X-Men Origins: Wolverine

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There's life in the old cat yet. After three movies and a few TV series, this prequel spin-off shows that there is enough interest in arguably Marvel's coolest character to warrant a stand-alone film. Inherent prequel problems damn Wolverine before it even had a chance, however. How do you tell a story about a character's past when the character has no idea of it in the subsequent movies? Well, you can with one word - an easy word that can't be said here for fear of spoiling the movie.

Before the credits kick in, Wolverine opens unexpectedly in Canada, 1845, where a young Logan (Troye Sivan) first learns of his terrifying power and that he has a half-brother in Victor (Michael-James Olsen). Over the opening Watchmen-like credit sequence, Logan (has grown up to be Jackman) and Victor (ditto Schreiber) take off where they indulge their love of blood and guts by fighting in the American Civil War, WWI, WWII and Vietnam. It's a rape of a Vietnamese village the gets them noticed by William Stryker (Huston stepping in for Brian Cox from X2), who recruits them for a 'special unit' under his command. Together with Stryker's band of mutants (that include Monaghan's Bolt, Kevin Durand's The Blob, Daniel Henney's Agent Zero, and Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool) the brothers take off to Africa in search of admantium, an indestructible alloy. After wiping out an African village, Logan has had enough of the group's, and in particular Victor's, bloodthirsty ways and makes for the Canadian Rockies where he settles down with Kayla (Lynn Collins).

Six years pass and Stryker turns up to warn Logan that Victor has gone rogue and is wiping out all his former comrades. Stryker convinces Logan that he undergo a procedure that will turn his bones to admantium so he can stop Victor...

It's a massive and overlong set up to a movie whose plot is barely there - and what's there is messy with plot developments tied together in a 'that'll do' style. But plot isn't what an X-Men movie is about, it's the action scenes and there are a few here that will impress. Apart from the interesting opening sequence, the best on show is a motorbike/armoured vehicle/helicopter three-way battle. Although this sequence is by far and away the coolest, Tsotsi and Rendition director Gavin Hood looks uncomfortable directing out-and-out action, relying on the old 'hero walks away in slow motion as something explodes in the background' cliche that hasn't been cool since Con Air.

Casting is so-so: Jackman has always impressed with Wolverine and he knows what he's doing here. It's Schreiber's surprise involvement that impresses most, bringing an edgy menace to Victor/Sabretooth. On the downside is Reynolds: miscast as Deadpool, it's easy to get on board with his Van Wilder quips, but harder to believe that he can cut bullets in half mid-flight despite the much-needed suspension of disbelief.

If fans can forgive the convenient plotting, X-Men Origins - Wolverine is passable, but it isn't the movie they would have hoped for.