X-Men Origins: Wolverine – the review

It's showtime...bub!

It’s summer movie time and the first one out of the gate is the (first) Wolverine solo movie.

First, I don’t know why they insisted on that ridiculous title.  Just call it Wolverine like everyone else.

I went to see this movie last Sunday night at the neighborhood theater.  I’ll admit to being curious.  I’ve got a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Canadian berzerker (huss!).

I loved the character of Wolverine when he was a man of mystery with a tenuous grasp on his humanity.  The more layers they added to his origin the less I liked him.  By the time they got to the ridiculous “Origin” story I was pretty much done.

Since “Origin” was the basis of this one, my expectations were low.

What did I like?

• Hugh Jackman – the dude IS Wolverine.  The scene where he is working as a lumberjack, smoking a cheap cigar is spot on.  I don’t know who found Jackman for this role, but they better have been paid well.
• Liev Shrieber – I don’t care much for Sabretooth.  He’s been pushed down my throat too much as the anti-Wolverine which seems redundant.  I don’t care much for Shrieber either.  That being said, his take on Sabretooth as Wolverine half-brother and partner in mayhem worked. 
• The opening credits – shots of Sabretooth and Wolverine working as soldiers in all the wars from Civil to Vietnam.  That was fun.
• Ryan Reynolds – yes, he was Deadpool.  No, he wasn’t in the movie long.  When he was, however, he lit up the screen.  I’m not sold on a Deadpool movie, but if Reynolds is going to play the “merc with a mouth” it might just work.

What didn’t I like?

• The story – it was weak.  It was cobbled together for the various parts of Wolverine’s convoluted origin.  It was as if we moved through someone’s comic collection and they were missing some issues.
• Cyclops – why was he in this movie?  It was pointless.  I guess they got a new optic blast animation they wanted to use.
• Gambit – I hate the character.  I hated the actor.  I was born and raised in Louisiana and I’ve hated Gambit from the moment he appeared.  The accent was wrong.  He carried himself wrong.  Just wrong.  To shoehorn him into this movie smacks of desperation.  There was just no need.
• Adamantium Bullets – Is he a werewolf?  Vampire? WTF?
• Professor X – Sure, it was fun to see Patrick Steward however briefly, but the scene was horribly blue screened and it was just distracting.

I posted on Facebook that it didn’t suck.  It was damning with faint praise.  It had a couple of fun action pieces, but if you’ve seen any of the trailers you’ve seen them.  It was fine for a popcorn movie, but as the start of a potential franchise it left a LOT to be desired.  Probably only suited for hardcore X-fans.