Hey, people! ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is actually not bad!
Ignore the buzz! Don’t let taste-makers and snobs form your opinion about this movie! Because, despite the low critical ratings and hardcore fanboy’s disappointment, the movie is still an entertaining, exciting film.
Granted, even the casual movie-goers can find many things wrong with it, and to think about it too hard will simply make you mad. But as a summer movie, it delivers.
What’s the story? Well, we learned that Wolverine was born in the 19th Century, took part in all the major wars (first with his brother Victor and later with a team lead by Danny Huston that include Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am and a couple of former LOST-ies, namely Kevin Durand and Dominic Monaghan) until his humanity and disgust with the violent nature of his work forced him to quit and lead a quiet life in the Canadian mountains with a cute babe named Kayla, played by Lynn Collins. Okay, so far it make sense, right? EVERY dude would rather spend his life with a cute babe than with Ryan Reynolds and that annoying dude out of Black Eyed Peas . But then the Plot Machine kicks in. The girl is killed, and for revenge Wolverine accepts an offer to have his skeleton augmented with adamantium. (Fanboy note #1: according to the credits, the female scientist responsible is Heather Hudson of Alpha Flight fame. Too bad she didn’t don the Vindicator suit though. That wouldve been AWESOME). The experiment, and his later escape, provide Wolverine with the Obligatory Action-Movie Star Butt-Shot, which must be done by all non-American actors who wants to take a place in the Hollywood Action-Star Elite (see also Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, Sylvester Stallone in The Specialist and Jean Claude Van Damme in Time Cop). After that, it’s a quiet, low-key tale of a lonely soul searching for answers in an uncaring world. Oh hell, no way. It’s fight scene after fight scene, each one in different locales to make it seem that the story is moving. Then Wolverine goes to the island where experiments are being done, and fights the Ultimate Mutant Bad Guy. Well, that’s about it. Structure-wise and plot-wise, Paul Thomas Anderson and The Coens have nothing to worry about.
On to the nitpicks. I still do not understand why the filmmakers had to make references to the comic books that are not only unimportant, but inaccurate as well. Why shoe-horn Cyclops in it? Especially since the first movie make it seem that Cyclops have only met Wolverine for the first time. Why make Emma Frost the sister of Kayla? And why, if the Emma Frost shown is not the lingerie-wearing telepathic dominatrix as shown in the comics would you bother to name her Emma? Why not just make her a totally new character? (Fanboy note #2: I know that Grant Morrison did change Emma’s powers to the one shown in the movie, but still…)
So, It’s far from flawless, but it delivers in the way that Watchmen didn’t: It moves in a quick pace. It’s funny in places. And importantly, it’s fun.
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