X-Men Origins: Wolverine

James (Jackman) and Victor (Schreiber) have been on the run since 1845, when they promised to look after one another after a family tragedy. They fight side-by-side in the military and James becomes wary of Victor’s increasingly violent tactics, especially when they join Major William Stryker’s elite fighting force, known as Team X. James later abandons the group because he is unhappy with their brutality. Years later, members of Team X are being picked off one-by-one by an unknown force. James, now happily married and earning an honest living, leaves his calm life behind to hunt down the killer and become Wolverine…

The film ties in neatly with the rest of the X-men series; avid X-men fans will be glad to see many references to the previous films. Mysteries, such as the origin of Wolverine’s leather jacket, are solved and the audience can finally see the uninterrupted Wolverine transformation. We are reacquainted with a lot of the old cast and introduced to a few new faces that didn’t appear in the original trilogy. For instance, Gambit, a long-standing fan favourite, makes his debut on the big screen, while regular members such as Cyclops are seen in their younger incarnations.

Special effects have made recent superhero films all the more breathtaking and visually spectacular and X-men Origins is no exception to this rule. The well-choreographed fight scenes in unique locations, such as the top of a cooling tower, make for entertaining viewing. X-men Origins goes recommended to fans of the original trilogy and anyone on the look-out for a creative and ambitious take on the superhero genre.

Julia Huntenburg