We Love Talking
If you have something
you want us to talk about
send us an email.
Editorial
X – Men Origins: Wolverine, Camden Odeon
WeLoveCamden.co.uk reviewer, Pete York, claws his way through the steel slashing, laser-eyed, diamond skin, dual sworded, super human action blockbuster that is, X – Men Origins: Wolverine...
Watching a legendary comic book character brought to life on the big screen will always trigger a nostalgic glance back to a time when I would furiously plough through Spiderman, X-Men and Superman comics that my Dad would bring home, immersing myself in a world of fantasy for an hour or so.
I have grown up since then, or maybe I haven’t, though the strong feelings of nostalgia that films like X-Men Origins: Wolverine conjure up for me, are why I think the comic book to film franchise will always be strong.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine has made its claw mark on the long list of superhero blockbusters we have seen. Despite the flaws in the plot which appear slightly weak and empty in places, we are rarely left to reflect on this small defect as we are treated to wave after wave of laser eyed, diamond skin, bone clawed, dual sworded, super human action.
With strong, believable performances from Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber, the introduction of new characters and great use of special effects, for me this has to be one of the more successful X-Men movies in the series.
All comic book purists will be pleased to see that lesser known Director Gavin Hood stays as true to the original story as possible, but avoids alienating an audience unfamiliar with small details.
Subtle nods to iconic clothing worn by the characters for example, suggest that Hood was a huge fan of the comic books himself.
It is refreshing to see the introduction of a new roster of superheroes and villains in X-men Origins. Unfamiliar characters to the screen such as Deadpool, Agent Zero, Silver Fox, and The Blob should whet the appetite of any avid X-Men comic book reader.
X-men Origins: Wolverine takes full advantage of the CGI arsenal in bringing characters to life. Director Gavin Hood sensibly maintains the essence of each actor’s portrayal of their character, but adds subtle effects around them to heighten their super human abilities without being too unbelievable.
Jackman returns to this familiar role, and fails to disappoint an audience looking for another dose of steel slashing carnage.
With the entire film centred on Jackman’s performance, his performance allows for a deeper understanding into the ‘origins’ of the character, as we begin to appreciate why Wolverine becomes the wandering and untameable antihero.
Liev Schreiber, famous for his role as the villain in the teen-slasher series Scream lends these maniacal, psychotic and unpredictable traits to the character of Sabertooth – Wolverine’s Half Brother and Nemesis.
With Schrieber clearly spending a lot time in the gym preparing for this role, his efforts are rewarded with a successful portrayal of an intimidating adversary for the Wolverine.
The X – Men Origins series has opened itself up to the possibility of more comic book-to-movie prequels, spanning the entire X – Men roster, and if X-Men Origins: Wolverine is anything to go by, I say - bring it on.