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. (26/06/2009)

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. (30/08/2009)

Crap that cost a lot of money always piss me off the most, and with Wolverine's origin my anger is clear. It’s an incredibly unoriginal comic book movie that fails in everything. Really, one cliché after another, already during the first fifteen minutes or so there are two shots of a screaming kneeling figure with a camera flying upwards. At least it makes you retroactively appreciate Ratner’s third part. (14/07/2011)

The first half an hour of Wolverine is very promising, with its spectacular action, very nice work with mountain locations, a likable Hugh Jackman, a believable relationship with a hot girl, cool catchphrases (“I’m Canadian”) and Liev Schreiber’s badass super villain (he’ll have to fight off offers to play more villains with a stick). Wolverine starts off as a tastefully balanced mix of dynamic action and pleasant family adventure with some romance thrown in for a good measure... That’s why it’s a pity that the talented Gavin Hood must gradually submit to more and more stupid screenplay twists, which want to astonish the action-craving audience at any cost. The movie thus ends up being something between Doom and X-Men: The Last Stand. I’m neither angry nor disappointed, as this was to be expected already from the trailer. I’m just saying it’s a pity. These characters and the hard-working actors playing them deserve something more clever. Something like Bryan Singer. (27/04/2009)

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%. (16/12/2009)