He's arguably the most popular comic book character ever, so it's not surprising that Wolverine was selected for the first of the "X-Men Origins" prequel series. And it's equally unsurprising that the film sliced its way to the top of the box office.
The success of the the X-Men Origins: Wolverine is based on the same principle that makes its title character so appealing: action. Logan's tendency to 'claw first, ask questions last' led director Gavin Hood to pile action on top of action in, what the film's adverts called "the summer's first blockbuster."
Like all prequels, the goal is to give fans the backstory of the characters that were "introduced" in the original series and Wolverine
is no exception. It's all there; the adamantium injection, the Weapon X
program and the development of his rivalry with Victor Creed (aka
Sabretooth). And while we're not exactly seeing what makes Wolverine
"tick" -- he's had his memories wiped at least once -- we are seeing the direct events that lead up to the X-Men trilogy.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is as good as he's ever been and Liev Schreiber was an excellent counterpart as Creed. The rest of the supporting cast included Will.I.Am of Black-Eyed Peas fame and Ryan Reynolds as the sword-wielding Deadpool. Apparently both studio execs and fans were so taken with Reynolds that the wheels have been set in motion for a Deadpool feature... which might mark an industry first; a prequel to a prequel.
The most glaring character omission from the original trilogy, the card-slinging Gambit, makes his first appearance here. Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) plays Remy LeBeau, and while I got a charge (pun intended) out of seeing him on screen, his whole role seemed gratuitous. Plus it didn't help that Kitsch had trouble sustaining Gambit's signature Cajun accent.
But most of my issues with Wolverine are not with the acting, but rather the direction. Hood seems to force 'stylized' action, which, at certain points, make the action sequences too choppy and a little hard to follow. While marginally distracting, these directorial decisions weren't enough to undo the excitement of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The Denouement:
Absolutely Essential for fans of the Wolverine and/or the X-Men.
Fairly Essential for fans of superhero/comic book movies and action flicks.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is as good as he's ever been and Liev Schreiber was an excellent counterpart as Creed. The rest of the supporting cast included Will.I.Am of Black-Eyed Peas fame and Ryan Reynolds as the sword-wielding Deadpool. Apparently both studio execs and fans were so taken with Reynolds that the wheels have been set in motion for a Deadpool feature... which might mark an industry first; a prequel to a prequel.
The most glaring character omission from the original trilogy, the card-slinging Gambit, makes his first appearance here. Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) plays Remy LeBeau, and while I got a charge (pun intended) out of seeing him on screen, his whole role seemed gratuitous. Plus it didn't help that Kitsch had trouble sustaining Gambit's signature Cajun accent.
But most of my issues with Wolverine are not with the acting, but rather the direction. Hood seems to force 'stylized' action, which, at certain points, make the action sequences too choppy and a little hard to follow. While marginally distracting, these directorial decisions weren't enough to undo the excitement of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The Denouement:
Absolutely Essential for fans of the Wolverine and/or the X-Men.
Fairly Essential for fans of superhero/comic book movies and action flicks.
