X-men Origins: Wolverine. A Wolverine for a kinder, more emotional generation.

Why, you ask, do we head the post with a picture not of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character? Rather, we are showing you someone who the comic book geeks (I include myself) will instantly recognize, but a person whom the public in general would scratch their collective heads at? Even after watching, they're still saying, "Who?"

The point is to illustrate the reason why this film is going to be watched despite the horrible reviews it received from the critics. There are two reasons, really. One, it's the first real "blockbuster" film to be released of the season. Secondly and more importantly, this film has the promise of showing a huge amount of never-before-seen reader favorites. That's right. The people who are going to put this film into the right money range are the people who have every hope that their favorite mutant from their childhood will make an appearance. Maybe not even childhood, maybe they are in their 30's and they have the coveted "disposable income." Geeks. God love us.

X-men Origins is the film version of the popular Marvel comic book that does just what the title suggests: it fills in the background we and indeed, he, himself never knew before Wolverine sauntered on to the screen 9 years ago, chomping a cigar with amnesia fully intact.

Hugh Jackman hits the sound stage for his 4th turn as the antihero Logan, codename: Wolverine. At this point is there a person alive who thinks anybody else could do a better job than Hugh Jackman in this role? It's gotten to the point for this reviewer, that when I see any other film starring Mr. Jackman, I can't help but think, "Hey, Wolverine is a magician too!" or "Hey, Wolverine kills vampires too!" In my opinion, Jackman is infallible in this role/film as an actor. He inhabits the role and we have no idea what else could be done because he has convinced us that this is Wolverine, take or leave it. Much like the people who refuse to acknowledge anyone other than Sean Connery as "Bond," no one could come in and change Wolverine. The public wouldn't allow it.

On the other hand, Liev Schreiber comes in and takes over the role of Victor Creed, a.k.a. Sabretooth. The original X-Men movie provided our first glimpse of the hulking Sabretooth, though that was a much more beastly, growling version played by wrestler turned actor Tyler Mane. Here we have a much more fleshed out Victor. In discovering the background of the most popular mutant, we also learn the influences and history of his arch nemesis. The reason for the differences in their personalities and what ultimately drives them. Schreiber is wonderful here and makes this character his own as well. His Sabretooth is much more evil and malevolent in intent; you feel that he could really be the death threat that you never saw in the hulked up, dumbed down version we saw previously. Liev Schrieber is a wonderfully capable actor and was the perfect choice to help hold this film together along side Jackman.

Like all summer popcorn films, there are problems with a couple plot holes and dialog for the sake of trying to be funny or witty. I always used to turn a blind eye to these moments in films; now that I write about them I find myself wincing when it occurs. I know I'm going to have to allude to them at some point. The fact of the matter is, these movies try to be fun and exciting. In doing so, sometimes the cheap lines are the easiest to go with, I acknowledge that. I don't always like it, but I understand. What really gets me though, is action for no conceivable reason. There is an action taken by one of the most anticipated characters that just begs for an explanation. We don't and won't get one. It is now three days later and it's still driving me insane. One inserted line of dialog could have changed my feelings, but they let it go. I know the real reason (the writers had painted themselves in a corner during a fight scene and needed a way out), but it is so suddenly inexplicable that I honestly dropped my popcorn on the floor when it happened.

As I said in my opening points, the factor that is going to bring the fans back to the theater for a second showing is the possibility of seeing their favorite mutant. This movie is just as full of them as the last entry in the franchise. Click on the links to see who played each. For me personally, seeing Emma Frost on the screen was enough to bring me to the theater. But how about some of the others that you readers may remember from your childhood? Silverfox? Yeah. Kestrel? Oh yeah. True fan favorites, Deadpool and Gambit? You better believe it! What about Bolt, The Blob, Zero, Cyclops? All there! Even Weapon XI, though with a different twist then in the books, but still fairly cool.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine garners 3.5 diamond hardened bodies out of a possible 5 diamond hardened bodies from me. Sure it's got it's weak points, but that's no reason to miss a fun, adventurous popcorn flick that just might take you back to your childhood again. Besides, did I mention Emma Frost?

I'm just saying,

Elijah