It's a Movie, Bub!

Okay, so I'm way behind on my posts. I'll start back up here with a movie review for Wolverine. Saw it opening weekend after reading several unfavorable things about it. The recurring theme was, "The studio is trying to milk the franchise", or something like that. My response is, what's your point. Of course the studio is going to try to get every last dime out of a property...that's what studios do. And for some reviewer to suggest that no one wants an origin story for Wolverine just goes to show how the critics are uneducated about what they are reviewing (not naming names but one can be found somewhere with the initials CNN). What I'm talking about here is the Weapon X comics that told some of Wolverine's background. This series was one of the best selling at the time. So yes, Virginia, people do want to see this. The question should really be, is the creative team trying to make a good movie despite the studio's marketing machine. In this case I would say yes. I know they've altered the origin story a bit and changed up some of the characters, but the fanboys need to quit crying about it. How many times must it be explained how stories don't play the same across different types of media. Accept it and move on.

And now, the review. The movie opens with the Wolverine character as a child. It gives a year and we actually get a sense of how old he is (this was always a question since his regenerative powers would, presumably, slow his aging). Then through a montage, ala Watchmen, we see time progress to a latter 20th Century time period where he has joined up with a paramilitary group conducting some covert operations over seas. He decides he wants to live a normal life and walks away. Flash forward a few years and we find that his past just won't leave him alone. He gets dragged back in to all of it and ,driven mostly by revenge, decides he needs to go kick some major butt so that he can finally find some peace. Along the way he agrees to an experiment that alters him in a way that makes him virtually indestructable and the afore mentioned butt kicking ensues.

Going in to the movie I was concerned how they were going to fit all the characters into the story that they had been showing in the previews. They did this well and it actually fit in the context of the plot. He is pitted against several other mutants along the way such as Sabertooth, Gambit and Deadpool. The latter seems to be the source of the most controversy, primarily because they changed him quite a bit for the movie. I think, though, they may get a chance to redeem themselves in a proposed sequel to the prequel. That's right, a Wolverine 2 is already in the works, and seeing how Hugh Jackman's production company is involved again, and how this first film is making some major cash, I don't see why it wouldn't happen.
I say bring it on... The story, characters, acting and effects are all done well. I'd love to see another one, Bub!

Next up, I'll boldy go where this blog hasn't gone before....