It’s tough to review this without assuming that the reader has some knowledge of the comic books or the X-Men film series. If I was talking about Superman, would I need to devote a paragraph to his powers? This is a prequel, and you’d have no business watching this without an investment in at least one of the three films that came before it.
The film’s title is quite condescending. By my count the Wolverine character could place within the top 5 most popular in the Marvel Universe. I doubt anyone looking forward to this needed to be reminded of his affiliation with the X-Men. Beyond that, the film is about his coming to be, I guess. We are introduced to a child Wolverine and Sabretooth (Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber in adult form respectively) who, realizing their unique traits (vaguely defined in this film), go on the run. They grow-up through a montage of war movie rip-offs. We see recreations of Glory, Saving Private Ryan, and Platoon. Eventually the two are given a special assignment, which leads up Wolverine’s transformation vis-à-vis his indestructible skeletal enhancement.
Plenty of events contradict the “X-Men series” in one way or another. Some occur which render the original films confusing, or makes for fodder by the comic lovers. Why doesn’t anyone in this film recognize anyone in the original X-Men, since that movie takes place after this one? You can’t meet for the first time twice. It seems that many of the characters have ambiguous relationships. In the comics, Sabretooth and Wolverine are not bothers by blood. Many of the characters have powers attributed to them that don’t exist in other forms. In this regard, Wade (Ryan Reynolds) becomes the focal point of geekdom hate rants; a very likable wisecracking hero character gets underdeveloped, then overdeveloped.
I swear by it that there is a highly noticeable editing disaster in this film. At one point, a man is knocked out in the streets, right before a fight breaks out. Then, during the fight, that unconscious man is now seen running across rooftops so that he can jump down onto the two who are fighting. You can only look at so many sequences and think that someone thought it would be a cool idea; unpolished coolness is anything but. So many CGI shots look unfinished; possibly exemplified by the diamond clarity offered at the threatre where I was seated. The composite work done at the finale is pitiful and far too distracting to take seriously.
Strangely, acting is strong with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Jackman is great in part, despite the worst writing he’s suffered through in this role. There is enough forgettable dialogue, to go along with recycled fight scenes. We are shown early on that Wolverine and Sabretooth are walking immortals, so seeing them fight each other brings forth zero emotions. At least in the X-Men films, the differing powers made for a good match-up. Those chess matches have been reduced to Rock’em Sock’em Robots.
Wolverine’s past is full of betrayal, mostly because he believes anything anyone tells him. His movie isn’t particularly bad, after all it is a major film and has respectable production value (but I’m getting sick of the recycled Marvel look). If you have no knowledge of the crimes committed in skewing the written-in-stone storylines of many of the characters, you might get some excitement. Some of that is too sacred. Sticking to it, creates a predictable film, voiding it brings scorn. If you know the material, you’ll be hard pressed to find moments you’ll enjoy. So do like Wolverine and take my word for it. **
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