X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Director:

Gavin Hood

Writers:

David Benioff
Skip Woods

Starring:

Hugh Jackman
Liev Schreiber
Danny Huston
Will i Am
Lynn Collins
Kevin Durand
Dominic Monaghan
Taylor Kitsch
Daniel Henney
Ryan Reynolds
Scott Adkins

Rating:

PG-13

Quotes:

My name is Gambit... and I play for keeps.
My whole life I felt like an animal. Then she came along.
I'm coming for blood, no code of conduct, no law.
Walk until you bleed. Then walk some more.

“X-MEN ORIGINS:  WOLVERINE” – The ‘Animal Magnetism’ isn’t enough to make it special 

 Rating:  7 of 10 stars. 

There’s been a lot of controversy over the leaked early web release of this film. As to the claims of at least 2 newly-added scenes, there’s a minor one near the start of the end credits & one near the very end that lasts less than 20 seconds & is a ‘plot’ device you could’ve seen in loads of sci-fi films from literally 50 years ago. HUGH JACKMAN works hard as the title character, as does his main antagonist, his brother Victor / Sabretooth – (LIEV SCHREIBER). If you accept that this film was designed to explain like 150 or so years in the past lives of those 2 characters and introduce lots of other people seen in previous X-MEN films, then it does that fairly successfully--  tho such short shrift is given to so many of the mutant creatures, it’s hard to feel ‘satisfied’ in knowing them. The audience gave the film mild applause, & 2 guys near me agreed with each other that it has a lot of ACTION & lots of good SPECIAL EFFECTS. It has some interesting elements, some decent acting, it’s a good ‘popcorn’ movie--  but its stories and direction are often weak as a stand-alone effort &, sadly, not very special.
 
                                    …  As to those other characters you’ll meet in the film, here’s a run-down on some of them (& consider some of the info as semi-“Spoilers”!):  The quasi-“governmental” guy trying to control the initial mutant group is Stryker, played by DANNY HUSTON…  His ‘right-hand’ mutant, David North / Agent Zero, is played by DANIEL HENNEY, & he’s seen a fair amount during the film (especially compared to most others)... John Wraith / Kestrel (WILL.I.AM) has a recurring role as a teleporter who’s basically friendly to Wolverine…
 
                                       …  Bradley  / Bolt (DOMINIC MONAGHAN) has a small role as a guy who can manipulate electricity… The Blob – a 700-pound hard-to-move guy (FRED J. DUKES) provides a little shall-we-call-it-almost-‘comic’ relief…  Wade Wilson / Deadpool (a smarmy quipster with the ability to quickly heal, played by RYAN REYNOLDS) has a small antagonistic role…  Weapon XI (SCOTT ADKINS) can absorb the powers of other mutants, & you barely see him…
 
                                        …  Blond-haired Emma Frost (TAHYNA TOZZI) is able to make her skin have a diamond hardness, & is able to be telepathic…  Scott Summers / Cyclops (TIM POCOCK) can use his eyes to create blasts & melt things (ala Superman)…  Remy Lebeau / Gambit (TAYLOR KITSCH, from TV’s ‘Friday Night Lights’), met near the end of the film, has the ability to give explosive energy to objects, & Wolverine asks for his help… 
 
 
 
                                         …  Kayla Silverfox (LYNN COLLINS) plays an important role as a lover of Wolverine, with the ability to control the mind of anyone she can physically touch…  And, there’s a “surprise” appearance near the end by a major character from the earlier X-MEN films… 

           ...  So, while the film has some fascinating elements, its overall effect is somewhat done in by its WEAKNESSES:  there are a bunch of slow-moving and/or "dead" sections where nothing much of forward-moving consequence happens, there's a lot of general REPETITIVENESS (re certain of the fight scenes, especially between Wolverine & Sabretooth), and thus I doubt it’ll be a huge success after like the 1st week (what with “STAR TREK” & other better-appearing blockbusters to be released close behind it)…

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