6th May, 2009

DAVID ADAMS

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (M)

In a word: Workmanlike

IN THE BEGINNING: Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman), flanked by (left to right) Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds), Remy LeBeau aka Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), Victor Creed aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) and Kayla aka Silver Fox (Lynn Collins). "The Gavin Hood-directed movie is not an outstanding film - there’s nothing here really to elevate Wolverine above other films in the ever more crowded action film genre - but Wolverine works well enough on all levels and should please ardent fans as well as those looking for an entertaining hour or two."

It’s a movie for answering all those questions which have plagued you ever since Wolverine (played by a very unAustralia-like Hugh Jackman) appeared in the first X-Men movie.

Prequels present a particular challenge for directors and scriptwriters - how to keep the audience’s attention even though they already know where the movie is ultimately headed - but X-Men Origins: Wolverine succeeds in doing just that.

The movie opens in the 1850s when Wolverine - then just known as Jimmy Logan - is a boy and discovers, to his horror, that he is a mutant. Joining with his brother, Victor Creed (played by a very menacing Liev Schreiber), they flee their homes.

There follows a fast-forward sequence in which we see the two seemingly invincible brothers taking part successfully in every major world conflict since. It all comes to an end after Vietnam when disillusioned by the life he has chosen and the growing bloodlust of his brother - who becomes aptly known as Sabretooth - Logan opts out.

But choosing the quiet life was always going to be hard for a mutant and Logan soon finds himself working as part of a team of mutants who travel the world doing their bloody bit to protect America under the command of Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) as part of what is known as the Weapon X project.

Once more Logan finds himself haunted by his actions and those of the people he’s working with - not the least his brother - and once more he tries to make for himself a ‘normal’ life, this time settling in the wilds of Canada with his girlfriend Kayla (played by Lynn Collins).

But Stryker and his team - not to mention Victor - aren’t finished with Logan yet and, before long we see Logan sucked back into their world and being reborn as the regenerating mutant with the adamantine skeleton and steel ‘claws’ we know as Wolverine.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is everything one can expect from a modern action film - a hectic pace, somewhat convoluted plot, great special effects sequences (including chopping bullets in half with a samurai sword), some new characters (including Gambit, played by Taylor Kitsch) as well as some old favorites, and, as seems to be the trend, a bit of overkill with the amount of blood and guts.

The Gavin Hood-directed movie is not an outstanding film - there’s nothing here really to elevate Wolverine above other films in the ever more crowded action film genre - but it works well enough on all levels and should please ardent fans as well as those looking for an entertaining hour or two.

Whether there’s enough interest for a sequel - apparently already in the works drawing upon a comicbook storyline in which Wolverine is a samurai - remains to be seen - although box office takings would seem to make it likely.

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