Tom Fink
Claremore — By the end of 2006’s “X-Men: the Last Stand,” at least two X-Men were dead with several others missing in action, having narrowly survived an onslaught by (among other things) the whole U.S. Army, an armada of evil mutants led by Magneto and a corrupted and power-hungry Jean Grey, aka “Dark Phoenix,” and director Brett Ratner.
With “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the X-franchise takes a ginormous step back to uncover the backstory of one of the movies (and comic’s) most popular frontman, Wolverine, played here for the fourth (possibly best) time by Aussie-native Hugh Jackman.
How did the character lose his memories? What’s up with those pesky “berserker rages” that Wolvie is so prone to? Has he always had adamantium claws and why do he and Sabretooth “agree to disagree — violently” so darned much?
It’s unlikely that there are movie-goers who have lost sleep pondering these questions— a short trip to a comic store (or even Google, for that matter) would essentially answer them all, but the “why” of these questions really isn’t the point.
Watching Jackman as Wolverine, slicing his way through walls, jeeps, and just about anything else within reach, on the other hand, is.
The film begins with a pre-Wolverine Logan, in fact a pre-Logan Logan in 1845, when a sickly boy James Howlett (who later becomes “Logan”) commits patricide in a fatal misunderstanding. Oops.
The boy then goes on the run with his half-brother, Victor Creed who swears he’ll look out for the child and — to a large extent does — as the pair are back to back in every major conflict in which America is involved, including the Civil War, World Wars I and II (storming Normandy, no less), among others.
(For those unfamiliar with the characters, Wolverine’s ability to heal at a superhuman rate also does wonders for his longevity, making him age profoundly slower than the people around him, except for Creed, aka Sabretooth, who also seems to share this attribute).
By the time the Vietnam War rolls around, more than 100 or so years of combat have taken different tolls on the half-bros, who also share the family trait of Martin Van Buren-like sideburns — Logan has become something of a pacifist, while Victor, on the other hand, has an increasing appetite for blood and destruction, much to his half-brother’s horror — all of this unfolds during the film’s opening credits.
After the pair survive a firing squad for murdering a senior officer (don’t worry — it was Victor who actually did so), they’re thrown into a military prison where they’re visited by Col. William Stryker, played by Danny Huston, son of the late director John Huston.
“You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer. Your sentence was carried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours,” Stryker says. “How did that go?”
“It tickled,” Logan replies.
Styrker then offers the pair a the opportunity to join his covert-ops team — which consists of other people “like them,” aka other mutants.
This allows the film the chance to introduce a host of characters, among them Bradley (played by Lost’s Dominic Monaghan) who can conduct and generate electricity, Fred Dukes (Kevin Durand), a mountainous character that cannot be moved, John Wraith (played by rapper Will i. am. in his big-screen debut) who’s got a nifty trick of short-range teleportation, and Wade Wilson (played by scene-stealing Ryan Reynolds), a wise-cracking mercenary who can literally slice bullets out of the air with his swords.
But Wolverine’s time with Stryker’s team is short-lived, as the indiscriminate killing proves too much for him, and he walks away from the mutant task force while in mid-mission.
Years later, we find Logan retired to the Canadian Rockies where he has become a lumberjack, and he’s okay — living the peaceful life with his girlfriend, Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins — one of the few female characters in the movie).
For reasons I won’t fully reveal, Logan is motivated to not only come out of retirement, but to allow Stryker to bond adamantium to his skeleton, making him even more unstoppable than he was before — which, to Stryker’s regret — it does.
“Become the animal. Embrace the other side,” Stryker tells him.
You know what they say about being careful what you wish for ....
Saying much more would spoil the surprises the movie does have in store, but suffice it to say that revenge is a recurring them in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” — a theme that runs through this movie like Hugh Jackman does buck nekked through the Canadian wilderness (which he does, no thank you very much — although let it not be said that this movie doesn’t offer something for the female fans to enjoy in this otherwise testosterone-heavy movie).
And no commentary on the film would be complete without at least a mention of Remy LeBeau, aka fan-favorite Gambit (played by Friday Night Light’s Taylor Kitch) — a charismatic Cajun card player who wields a mean Bo staff, and can manipulate kinetic energy and transform anything he touches into an explosive weapon.
The early scenes between Gambit and Wolverine are the most visually arresting in the entire movie.
But make no mistake — it’s Hugh Jackman’s movie from start to finish, as he does double duty as star and producer.
Now almost ten years older than he was when he first played Wolverine, Jackman has grown into the role and wears it like a furry second skin, growling and playing Wolverine with a ferocity that hasn’t been allowed in the previous X-films.
In this movie, he isn’t just playing Wolverine, he IS Wolverine.
I doubt that anyone who’s not already familiar with the character will be drawn to see “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (except perhaps to marvel at Jackman’s brawn — the impressive result of a punishing workout regime).
But those who are at least marginally aquainted with the mutant “who’s the best there is at what he does,” won’t be disappointed.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is an enjoyable pre-telling of the character who would eventually become an X-Man, full of eye-candy for the fans and fanboys, and boasting the most feral smackdowns of any of the previous X-movies.
While it’s by no means a perfect film (there are a few plot holes that smell like the Blob’s sweaty gym socks), its certainly a good film, and if you’re already a fan, a very good film, one which would merit — by Wolverine’s standards — a solid two and a half out of three claws.
And perhaps “Wolverine” the movie benefits from being like Wolverine the character —surviving hits and criticisms, and taking all kids of punishment, but possessing a healing factor that allows it to survive, and come back for more, just when you think it’s down for the count. Excelsior!
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is rated PG-13 for brief, non-sexual nudity, strong language, loads and loads and loads of action/violence, and gratuitous sideburns.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is now playing at the Claremore Cinema 8. For a listing of showtimes, contact CC8 at 342-2422.
