Film File - X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Seeking solace from his dark past, Logan, also known as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), seems to have found love and contentment with the well named Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). However, Logan"s peaceful existence is suddenly shattered when his brother, Victor Creed aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), a feral being of massive power, brutally murders Kayla. Sabretooth possesses powers similar to Logan"s - both being virtually indestructible with super-human strength. The bad brother"s ferocity encompasses an extra feline fighting style and leaping ability allowing him race into the attack on all four limbs. Logan"s thirst for revenge propels him into the Weapon X program, where he undergoes a painful procedure to bond his bones with adamantium, making him yet more indestructible and ready for battle with his brother. The latest chapter of this high-grossing franchise unites Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe in an epic revolution that pits the mutants against powerful forces determined to eliminate them. Jackman once again demonstrates the well toned pecs that made him a superstar as the fierce fighting machine who possesses healing powers, adamantium claws, and a primal fury known as berserker rage. Sounds like something hidden in the basement of the HSE headquarters, doesn"t it? Staying true to the tone of previous X-Men outings, the film continues its basic template of spectacle and reality, mixed with a liberal sprinkling of revenge, betrayal and emotional conflict. It also introduces a covert military cadre comprised entirely of mutants whose members are: Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), later to be known as Deadpool, a high-tech mercenary skilled at swordplay; Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), an expert tracker and lethal marksman; Wraith, a teleporter; Fred J. Dukes (Kevin Durand), also known as The Blob, a morbidly obese and super-strong behemoth; and Bradley (Domnic Monaghan), who can manipulate electricity. Leading them is William Stryker (Danny Huston), a figure introduced in X2 whose complex relationship with Wolverine defines much of Logan"s past and future. While the three previous X-Men films were set in the near future, Wolverine - as the saga"s first chapter - is set mainly in the 1970s encompassing flashbacks that span 150 years. While tapping into the complex themes that have been hallmarks of the X-Men films, director Gavin Hood, who won an Academy Award for Tsotsi in 2005, wanted a version incorporating 'a visually stunning and hard-hitting' cinema experience. Adhering to the fact that the characters have always been at the heart of the X-Men comics and movies, Hood attempts to develop characterisation while keeping a hard foot on the accelerator throttle - in much the same format as when comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men over 40 years ago. The X-Men were an unusual group - at times sarcastic, antisocial, and often flawed - yet sympathetic when battling the demons of their lives, or taking on powerful villains in their universe of special powers. The character of Wolverine came years after many of his X-Men brethren, first appearing in comics in 1974. The character"s impact on pop culture has been profound; last year Wolverine was ranked number 1 of Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time. Coming in at under two hours, Wolverine is mercifully easy on the posterior - unlike the recent Spiderman 3 epic. Added to that is assured action direction from Hood, a man clearly of the 'if it ain"t broke" school. Pitching a slew of new special effects, the film whips along with great gusto from the early minutes and doesn"t really drop a stitch until the last fifteen. Opening with the takedown of a Nigerian crime lord and incorporating one excellent sequence where Wolverine battles a chopper and two armoured cars, this one pretty much does what it says on the box. The ending is, however, somewhat of a letdown after 100 minutes of flat-out action, and leaves a slightly sour taste that the scriptwriters - David Benioff and Skip Woods - couldn"t have fashioned one last thrill to send us homewards smiling. Overall, though, Wolverine does the biz.