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X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year Of Release
2009
Director
Gavin Hood
Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner, Hugh Jackman, Ralph Winter, John Palermo
Writer
David Benioff, Skip Woods
Notes
Zack Snyder was again approached to direct but dropped out of negotiations to direct Watchmen, Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner were snubbed, even though both showed interest in returning to the franchise. Len Wiseman and Alexandre Aja also showed interest but weren’t considered. Eventually a new director was brought in, Gavin Hood.
Yet again though, Fox caused trouble for the franchise after new director Hood came aboard and they immediately came to loggerheads over the tone of the film with Wolverine suffering apparent stress disorders after being in so many wars… Richard Donner himself, husband of producer Lauren Shuler Donner, actually flew out to Australia to settle the dispute.
Hugh Jackman then had the production halted/slowed when he had to promote his film Australia… Ryan Reynolds also slowed production as he was working on two other films at the time as well.
After a comic book fan, David Benioff, was hired to write the script, another writer, Skip Woods, was then hired to rewrite.
Eventually, most of the characters that were omitted from X-Men, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand were written into Wolverine permanently… but not without more controversy when Sabretooth was set to return but with Liev Schreiber in the role instead of X-Men original cast member Tyler Mane.
James Vanderbilt and Scott Silver were also attached to rewrite, but the Writers Guild Strike put another spanner in the works for the film.
What was different though about Wolverine is that the filmmakers started filming over a year before the release date. This gave plenty of time to get shots needed, action sequences filmed, sets built and script rewrites completed.
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Year Of Release
2009
Director
Gavin Hood
Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner, Hugh Jackman, Ralph Winter, John Palermo
Writer
David Benioff, Skip Woods
Notes
Zack Snyder was again approached to direct but dropped out of negotiations to direct Watchmen, Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner were snubbed, even though both showed interest in returning to the franchise. Len Wiseman and Alexandre Aja also showed interest but weren’t considered. Eventually a new director was brought in, Gavin Hood.
Yet again though, Fox caused trouble for the franchise after new director Hood came aboard and they immediately came to loggerheads over the tone of the film with Wolverine suffering apparent stress disorders after being in so many wars… Richard Donner himself, husband of producer Lauren Shuler Donner, actually flew out to Australia to settle the dispute.
Hugh Jackman then had the production halted/slowed when he had to promote his film Australia… Ryan Reynolds also slowed production as he was working on two other films at the time as well.
After a comic book fan, David Benioff, was hired to write the script, another writer, Skip Woods, was then hired to rewrite.
Eventually, most of the characters that were omitted from X-Men, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand were written into Wolverine permanently… but not without more controversy when Sabretooth was set to return but with Liev Schreiber in the role instead of X-Men original cast member Tyler Mane.
James Vanderbilt and Scott Silver were also attached to rewrite, but the Writers Guild Strike put another spanner in the works for the film.
What was different though about Wolverine is that the filmmakers started filming over a year before the release date. This gave plenty of time to get shots needed, action sequences filmed, sets built and script rewrites completed.
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In 1845, a young boy around the age of 10 called James Howlett discovers the disturbing truth that his father isn’t his real father and that a good school friend of his called Victor, is actually his brother.
During this emotional discovery, he and his newly discovered brother end up wanted for murder and they go on the run… vowing to protect each other and keep each other’s bizarre powers secret.
As time goes on, the two find themselves fighting many wars, always watching each other’s backs.
But when a particular incident that shows their strange powers for what they are, it brings the attention of a young Government Agent called Stryker…
… Stryker then invites the duo to fight for a shadowy, almost Black Ops organisation.
But James, who now uses the name Logan, begins to doubt that their activities are purely for good and it drives a wedge between him and Victor…
In leaving the organisation though, Logan has made himself a genuine enemy of his brother… and using Stryker’s help, Logan is given a power beyond his imagination to be able to stop Victor… who is seemingly out for the blood of everyone who was in the “organisation”.
During this emotional discovery, he and his newly discovered brother end up wanted for murder and they go on the run… vowing to protect each other and keep each other’s bizarre powers secret.
As time goes on, the two find themselves fighting many wars, always watching each other’s backs.
But when a particular incident that shows their strange powers for what they are, it brings the attention of a young Government Agent called Stryker…
… Stryker then invites the duo to fight for a shadowy, almost Black Ops organisation.
But James, who now uses the name Logan, begins to doubt that their activities are purely for good and it drives a wedge between him and Victor…
In leaving the organisation though, Logan has made himself a genuine enemy of his brother… and using Stryker’s help, Logan is given a power beyond his imagination to be able to stop Victor… who is seemingly out for the blood of everyone who was in the “organisation”.
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A bit of an odd one this.
Wolverine has a pretty good story behind it and some great action sequences.
There’s more humour to this one at the beginning, especially between Logan, Victor and the new team of mutants they’re joined with.
After the initial humorous start though and the odd funny scene thrown in throughout the running time, it has quite a depressing air about it. It’s a very sombre and serious turn of events that lead to the “birth” of the Wolverine we all know from the original trilogy.
The kinds of twists and turns that made the original trilogy’s screenplay so good are laid on thick in this one too and they’re gladly easy to follow. It makes for a pretty unpredictable movie and makes it more enjoyable too.
Another thing that’s laid on thick is a sub-plot that was used throughout the original trilogy… experiments on mutants.
This film is a culmination of all the various already seen experimentation, which made the other films so disturbing at times. It’s also handled pretty well too.
