderfully scummy Danny Huston), who we know grows up into the vile Brian Cox-acted villain in "X2." He recruits them for a super hush-hush black ops unit, joined by fellow mutants. Stryker's on the hunt for something big, but Logan has had enough of Victor's violence and all the bloodshed and walks away.
He retires to the Canadian Rockies and romances a schoolteacher named Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins) but his time of peace ends in tragedy thanks to a vengeful Victor. He reluctantly agrees to let Stryker experiment on him with that "something big" he finally found; the metal known as adamantium, the hardest substance on Earth. It goes without saying, but Stryker bonds the metal with Logan's skeleton, making the nearly immortal also physically indestructible. Thus, Wolverine is unleashed on a mission to get revenge on his brother. Stryker, meanwhile, has cooked up a more sinister plot. The prejudiced militant believes that to prevent a war with mutants, he needs a preemptive strike. Wolverine was just a test subject, the "Weapon X," as he terms it. The real goal is the multi-powerful Weapon XI, a mutant killer.
The film, especially during its action scenes and Logan's witty banter with his fellow mutants, is very fun to watch, but the film as a whole is largely frustrating. Every time it shows the potential to be more than just another comic book film entry, the movie slips. It hints at Logan and Victor being the start for mutant prejudice, the child actors really ruin the moment. The film also gets cheesy and cornball with Logan's umpteenth howl to the sky (see Vader, Darth), which takes the wind out of his emotional moments with Kayla. The film's continuity gets in the way as well; it's one thing to understand that Logan doesn't remember Sabretooth in "X1," but why doesn't Victor? Also what Stryker says and does in this one doesn't exactly match up with what he remembers in "X2." Another thing that really ruins things is a completely unnecessary cameo, complete with alien-like age-reducing makeup (take a wild guess).
The screenplay by David Benioff and Skip Woods could have easily been fleshed out more for more bonding moments between Logan and Victor and especially Logan and Kayla, and it would also give the gallery of mutants more to do. The film, with another half hour or so would manage to flesh out and juggle the characters better. To date, the only "X-Men" film that managed to deal with dozens of super-powered heroes and bad guys was the second, which is unsurprisingly the best of the bunch.
The side mutants, for what they are given, add some flavor and humor to the proceedings. The best of the bunch are Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, and Taylor Kitsch as Remy LeBeau, AKA Gambit. These two characters are in desperate need of their own spin-off film, pronto. Also adding a lot of fun is Kevin Durand as Frederick Dukes/The Blob and shockingly, Will i Am, from the Black Eyed Peas as John Wraith. Not so shockingly, despite being in a couple of scenes, Cyclops gets the shaft (for the fourth time in a row!)
That's the beauty of comic book films, and Marvel properties in general: they make up their own continuity and characters can spin off into their own story with ease. But the pathos of the characters in the "X-Men" universe calls for a lot more weightier issues than just slice and scream. What director Gavin Hood ("Tsotsi," "Rendition") gives us, he gives well: the explosions and Logan's fight scenes are handled well (and the effects are fine. Cheap, perhaps, but not distracting). But the film shows glimpses of a better, fleshed out film that wants to be more than just another superhero action flick.
Perhaps "The Dark Knight" spoiled comic fans into believing all comic book adaptations could be like that, but perhaps that film was also one of a kind. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" lands somewhere in the middle of the comic movie spectrum: entertaining and spectacular, but so lightweight on depth and theme, that much like Logan himself, a bout of amnesia wouldn't make one miss remembering it.
FINAL GRADE: THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE STARS)
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
From 20th Century Fox Pictures
Starring Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will i Am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney and Ryan Reynolds
Directed by Gavin Hood
Written by David Benioff and Skip Woods
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Rated "PG-13"-Intense sequences of action and violence, language and some partial nudity