Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

There is no doubt that Hugh Jackman is the perfect actor to portray Wolverine; and Marvel's decision to do an origin story on Wolverine is a good idea. The character is steeped in mystery for the average movie goer whom enjoyed the first three X-Men films. The idea is to take us back some 15 years before the X-Men films take place. For the most part we get introduced to many new X-Men when they were young? Cyclops is but a young teen, Emma Frost, Gambit all become small blips in the film.

The story itself is worthy and the assortment of other Marvel characters in it, but when you use other characters, you open Pandora's box to their origins too. Certain enough that the bastardization of those characters hurts this film. There is much confusion as to what nationality Wolverine is.

He's born in what appears America but as he ages infinitely slower than regular humans, he settles in Canada. The same goes for the key protagonist, Stryker. Is his program an American run operation or Canadian? After all the secret government facilities are housed in both Canada and America. It makes no sense. How can a man travel in both countries and run what appears a secret American commando operation out of Canada? On who's authority does he operate?

While I'm condemning all this garbage, the film actually holds together the first 40 minutes. Then the story falls apart. At the seams. From Gambit interfering in a fight between Wolverine and Sabertooth without good reason, to Logan's continued interest in revenge after he learns he has no reason for it.

Aside from the failed story line there are still two major problems with Wolverine, one is story tellers bring in other characters without any true interplay. The second is the ending ... more

Read Lars Hindsley's complete X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

-Lars Hindsley

Ryan Reynolds is Dead on as DeadPool in New Wolverine Movie

He's wanted the role for what seems over 10 years.... Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And the comic book character Deadpool has wanted to be Ryan Reynolds.



Sometimes the big news in movies like this isn't that Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine again. Instead it's the introduction of other X-Men characters we all have been waiting to see.

Unlike the small cameo appearances of ultra cool characters like Colossus in the last two X-Men movies, these new characters are showcased. Characters such as Gambit and Deadpool will be pivotal character in Wolverine. In fact reshoots took place as the Deadpool character became more important to the studio execs. As he should be. Any graphic novel enthusiast worth his/her salt knows that Deadpool was part of the Weapon X program along with Wolverine.

What is great is that Ryan Reynolds is taking this graphic novel character just as serious as Robert Downey Jr. has taken Tony Stark in Ironman. Ryan sees Deadpool for what he is underneath the mask; Wade Wilson. “ I don’t even look at it like I play Deadpool in this movie. I really think I more or less play Wade Wilson, and I’m playing the creature that will eventually become Deadpool but in this movie it’s his newly formed version….so to speak.”

You want to believe that the studio recognizes that while this is Wolverine's origin, that you can't make a character like Deadpool an aside in the same way they did with Venom in Spider-Man. Deadpool is a complex character. He is the only character in all of comics that knows he is a comic book character and even Ryan Reynolds has discussed this aspect of his character in interviews. Deadpool at this point in the story is not disfigured, his character as many know his is not the same as what most readers know him as. Wade Wilson before his disfigurement won't wear the mask. Will this be the Deadpool origin as well? We will see.