X-Men Origins : Wolverine - My Review

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.

The Watchmen Movie

‘WATCHMEN’ is a movie that I would defend until death, although to be honest, I don’t think it was a very good movie.

If you’re confused, let me explain.

I first read the graphic novel around 1996 or so, re-read it at least twice a year, and each time I still found new details and nuances. It’s deep, it’s emotional, it really deserves its place as one of the great literary works of all time.

But here’s the thing: it’s also exhausting. Because to devour the whole thing in one sitting is really hard. Every panel, every page is swamped with references and sundry things that makes more sense if you put the book down for a moment and digest for a while.

It simply does not work if you tell that story in a single movie, even one with a 3-hour running time.

The result of the attempt to do so is a cramped, claustrophobic film that explains so much but lack any emotional climax. It’s violent, but lacks any dread. It’s action-packed, but lacks ‘punch’. It’s dense without being deep.

But then, i remember in an interview somewhere that Zak Snyder was trying his best not to offend the book’s scribe, Alan Moore. I think Snyder’s reverence for the source material needs to be applauded, because most parts of Watchmen are really the comics pages in moving form. The other parts are just cosmetic differences (you just know Snyder has to include the obligatory slo-mo and fast-forward sequences)
But you know, I’m not an expert or anything, but you really have to make a choice between not offending Alan Moore and simply making a good movie.

The saddest thing is, the disappointment really works both ways. Everyone not familiar with the work will be confused, while the faithful will find the film jarring when the story ‘beats’ didn’t come when expected.

So, as a movie, not very good then. But as fan-service: not bad. Snyder needs to be applauded for his effort, for his faithfulness to the comics, for the fact that he gives a damn. He wants to make us satisfied. The fact that he (heroically) failed should not diminish the fact that he obviously CARES.

Some things about the movie I need to get off my chest:

-Jon Osterman’s transition to dr. Manhattan is too abrupt. In the comics, the amount of clothes he wore decreased gradually (full-body jumpsuit to tank-top and undies to being completely naked). I think this is important to show Jon’s transformation from nerdy scientist to super-being is not an overnight thing. This also would make the sudden appearance of a big blue penis seem less distracting.

-Damn, Patrick Wilson is really too handsome to play Nite-Owl. Where’s the flab? The belly? Daniel Dreiberg came off more sympathetic than simply pathetic.

-Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian: I don’t know it’s a praise or a slam for Morgan, but the way he played him, I kind of felt sorry for the guy. Are we supposed to feel that way for a would-be rapist and cold-blooded killer?

-Jackie Earle Haley is perfect in many ways but one: the overtly-husky voice, which he seem to pick up from Christian Bale’s Batman. Ugh.

-Of all the women, how come Snyder picks Janey Slater to be the best-looking one? The actress playing her got that Carly Pope/pale skin-black hair-combo thing goin’ on. Malin Akerman, on the other hand, is on the running for Hollywood’s bitchiest visage. Ali Larter, watch your back.

-*SPOILER-IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED THE MOVIE, SKIP THIS!!!* Dude, the ending just does not make any sense! Wouldn’t the other countries just, like, blame America for letting dr. Manhattan did this?? After all, they’ve spent the movie saying that dr. Manhattan is AMERICA’s weapon…