Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
★★
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)."
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)" is a superhero film about the origins of Wolverine, one of the most popular characters in the X-Men franchise. The film begins with James Logan (Hugh Jackman) and his half-brother Victor Creed, Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) battling in numerous wars across the decades. William Stryker (Danny Huston) is intrigued by their powers and longevity, and he recruits them into a special task team. Logan leaves the gang after a mission that goes too far and attempts to live a peaceful life. Stryker, on the other hand, manipulates circumstances, prompting Logan to enlist for the Weapon X program, where he is given his adamantium skeleton. Betrayals and discoveries ensue as Logan, now Wolverine, seeks vengeance on Stryker and Creed. The film explores themes of memory, identity, and revenge, culminating in a showdown that sets the stage for Wolverine's future with the X-Men.
The film suffers from a weak script and convoluted plot, which relies heavily on clichés and lacks depth. The film introduced numerous characters but failed to develop them properly, with significant deviations from their comic book counterparts upsetting many fans, particularly with the portrayal of Deadpool. The CGI and special effects were considered subpar, and continuity issues within the established X-Men universe created confusion. Additionally, Gavin Hood's direction suffered from uneven pacing and an inconsistent tone, resulting in a predictable and formulaic superhero origin story that lacked emotional resonance and complexity.
An origin narrative for a beloved character is always an intriguing concept, but presenting it poorly will disappoint fans. This film had me enthralled from the beginning, but after the second, my thrill went off. Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and Iron Man all have more amazing origin stories, but Wolverine does not. It's a shame, really, because Hugh Jackman is literally the one in this movie who actually knows what he's doing. I get the impression that the filmmakers didn't really care about telling a story, but only cared about merchandise sales. Richard Donner was an executive producer for this film and he couldn't even save it.