The dialogue in this one is about the same as before too but what’s special about this film, is that Logan is a completely different character overall.
What is missing from this one though, I think, is the more character driven sub-plots and side stories. Though with this being the origins of Wolverine, the movie does succeed in what it set out to do
What is good though, is seeing the things that Logan had forgotten in the original trilogy. The backstory that was missing from Logan’s memories… and it’s nice to see some of the olde connections that Logan has with Stryker and Sabretooth.
Another nice touch is a bunch of cameos from young actors playing mutants that we will all recognise from the original trilogy… and a small role for the mutant called Emma Frost who will be seen in more detail in X-Men: First Class.
What lets it down though, is that the film has an air about it that makes it feel like a film that was made for the sake of it.
Even though all of the above work well, the film feels a little hollow. Almost as if there could have been something better about it during the preproduction stages that weren’t included in the final product.
There are also some continuity errors in regard to the original trilogy during the running time too.
The acting and character writing is what really brings the film to life.
Hugh Jackman returns as Logan/Wolverine. This time round the more serious tone of the character is brought into the foreground and Jackman nails it.
Victor/Sabretooth this time round is played by Liev Schreiber… Schreiber was a bit of a controversial pick to start with over Tyler Mane, but the new actor is by far a better choice.
Given the extra screen time, Victor needed a strong actor to make the character come to life and Schreiber is absolutely on form. He’s also one of the best villains going in the X-Men films.
Danny Huston makes a mark too as a young version of Brian Cox’s Stryker. Huston is fantastic as the slimy government type with an agenda.
Taylor Kitsch also makes a nice showing as Gambit too. He has a kind of dual role throughout as an enemy and then friend to Logan.
Back up comes from Will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan, Kevin Durand and Ryan Reynolds makes a seriously memorable appearance too.
Reynolds in particular is funny at the start.
The effects, fights and choreography though are what this film is really all about.
The rendering of the effects, CGI and practical are absolutely wonderful and some of the action sequences are seriously some of the best of the series so far.
Jackman in particular carries the action fantastically too.
Wolverine has a pretty good story behind it and some great action sequences.
There’s more humour to this one at the beginning, especially between Logan, Victor and the new team of mutants they’re joined with.
After the initial humorous start though and the odd funny scene thrown in throughout the running time, it has quite a depressing air about it. It’s a very sombre and serious turn of events that lead to the “birth” of the Wolverine we all know from the original trilogy.
The kinds of twists and turns that made the original trilogy’s screenplay so good are laid on thick in this one too and they’re gladly easy to follow. It makes for a pretty unpredictable movie and makes it more enjoyable too.
Another thing that’s laid on thick is a sub-plot that was used throughout the original trilogy… experiments on mutants.
This film is a culmination of all the various already seen experimentation, which made the other films so disturbing at times. It’s also handled pretty well too.
The dialogue in this one is about the same as before too but what’s special about this film, is that Logan is a completely different character overall.
What is missing from this one though, I think, is the more character driven sub-plots and side stories. Though with this being the origins of Wolverine, the movie does succeed in what it set out to do
What is good though, is seeing the things that Logan had forgotten in the original trilogy. The backstory that was missing from Logan’s memories… and it’s nice to see some of the olde connections that Logan has with Stryker and Sabretooth.
Another nice touch is a bunch of cameos from young actors playing mutants that we will all recognise from the original trilogy… and a small role for the mutant called Emma Frost who will be seen in more detail in X-Men: First Class.
What lets it down though, is that the film has an air about it that makes it feel like a film that was made for the sake of it.
Even though all of the above work well, the film feels a little hollow. Almost as if there could have been something better about it during the preproduction stages that weren’t included in the final product.
There are also some continuity errors in regard to the original trilogy during the running time too.
The acting and character writing is what really brings the film to life.
Hugh Jackman returns as Logan/Wolverine. This time round the more serious tone of the character is brought into the foreground and Jackman nails it.
Victor/Sabretooth this time round is played by Liev Schreiber… Schreiber was a bit of a controversial pick to start with over Tyler Mane, but the new actor is by far a better choice.
Given the extra screen time, Victor needed a strong actor to make the character come to life and Schreiber is absolutely on form. He’s also one of the best villains going in the X-Men films.
Danny Huston makes a mark too as a young version of Brian Cox’s Stryker. Huston is fantastic as the slimy government type with an agenda.
Taylor Kitsch also makes a nice showing as Gambit too. He has a kind of dual role throughout as an enemy and then friend to Logan.
Back up comes from Will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan, Kevin Durand and Ryan Reynolds makes a seriously memorable appearance too.
Reynolds in particular is funny at the start.
The effects, fights and choreography though are what this film is really all about.
The rendering of the effects, CGI and practical are absolutely wonderful and some of the action sequences are seriously some of the best of the series so far.
Jackman in particular carries the action fantastically too.
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All in all, the weakest of the films so far in terms of overall storytelling.
Wolverine has a number of fantastic set pieces and great effects… sadly it feels rushed and has a lot of continuity problems.
Still though, it’s worthy of a place in the franchise and is still an entertaining action film that delivers the general story that it wanted to.
My rating: 81%
All in all, the weakest of the films so far in terms of overall storytelling.
Wolverine has a number of fantastic set pieces and great effects… sadly it feels rushed and has a lot of continuity problems.
Still though, it’s worthy of a place in the franchise and is still an entertaining action film that delivers the general story that it wanted to.
My rating: 81%
