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Movie Review by:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet |
Directed by:
Gavin Hood |
Written by:
Skip Woods, Scott Silver, David Benioff |
Starring:
Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan |
Running time:
97 minutes
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Released:
05/01/09
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Rated PG-13
for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity |
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"Overall I think this movie ranks above the first X-Men film, but after
numbers 2, and 3, I am of course basing that on an unfinished product, so I’m
bound to end up writing a retraction once Fox figures out they can re-cut and
re-edit it into a nice new little package."
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So by now everyone’s heard the ruckus over the
illegally leaked copy of the as yet unfinished Wolverine film due in theaters on
May 1st. The FBI and the MPAA have expressed great dissatisfaction concerning
the ordeal, and one Fox News correspondent has already lost his job over his
review of the film he posted on a blog site. Well, never fear fan boys,
everyone’s favorite critic (me!) has viewed a copy of this UNFINISHED WORKPRINT
(no, I didn't actually download it), and I
have to say I was more than surprised at how it (almost) turned out.
I’ve never been convinced that Wolverine is the guy Marvel comics needs to ride
to box office success. Sure he’s the quintessential bad-ass that darn near EVERY
one knows whether they read funny books or not. Sure he’s a little over a
hundred-some years old with enough stories to tell a thousand movies. Sure he’s
a member of the X-Men, Avengers, and a new Fantastic Four (a guy can dream can’t
he?), and every other superhero team this side of the Secret Defenders (oh
wait…), but with characters as well loved (as well as maligned) as Wolverine
there’s too much canon that Hollywood tries to absorb into one project, but I’ll
get back to that.
First of all, the copy is spot on. It looks as crisp and clear as is it was
available for rent at your local Video store. There are plenty of effects
missing, and lots of the blue screen work is rough at best, but it gives you
enough to know what’s going on, and anyone that reads comics is more than adept
at using their imagination to fill in whatever blanks you may be left with, so I
didn’t find it too annoying.
As far as the movie itself is concerned, like I said before, I was more than
surprised at the adaptation directed by Gavin Hood. The opening sequence plays
right out of the pages of ‘Origin’ by Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert, and moves
the through the hundred-so years quickly during the opening credits, arriving at
almost-present day when James Howlett decides to take part in an experiment to
bond the space-metal (yeah, I said space-metal) adamantium to his skeleton so he
can take down Sabretooth, a renegade mutant killing members of Wolverine’s
former Weapon X team (which I don’t think is called Weapon X).
There was a lot of buzz surrounding the supporting cast, which I think has been
drastically overdone considering the screen time most of them receive, and there
are more cameos in this movie than I think all three X-films had together (which
isn’t necessarily a good thing). Yeah, I know everyone is more than anxious to
see their favorite mutant on screen, and yeah, I know for the most part there’s
no way to do one of these movies without stuffing it to the gills with
superfluous characters destined for normalcy as opposed to greatness.
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool was a solid casting decision, however, the inclusion
of Deadpool (for whatever reason) and restricting his role as much as they did
was the worst thing they could do for a character deemed worthy of spin-off
films. Maverick, John Wraith, the Blob, and some guy credits listed as Bolt
played by Dom Monaghan (it’s really unclear in the movie just who he’s supposed
to be, but he seems able to control technology with his mind) are all
second-tier bench riders. Live Schreiber is AWESOME as Sabretooth, so much so
that I wish they would have cast him in the first X-Men movie all along.
Schreiber is so damn cool in his role he more than makes up for the dud they
misfired with Gambit. Danny Huston delivers a solid performance very much in the
vein of Ryan Cox as a younger William Stryker, a role Schreiber was originally
rumored to be in the running for. His performance brings a whole new depth to
the character that I don’t feel Cox achieved, I really hated Huston’s Stryker,
and he succeeded in making the character a dirt-bag. Cameos include, Banshee,
Storm, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Toad, Quicksilver, as well one more at the end that
was a huge surprise, but makes logical sense.
The ending of the movie, the inevitable throw-down between Wolverine and
Sabretooth (and a surprising third party), is virtually unwatchable, requiring
so many effects that weren’t in this cut of the film you really have to wait for
the final version to know what’s going on. There’s a couple scenes that run
during the credits (this one had the credits for X3), one about half-way through
and then one all the way at the end, neither of which add any new dimension to
the movie (except the potential possibility of Wolverine 2: Big Trouble in
Little Tokyo).
Overall I think this movie ranks above the first X-Men film, but after numbers
2, and 3, I am of course basing that on an unfinished product, so I’m bound to
end up writing a retraction once Fox figures out they can re-cut and re-edit it
into a nice new little package. I am positive that if I had shelled out more
than $20 bucks for me and my girlfriend to check it out at the theater I would
have been absolutely mortified, but I had no real plans to see this other than
when it was available for rent (and still don’t). I think there is going to be
lots of fan backlash over the way more than a few of the characters have been
stylized and manipulated to fit certain genre roles, but I’m sure the fan
reaction to Live Schreiber is going to be positive. It may not hit Heath/Joker
status, but he’ll definitely get a nod from the collective fan-boy population
for not ruining a favorite.
Yes, there is a wrongness surrounding the illegally pirating of material onto
and off of the internet (the viewing of said material third hand is
questionable). I
think an equal amount of criticism should also be leveled at the movie studios we count on to
deliver quality films as opposed to bland, summer-time, shoot-em-up drek year
after year. I think the increase of people viewing material like this on the
internet, as opposed to making the
trip out to see films the way we used to is a combination of the slumping
economy, and the lack of any real desire to be spoon-fed poop on a mass scale
anymore will ultimately find a balance to this whole situation.
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X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE © 20th Century Fox
All Rights Reserved
Review © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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