I will be referencing my initial review of the X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE workprint released onto the internet last month, so if you want to check that out, it’s preserved here.
As you may recall, I somewhat enjoyed what I saw of the rough cut of WOLVERINE last month. No, it wasn’t GONE WITH THE WIND – hell, it was barely BLADE 2 – but I don’t go to a movie like WOLVERINE with high expectations of deep drama or complex plotting. On its own terms, WOLVERINE mostly delivered what was necessary.
Upon a second viewing, I’m only slightly less enthralled.
One of the biggest disappointments in the final product is the shoddy state of the effects in this film. The workprint I saw contained rough CGI renders of the final effects, but the finished film has barely improved upon them. It’s hard to believe this is a major tentpole film for FOX considering the effects work here. Some of it is so bad that it looked like hand-drawn animation from some old Max Fleischer short. Atrocious. This is a film almost completely reliant on special effects money shots, yet this is the biggest problem with the film.
Since I am not a comic book fanatic, I cannot tell you how well the storyline adheres to the legend of Wolverine, although given how clumsily it seems to fit into the universe, I would say it takes some liberties with the material. The sheer amount of backstory presented is overwhelming and slightly confusing; I would have preferred it if they would have trimmed it down to its essence.
Hugh Jackman reprises his trademark snarl to mostly good effect. Unfortunately, character motivation in the script is all over the place, causing Jackman’s performance to feel more uneven than in the previous films. He does have great chemistry with Liev Schreiber, who plays Sabretooth. It’s a shame that the script didn’t focus more on their relationship, because whenever they’re onscreen together there is an electricity that’s missing from much of the film.
Aside from the horrible effects, the other problem with the film is the script. Too much backstory clogs up the first act, which is then followed by a clumsy journey from one mutant meeting to another, and is then capped by a climax that seems to lack proper motivation or sense. Mutants like Gambit are introduced merely for the sake of introducing them, without much rhyme or reason. The conclusion does silly things like have Wolverine climb to the top of a nuclear cooling tower … the only obvious reason being that it looks cool.
Of course, it doesn’t look cool with effects like these.
I know it sounds like I hated the movie, but I didn’t. Neither did my audience, who laughed at several lines and jumped at several kepy moments. Overall, they seemed to enjoy it for what it is: a mindless funhouse ride. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE will not win Oscars next year, but for now, it will satiate the hunger for superhero films. For now.
11 Comments
Yea I would have to totally agree completely with this review. It wasn’t mind blowing or great but it was what I expected. It was good enough for me. The other page they have up people ripped it to shreds. I didn’t hate it that bad at least.
@ Dan Balvin – Yeah, it was pretty much paint-by-the-numbers and inoffensive. There certainly have been better – and worse- superhero movies than this one.
i jsut wrote a comment on the article below yours that staes what you said. i couldnt agrree with you more. just a fun night at the movies nothing more nothing less
Don’t you hanker for something to break the mold? To not be safe? The studios are bending fanboys over the saw-horse and riding them ’till the sun goes down and… you k now what? The fan-boys are looking over their shoulders and breathlessly whispering “thank you.”
Reward this pile of mediocre horseshit with a 75M weekend and you’ll guarantee more mediocrity will head to the big screen.
It’s like the fanboys have become their own worst enemy — getting bland heros to the screen over and over again to go through the same paint-by-numbers crap-CGI over and over and over again. And now, it’s like the fan boys, in their backwards-ass “we won” glow, suck shit through a straw, grins on their pimply faces, as they mutter “thank you” to their Studio masters. Enough. Stop wit the suckage. Find something new to be a fanboy about. Be a fanboy about personal hygiene, how about that? Be a fanboy about getting laid. Just something other than the lame superhero shit. It’s not helping your cause!
When mediocre is celebrated and rewarded, we’re a step close to Judge’s Idiocracy view of the future. Coming to a theater near you: “Ow, My Balls!” the sequel.
Anyway, not a rant against you, Ray. Just a rant against celebrating mediocrity.
Mark
@ MEDavidson – I know exactly where you’re coming from, of course.
I kinda look at it this way: what can I, as an avid moviegoer, really expect from a comic book adaptation about a guy with superpowers and adamantium claws? I just want the damn thing to be fun and pretty, because it’s not going to stimulate any other part of my brain. I’ve almost given up hoping for something more, actually.
The entire superhero genre has been overplayed for two reasons –
(1) It’s easy for Hollywood. They don’t really need to come up with original stories, and those pre-existing stories have pre-existing fanbases.
(2) They’re big, effects-heavy action vehicles guaranteed to bring in huge box office almost every time.
Once we understand and accept those two facts, the entire task of swallowing WOLVERINE or the upcoming TRANSFORMERS sequel becomes exponentially easier.
Ya know, I’m not anti- effects-heavy summer fare. Transformers is a bizarre guilty pleasure. I have no idea which robot is on which robot “team”. The story sucks, and it’s worth a watch, but here’s the deal: I don’t get the feeling I’m being called a schmuck behind closed doors. ** I DO ** get that feeling when (if) I watch a comic book -> movie. I can see them: these guys will watch ANYTHING. And they laugh. They LITERALLY fucking laugh at how they pedal lame shit on us.
But now we’re in a fanboy catch-22. “Give us the comic book movie’s” they scream. And no matter how weak it is, the fanboys HAVE TO lap it up because it is the very key to their existence.
Can you blame the studios? No. They’re in it for their shareholders. If they dont sell tickets, they’re out of a job. Period.
Churchill said “you are doomed to the government you choose.”
I wonder how these movies add to the social fabric. Do we stand around the watercooler and debate the moral dilemmas of Wolverwine? No, we don’t. Just like we no longer debate our own moral dilemmas. We’re comfortable sugar-coating everything.
Do we discuss the interesting social commentary weaved into The Hulk and wonder how the artists that created the story are asking us to look for analogues in our own lives? Nope. Don’t do that either.
But hot damn, that shit blows up good!
Are we doomed?
@ MEDavidson – I think it’s funny how you mention THE HULK and social issues. Ang Lee actually attempted to make a deep statement about the human condition with his version of THE HULK, and he was lambasted for it by geeks and fanboys.
They wanted the eye candy, so they remade THE HULK again with more effects – and the fanbase was happy.
There are still movies that deeply consider the human condition and society in general, and we’ve had some doozies in the last couple of years … NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, THE WRESTLER, CHILDREN OF MEN. There are good or great films stil being made, and some of them even become popular. So I wouldn’t worry too much about being doomed. As long as there are humans with an artistic bent, there will be movies that look beyond comic book nonsense.
YOU ALL SOUNDS SO GAY , AND WHO CARES ITS JUST A FUCKING MOVIE
YOU DON’T LIKE DON’T FUCKING WACHT IT, AT LEATS THEY MAKING MONEY AND YOUR NOT, PS : DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH YOUR LIFE NERDS!!!!!!!!!!
Um, why are you on a movie website then? That is the point of this site… To discuss movie stuff in detail. Perhaps you should go to a site that caters to your particular way of thinking. Try googling “functional retards” for some helpful hints.
Don’t worry Ray, that comment was actually from an executive at FOX. Notice the all caps typing and bad grammar. He’s mad because you guys are poor mouthing the piece of shit that is Wolverine. The first turd of the summer. I’ve got to be honest, it kind of put a damper on my hopes for a good summer of movies…sigh….oh well, here’s hoping for the best.
@ Parker – LOL brilliant!!