I managed to take X-Men Origins: Wolverine Friday evening after work (as a manner of parent pre-screening, mind you), and again yesterday with my 13 year-old son. It is a very enjoyable comic actioner, with studio writers doing a commendable job adhering to the Marvel character's mythology. Yes, they do change things around, but even the comic books manage to do that themselves with some of their iterations. The spirit of the character remains in this film, though with PG-13 qualities the studios pretty much mandate these days to promote their box-office potential. Hugh Jackman remains very likable in this Wolverine role and Liev Schreiber brings a needed depth and acting wherewithal to the role of Sabertooth (something wrestler Tyler Mane sorely lacked in the first of the X-Men movies).Although, when I first saw it on Friday, I had an inkling about Hugh's presentation of the character in this movie. Something was very familiar to it, but I couldn't place it. And after watching it a second time, I finally recognized it. If you see Origins, tell me if you don't think Jackman's channeling a young Clint Eastwood in his line delivery. The voice pattern and inflection, not the rasp, seem to register with me somehow (likely because I'm a long-time fan of Clint). I can also report, from a youth's perspective, that my 13 year-old simply loved this movie. For me though, as fun and entertaining as it is, it's not in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight territory for depth, structure, or relevance. It's rumored that Origins director Gavin Hood (and the movie) received some last minute (pick mentoring, tinkering, or saving here) by way of uncredited veteran (and Superman movie) director Richard Donner. Either way, I give the film a thumbs up* and am pleased for a very good start of the Summer Movie season (as early as it now arrives, that is).
* and after re-reading Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, I was reminded this ancient hand symbol has a whole set of other meanings that may apply here ;-).
