Disclaimer: I collected Wolverine comics well into my 20’s and still intend to complete my collection of Volume 2 (’88-’03) some day. There are also some mini-spoilers included in this text so read at your own risk.
Yeah, I know the full title is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I shortened it for the sake of post title. To be honest, I’m not even sure Origins should be included in the title. I mean, they talk about where he came from and what makes him who he is but there’s just so much of it that seems wrong that it’s almost an alternate universe. I realize a vast majority of moviegoers will not have read the comics and I also realize that those who do are nefariously hard to please, but I think they could have done with a little less bastardization of the story. I actually expected what I got, so lets separate that out and look at both the movie as a standalone piece and character representation.
- Action – Maybe I’m just desensitized but I thought it was downright ho-hum. I can appreciate a movie not being 90 minutes of explosions but I only ever got that “Wolverine is so bad ass” feeling once. For sake of reference, I get chills every time he stabs the agent in the kitchen of the mansion in X2. (I don’t care what you think.)
- Special Effects – There were a lot of things that seemed poorly done. Setting aside the “realness factor” of it, quite a bit of the effects had me thinking they ran short on time or cash. I find that hard to believe but there was a definite cheeseyness to it.
- Wolverine – Besides Patrick Stewart playing Prof X, Jackman is probably one of the better X-Men castings. No complaints here.
- Sabertooth – I don’t know that he will ever be portrayed as he needs to be in live action. Liev Schreiber wasn’t bad but I’m not really down with the hopping around crap they had him do. He needs to be a lot bigger and a lot more brutal.
- Silverfox – Hot.
- Gambit – As one of the great omissions of the X-Men movies, I was looking forward to him being in this one. He’s supposed to be a smooth talking Cajun who trusts no one and he… well… wasn’t. IMO, the most disappointing character in the movie.
- Deadpool – Ryan Renolds? Come on people! What’s with turning him into Weapon XI anyway?
When we were kids, we talked about how awesome it would be to one day have an X-Men movie. Back in those days, special effects were such that we imagined it being a cartoon and not live action because it just wouldn’t work. Being 20 years older and seeing it in live action is still very, very cool so the movie gets a vote for sentimental reasons… but really for nothing else. Sadly, I can’t even really imagine myself owning it or watching it again.
I have yet to see it, but I did take a look at some screen caps.
Sabertooth? Totally agree. That guy is a beast in comic books. Liev Screiber is not a beast/menacing.
Deadpool? Ryan Reynolds does not work here.
Wolverine? Yes, Jackman does it really well.
I’ve now heard, from multiple people, the movie isn’t that good. Will be waiting for it to come to the ‘flix.
I was going to see it, but after this I think I will wait till it is on DVD, or downloadable 😉
Star Trek I will have to see, Mike you still up for it?