X-Men Origins: Wolverine

If you’ve read any of the early reviews on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you are probably confused. They range from vitriolic blather to the fanboys having fangasms. Most reviewers have given it a rating somewhere firmly in the “C” range.

That being said, I didn’t expect a whole lot. I loved the first two X-Men movies. I thought third one was merely okay, and (spoiler alert for X3), I was a little disappointed with the death of several key characters during the course of the film. I hoped for something special in this new installment, but I was willing to accept something that was merely entertaining.

The opening of the film is the meat of the origin story. We see a young Logan, circa 1845, overcoming a flu bug with the compassionate help of his father in fairly wealthy surroundings. His recovery is interrupted by a the sound of a man’s voice from downstairs. His father goes down to investigate and the inevitable happens. He is shot and killed, and the result is that the young Wolverine comes into his powers in a dramatic fashion.

Fast-forward to the American Civil War, where Wolverine is charging a Confederate gun line. Then, through a series of cleverly shot montages, Wolverine fights in every major American conflict until the Vietnam War. He is recruited by the mysterious Major Stryker, a military researcher who knows Wolverine’s secret–he’s a mutant. Make no mistake: this opening sequence is brilliant. It reminds me of the opening montage of the Watchmen–beautifully shot, packed with information, and easy to assimilate. 

From this point forward, the story becomes a little muddled. Wolverine is a member of a top-secret para-military group that does…stuff. What is their purpose? What do they fly around the world doing? This is left almost glaringly vague, but the end result makes it seem as though this group is Stryker’s personal hit squad. Wolverine has an attack of conscience when ordered to kill innocent men and women, so he abandons the team while they are on a mission and goes into a self-imposed exile. So far, so good, right? Wolverine is interesting, he has the beginnings of a conscience, and he has made a choice that guarantees enemies for the future of the film.

Wrong. Unfortunately, the tone of the film changes at this point.

The next act of the film involves a love affair with the (gorgeous) Lynn Collins. The movie then unfolds in typical fashion (almost as though it had a second beginning), becoming somewhat scatter-brained and losing the momentum gained in the first half hour. While still compelling, X-Men neophytes or those not interested in the story itself, may lose their way here. The action becomes similar to a Die Hard movie and less like a superhero flick, punctuated with a couple of “Oh, c’mon!” moments. It’s still entertaining, but it was a let down. I can’t say a whole lot more about the plot without some major spoilers, but there are a couple of twists that I did not call but should have. I can’t imagine any sci-fi geek or action junky who wouldn’t be satisfied with the climatic battle, even if the events leading to it feel contrived.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool was sorely underutilized. Cut from the same mold that produced Hugh Jackman’s bulging arms, he reeks smarmy charisma and badassery in his too-few scenes. Liev Schreiber is perfect as the amoral Sabretooth. His role is primarily as a foil for Wolverine’s developing sense of right and wrong, but his dialogue delivery is perfect. The only real problem I have is potential retcon with the first X-Men movie, in which Sabretooth was a bestial minion of Magneto that had no special rivalry with Wolverine.

Make no mistake, this is great popcorn fare. This is a potential blockbuster in the making ($85 million in the first weekend), but if you’re looking for the introspective touch that Bryan Singer lent the first two X-Men films, it’s absent here. Go to the megaplex with the idea that you’re going to be entertained by some escapist action and you’ll be just fine.