I was among those who contributed to X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘s humongous $87 million take this weekend and here are some quick thoughts I had in case you’re still not sure if you should slap down the dough:
- It has some awesome action sequences (Logan against a helicopter was whoa!-worthy)
- Several good actors were wasted, namely Lynn Collins and Dominic Monaghan (though they’ll surely enjoy the residual checks)
- Danny Huston as yet another bad guy is so tiresome. I’m not talking about his acting, which is fine, only saying he’s a predictable, uninspired choice for Stryker because he’s played so many evil men (he continues the streak in the upcoming Mel Gibson-starrer Edge of Darkness, a rough cut of which I’ve seen)
Keep your eyes on Daniel Henney, who plays Agent Zero, because he’s going places (he’s already a huge star in Korea)- Hugh Jackman can really fill out a pair of jeans (or not—he’s completely nude at one point)
- You shouldn’t think too much about the plot because a lot of it doesn’t make sense. I don’t need to go into detail because the title says it all—this is an origin story, telling us how Wolverine came to have adamantium claws, healing powers and memory loss. Ignore the loopholes and occasionally clunky dialogue and enjoy the eye candy
- It would help you enjoy this movie if you’re already a fan of Hugh Jackman and/or Wolverine
- On the comic-book-turned-into-a-movie scale, it’s not as good as the first two Spider-Man flicks, or even Iron Man, but it’s certainly more watchable than Ang Lee’s abysmal Hulk.
Nerd Verdict: Wolverine could be fiercer but still has some bite
7 Comments
ShelleyP
May 4, 2009 at 5:19 amThanks, PCN! I really appreciate the hardship you endured to bring us this review.
popculturenerd
May 4, 2009 at 9:38 amYes, ShelleyP, it was torturous!
Poncho
May 4, 2009 at 9:26 amI’m sad…
I can’t see the movie until May 14.
Damn you swain flu!
popculturenerd
May 4, 2009 at 9:37 amI heard the flu situation is getting better over there. Is that true, Poncho? Hang in there, May 14 is only 10 days away!
Poncho
May 4, 2009 at 5:35 pmYes, it’s getting better. The thing is that, though the illness is real and we must be careful, the worst thing about all this is paranoia on the streets, you know?
But you’re right. It’s only 10 days. I’m counting them!
le0pard13
May 4, 2009 at 4:41 pmI agree with you on Daniel Henney–he’s a comer in the U.S. But, the writers here did have a tough job attempting bring the backstory of a very popular Marvel character (with a long established comic mythology) to the screen. Plus the studio finally got another interesting/popular mutant screen time in Gambit–Taylor Kitsch did well here for the little time allotted. I labelled it fun, not great, in my post today. Good summary, PCN.
READER#9
May 4, 2009 at 10:00 pmI also opened my wallet for Wolverine this weekend.
I can’t tell if I’m getting smarter or movies are getting dumber. The plot is weak and some serious editing was needed to make it worth my $10.
Gambit attacking Wolverine just as Wolverine is kicking Sabertoothe’s butt makes no sense whatsoever.
Loved the helicopter scene though.