X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Didn’t it drive you bonkers all throughout the X-Men trilogy that the story of Wolverine was never solved? X-Men Origins: Wolverine solves that gaping hole and tells the story of Wolverine before Xavier and the X-Men came into existence. I am slightly torn on my opinion of this one, on one hand it was enjoyable and it had a clear and concise plot that explained what it needed to explain so that fans would shut up. But on the other hand, the story line was nothing new.

We first meet the young Wolverine when he was known as James in the mid 19th century, laying sick in bed with his friend Victor for company. When Victor’s father arrives and kills James’s father, James goes into a rage and bone like spears grown from his knuckles and he kills Victor’s father who reveals that he is fact his real father. Since Victor and James are brothers now and both have freaky mutant powers they run away and enter a montage sequence of fighting together in every war from the Civil war to Vietnam. It was in Nam when Victor became a bit tweaked and I have a sneaking suspicion that Victor later becomes known as Sabretooth but that is not discussed in this installment.

Due to their regenerative abilities and claws, these guys avoid death by firing squad and become recruited to a squad of anti mutant mutants lead by William Styker. They have a bit of a falling out due to some less than humane practices and James bails on Styker’s club and his brother and fulfills his lifelong dream of being a lumberjack.

When it is revealed to him several years later that several of the members of the old gang are being murdered, Stryker himself asks for James’s help. When he is refused, Victor murders his girlfriend. Driven by rage, James agrees to do whatever he can to get revenge, and when Styker offers him the chance of a lifetime to become indestructible with a little adamantium added to his skeleton, James jumps at the chance.

It was a truly enjoyable movie, great action, great effects and a comprehensive story that didn’t stray from the known history of these beloved comic characters plus we get to meet Gambit which is totally worth it. I would recommend this movie to any X-Men fan who will most likely devour it anyway, but it would not be a familiar story to casual movie goers. I admit that the story, as it did explain everything and was exciting, needed a little more cayenne pepper for flavor.