X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wolverine had a lot of potential but unfortunately it remained almost untapped. As I feared, most of Wolvie's fascinating life was shown in the opening titles (World War I and II, Vietnam), and then we go straight back to when he served under Stryker. Which means those who wanted to know more about Wolverine's past are out of luck. But when you accept the game started by the screenplay, you'll have fun. Hugh Jackman was born for this role, and he certainly doesn't have to be ashamed of what he's doing here. The charming killer will hopefully win the heart of every viewer. The story is otherwise devoted to the creation of the X and XI programs, so there will be eye-pleasing showdowns, wisecracks, and also fateful moments when we will find out what actually happened. It could have been done better but I still had fun. Thanks to Ryan Reynolds, I'm really looking forward to Deadpool's solo. Oh yes, I almost forgot, Victor Creed is Schreiber's role of a lifetime. (06/26/2009)

Adrenaline, excitement, fascinating action, and Jackman. Although Gavin Hood doesn't go through complicated storylines or delve into deep psychological exploration, it's beyond me how the creator of the desperately average Rendition could create such an amazing tribute to Logan. I simply rejoiced in everything, from the warrior Wolverine, to the lone Wolverine, to the expectedly raging Wolverine. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that this five-star review is probably highly personal. (05/24/2009)

A boring mix of romance and breathtaking mountain scenery (more interesting first part) with a disjointed action adventure (boring second part) and a typically grandiose climax. As a prequel to a famous franchise, it's decent, but as a standalone action piece, it's very mishandled. Hugh Jackman has charisma, but his character is not sufficiently well-written, the action is confusing, computer-generated, and dull. The antagonists are solid, but the final over-the-top action set-piece follows a beaten path that no longer entertains me. (08/30/2009)

I have only seen the first two films of the X-Men series so far and they made a very solid impression on me. Wolverine takes a completely different direction and is not what I am looking for. It is more action-packed and visually impressive, but somehow immature in a teenage way. Even Liev Schreiber, one of my favorite actors, in the role of the main antagonist, did not improve my feelings. It is likely a generational matter because as a teenager I would give it at least one more star. Overall impression: 45%. (12/16/2009)

Mourning for Singer went out of fashion long ago after Ratner's collapse, so why not enjoy mutants in the brisk action guise dictated by the increasingly popular 1980s model? Hood grasped the point of the subject matter on offer and presents us with a very decent piece of work that relies on the fact that if something moves, shoots, and explodes on the screen (preferably ten times in a span of a few seconds), it is impossible to be mad at it. However, Skip Woods is still writing like he’s had a lobotomy, so the dialogue is solidly rough, and the twists and turns were surely foreseen by the group of twelve-year-old snots sitting a few seats away. My fondness for Reynolds, the fact that Schreiber is a crackerjack and Jackman a major crackerjack, who simply is Wolverine, saved a lot of this film for me. I’ll probably forget it in a few days, but the fact that I wasn't bored for two hours, and the over-the-top finale on the cooling tower gives it just enough bonus points. Edit: Even after the second viewing it still has some energy, but the stupidity is also quite visible. I give it a better three stars. (04/30/2009)