‘Wolverine’ slashes onto screen

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” — 3.5 out of 5 stars for action

Ty Hampton
Critic’s Corner

Hugh Jackman soaks up the spotlight and doesn’t disappoint as he portrays arguably one of the most compelling comic book characters of all time in the motley mutant Wolverine in “X-Men Origins.”

For those of you old school X-Men comic fans who felt a bit jipped by the first three, this movie will be the best of the series for you with more characters and more of the popular Stan Lee comic’s roots. For those of you who just got on the X-Men train with the first movie in 2000, this has more of the mutant mayhem and intense action scenes that you’ve grown to love. So really, it’s a win-win film if you like X-Men.

The film picks up with James Logan’s (Hugh Jackman) tragic story from childhood ailments, to the murder of his father, to fallen romance, to discovering his special abilities which allowed him to serve in, and withstand battle injuries, in each war from the Civil War to Vietnam. Upon a mishap during military duty that landed him in prison, Logan is discovered by military scientist William Stryker (Danny Huston) who recrutes him for a special team of mutants he is building.

When the team’s objective moves from defeating foreign druglords to sacrificing innocent civillians, Logan defects and goes his own way. But he can’t escape for long as he’s called back to defend his fellow mutants who are being picked off one by one by a mutant killer that he knows all too well.

First off, I must say that I’m a huge X-Men fan. I always have been and it’s X-Men that got me into the comic book culture to begin with. That being said, I’m a fan but also a tougher critic of the movies. The first installment was a B minus for me and the second and third films might have passed. This movie, however, was focused and true to the struggles of the character and the intense storylines of the comics and I think it’s probably the best X-Men film made.

The primary reason? Hugh Jackman. The man is a flat-out talented actor, and at this point, I really can’t see anyone else playing the role any better. That’s 1.) a tribute to Jackman’s intensity in the role and 2.) a nod to the costume and makeup team who now for four X-Men films have turned the former broadway musical star into the grumpy, vengeful, and delightful anti-hero over time.

In supporting roles, Huston plays a convincing two-faced nemesis, and Liev Schreiber (”Defiance”, “The Omen”)was twice as good as Sabretooth with half the muscle mass of pro wrestler/actor Triple H who played the role in the other X-Men films. Not to mention new characters that were skipped in the first three films like the inigmatic Gambit, played by Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), and the lethal mega-villain Deadpool, played quite well by — believe it or not — Ryan Reynolds of Van Wilder fame.

Director Gavin Hood is the also the same man who in 2005 wrote and directed the moving, awarding-winning film “Tsotsi”, about the life of an African gang leader — a far better film. But that was a true drama, “Wolverine” is a true-blue action flick with summer blockbuster written all over it and after all it’s not uncommon for filmmakers to sacrifice quality for a larger paycheck and a big name movie to put them on the board.

Hood didn’t do much in the way of creative visuals or shots, but some of the special effects are worthwhile and the fight scene choreography was the best I’d seen out of the four films. Luckily comic book guru Stan Lee (the primary creator of Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and Daredevil) held the position of executive producer for the film, keeping the storyline’s integrity intact.

Still as a true X-Men fan, I can’t help but be let down a little bit. I mean is it so much to ask for a comic book film to take a chance like the fellas who’ve gotten their hands on graphic novel films like “Sin City” and “Watchmen”. I know, I know graphic novels are grittier by nature but if you watch those movies there is a real, artisticly beautiful visual flare to them.

I see none of that in a single Marvel comics-based movie that has been made and I’m still waiting because Stan Lee’s comics are a timeless piece of art that deserve to be treated in such a way. An explosion of color, emotion, and tales of the struggle for humanity on an ink paper page. That same quality hasn’t transitioned the same to the big screen and maybe it never will.

Nonetheless I think this was the best of the four X-Men films, I’m just sad it had to come last. Will this prequel of sorts be the curtain call for the popular series? I guess only time will tell. However, a better answer to that question is given at the very end of the credits if you have time to wait around and see.

Whether you love them or still have no idea what an X-Man is, I think if you’re an action film guy, or gal, and you’re looking for the first summer blockbuster of the season, look no further than here. I give this film 3.5 stars out of five for the action genre.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is rated PG-13 for violence, intense action sequenes, and partial nudity. The film is showing at 4, 7, and 9:15 p.m. nightly at the Entertainer Theatre in Ronan.