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Bookmark this pageX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Director: Gavin Hood
Movie review
From Time Out London
The first in a planned series of ‘X-Men’ prequels, ‘Wolverine’ arrives dogged by a lengthy production process (including a series of extensive and very public reshoots) and by the fact that an early version was leaked online some weeks before the official release. That version – dubbed a ‘workprint’ by the studio, but reportedly similar to the completed cut, barring a few effects shots – has already received a drubbing from those brave enough to admit to having watched it. So how does the finished film stand up?The plot is thin and largely culled from an established backstory that anyone who's seen 'X2' will be familiar with. After unwittingly murdering his father, young Logan runs away to a life of war and turmoil: deathless and indestructible, Wolverine and his brother Victor, aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), are eventually recruited by Danny Huston’s black-ops expert General Stryker for a series of covert missions. But surveillance quickly turns to slaughter, and Logan turns his back on the military. Unfortunately – and predictably – it turns out the military isn’t close to finished with him.
On the plus side, Hugh Jackman is hugely likeable in a role he was born to play, slicing and dicing his way through a series of competent action sequences devised by ‘Rendition’ and ‘Tsotsi’ director Gavin Hood. The opening mapping Wolverine’s journey through a century of warfare, is epic, breathless and brilliant.
But the script is simply disastrous. Overloaded with murky, forgettable characters familiar only to fans of the comics, it’s shot through with both narrative inconsistencies and laughably functional dialogue.
A host of talented supporting players, including Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds, are unforgivably wasted, while crude visual references to both ‘Watchmen’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ only highlight the film’s failed ambitions. With some dire blue-screen effects, dizzying tonal instability and a total absence of suspense or originality, ‘Wolverine’ is something of a disaster.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 2019, May 1-7 2009
User reviews of this film
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- Lolly said...
- Posted on Apr 30 2009 09:33 Totally agree with the Timeout review. Jackman did his best with what was essentially a load of twaddle. Anyone having a go at this reviewer is either hopelessly clueless about what actually makes a good film (and no, it's not special effects, repetitive fight sequences and gaping plot holes) or ten years old. Frankly, I suspect the latter. It was, sadly, rubbish.
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- Beth Aynsley said...
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Posted on Apr 30 2009 08:41
I have to agree that while the film isn't a great work of art, it's an awful lot of fun. If you look beyond the clunky script and cheap looking effects, it has a lot of damn cool moments. It's true, Liev and Ryan were wasted but Hugh Jackman is pretty much always worth watching and I would happily sit through the film again.
Happily.
I came bouncing out of the cinema.
He's just so cool. - Report as inappropriate
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- kevin said...
- Posted on Apr 30 2009 04:36 you got the story wrong big time In think you should wait to review the movie when it actualy comes out rather then watching some "leaked" footage of a film that was still in editing
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- Jacob said...
- Posted on Apr 30 2009 04:32 Did you see the movie? honestly though did you... you remind me of that SNL movie blogger who insults a movie after just seeing its trailer or wikipedia page, I admit i havent seen the movie yet but from ordinary peaples reviews i cant see why you have such a negative opinion, i not rating this for that reason
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- TOM said...
- Posted on Apr 29 2009 22:25 JUST SHARING I REALLY ENJOYED IT,THAT'S ALL. ALSO,WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A NICE LANGUAGE CALLED ENGLISH. TRY USING IT SOMEDAY.TAKE CARE,OVER AND OUT.
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- BILL said...
- Posted on Apr 29 2009 22:18 THATS CAUSE YOU DONT KNOW NOFINK ABOUT MOVIZ MAN.
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- TOM said...
- Posted on Apr 29 2009 22:16 I THOUGHT IT WAS AMAZING
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Lynn Collins, Will.i.am, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan, Kevin Durand, Taylor Kitsch, Scott Adkins, Tim Pocock, Julia Blake, Max Cullen full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Rated: 12A
Duration: 107 mins
UK Release: Apr 29 2009
US Release: May 8 2009
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