Friday, May 15, 2009

X-Men Origin: Wolverine

REVIEW

As I sit in the movie theater, I noticed that I was the only one sitting in there. This bodes ill for the long term prospect of the movie. Like Star Trek, this movie is high on special effects, light on story. Also present are numerous plot holes, although it's not as outlandish as Star Trek.

Overall, this is a movie heavy with special effects and standard action fare. However, the special effect treatment is exemplary, not only in execution, but also in moderation, in that it is used to enhance the story. I applaud the movie makers on their good sense. Unfortunately, the script is a standard action fare. It's not bad at all. In fact, I noticed certain expert touches here and there. I think the material limits the exploration, though. This isn't some heavy philosophizing mutant. This is some psychologically tortured mutant trying to make sense of the world around him. It's a good setup, albeit lacking that "life altering experience." If you want meditation, then this isn't the movie you seek. If you want traditional tortured hero with great action sequences, then look no further. This is it!

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The movie begins with young Logan and his brother on the run, promising to stay with each other forever. And stayed they did, from Civil War to Vietnam. Plot holes: for some reason, they stop growing once they are old enough? The time frame is kind of out of whack. Eventually, his brother aka Victor Creed aka Sabretooth ran into some mental instability problem and Logan and Creed were scheduled to be executed. Obviously, with their healing mutant power, they survived.

Enter Colonel Stryker, leader of Team X. "How would you like to serve your country?" Of course, they would. Wouldn't want to stay in the brig for centuries.

The African battle scene is terrific. However, the Hollywood mindset revealed itself, as even though Team X attacked the compound. Only one character at a time would partake into action. This is obviously a plot device to introduce the capabilities of each character. However, I think a coordinated action sequence where the team functioned as a unit would have been really an andrenalin workout. It could have been spectacular. Opportunities wasted, in my opinion.

Anyway, it turns out the colonel was looking for adamantium. In the subsequent brutal interrogation of the villagers, Logan quit in disgust. This was well scripted and acted, yet it is as cliche as any other time the good guy left a bad team.

Fast forward six years later, where Wolverine cuts trees down in Canada, lived in a log home, and with a pretty girlfriend to boot! An extremely understanding girlfriend who doesn't mind being scratched by the claws from time to time. In other words: Heaven.

Of course, the movie would be extremely boring if this is all there is. There's rampant killings of mutants and colonel Stryker tried to recruit Logan once more. Logan, who by this time has gained an indredible set of sinewy mucles from humping large trees. I was really impressed with Hugh Jackman physique. The last time I was this impressed was Daniel-Day Lewis in the Last of the Mohican. Jackman is better. I wouldn't mind getting a poster of his in battle action pose (hint!). This is a first for me.

It turns out Creed was the killer. He killed SilverFox, who is Logan's girlfriend. Logan agreed to undergo enhancement procedure. A butt naked Logan was strapped into the operating table. After some tense moments, Wolverine emerged. Unfortunately, Colonel Stryker made a tactical mistake. This caused Wolverine to bolt out of the base, still butt naked. Ladies, please avert your eyes! Hugh Jackman does porno including showing his pale white buff!

He befriended a friendly couple. Unfortunately, they got killed by agent Zero during the attempt to take in Wolverine. After an intense battle, during which agent Zero's incredible marksmanship went dud (plot hole), Wolverine managed to turn the tables and killed agent Zero.

Then comes the hunting for the new lab. Wolverine managed to meet up with Gambit (yet another implausible, but exciting fight scene), and together they hit the famed Three Mile Island. Yes, the nuclear reactor.

It turns out colonel Stryker was assembling a super mutant with capabilities of other mutants. I will not reveal the plot twists and turns here, but I will say that this is far better than Star Trek's plot. Still standard action fare, though.

In the end, Wolverine clawed his way onto one of the nuclear smoke stack, and together with Creed, fought off the new mutant. They finally won by decapitating the head. The head made a neat corkscrew cut, courtesy of Scott Summer's eye blast, that cuts down the smoke stack. Miraculously, it stood long enough for Wolverine to hit the ground. But then it tumbled down, threatening to bury Wolverine with several tons of nuclear proof concrete. Gambit to the rescue! With a leap worthy of a hundred long distance jumpers, he demolished the concrete, and Wolverine is saved, not even showered by concrete dust! Ain't special effect wonderful?

Unfortunately, one last plot twist reared his ugly head and colonel Stryker managed to shoot Wolverine in the head with super duper Adamantium bullet. KAPOWW! That must have hurt. After an emotional wrap up, the movie ends. Wolverine was last seen drinking large quantities of alcohol in Japan, "trying to remember."

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