Critically, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a mediocre film at best. It attempts to be many things and falls flat several times over. It’s too tame a revenge thriller and not that great an origin story. There are action flicks several times better and the villains never reach their full potential. The relationships at the core of the film, the romance and the sibling rivalry, aren’t that intriguing. Logan’s struggle with the animal inside has been better explored in cartoons and comics. Not to mention that this movie, the fourth in Fox’s X-Men franchise, marks the moment when the continuity starts to go sideways. Hugh Jackman himself isn’t crazy about it and the plot is as messy as the CGI. Here’s the thing though:
I don’t care about any of that and neither should you.
You’ve got to lighten up, bub. We all do, myself included. First off, it’s a superhero movie! We definitely take this whole genre’s existence for granted. When X-Men Origins: Wolverine came out, the MCU was in its infancy. Every superhero movie was a gift from the heavens. It felt like we were getting away with something, you know? For a frame of reference, my middle school classmates were still playing ‘keep away’ with my comics.
Second, it’s a superhero movie starring Wolverine. When I was five or six, I played with a friend’s Wolverine action figure. I didn’t even know who the character was but I thought the brown and gold costume was awesome. A couple years later, I blew at least forty bucks (that was Tony Stark money to a fourth grader) on the Marvel Legends Icons 11″ Unmasked Variant Wolverine. The X-Men: The Ultimate Guide with Logan right on the cover cost around $70.00. I love Wolverine.
You love him too. The whole world, die-hard comic book fanboys and casual moviegoers alike, stood hand in hand and declared Wolverine our favorite. Fox might not have stuck the landing but they listened to our demands. The whole movie’s existence is fan service, right down to the shots of Hugh Jackman’s bare behind. It does nothing for me but if it’s your thing, live it up!
It’s just a fun movie. The movie promised fun and on that note, I think it delivered. I watched the trailer for Origins on the family desktop computer and was sold the second I saw a roaring Hugh Jackman rise out of that tank, claws drawn. My older cousin took me after some groveling on my part and treated me to Wendy’s after. He might have passed out ten minutes into the movie but I was entranced. Heck, I even bought the DVD. I have literally no idea where it is now, but I bought it.
You’re seriously going to get caught up on plot? The man has metal claws! It doesn’t have to be Casablanca. You’re nitpicking over continuity? I don’t even focus on continuity in my X-Men comics. To truly appreciate X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you have to tap into your inner child. Remember when you had nothing but wide-eyed wonder for every superhero anything? In the immortal words of Sir Paul McCartney, “When you were young and your heart was an open book / You used to say live and let live”. So by all means, live and let live. Forget the CinemaSins and look at the CinemaWins.
The opening montage of Logan and Victor fighting through multiple wars is great. You can’t tell me Liev Schreiber isn’t having the time of his life as Sabertooth, he revels in being a menace. I love when Agent Zero throws his clips up into his guns and catches them both. Blob is funny and so is that accent that will.i.am is going for, albeit unintentionally. Even though they basically just cameo, it’s still good to see Cyclops, Emma Frost and the Professor.
I almost forgot Gambit! Next to Wolverine and Sabertooth, Taylor Kitsch is best cast. He’s a perfect fit for Remy and his fight scene is one of the most enjoyable. His whole introduction (“Do I owe you money?”) still cracks me up. I’ll even go on the record and say I like Deadpool in this. The post-credits scene makes it clear they were moving towards a more traditional depiction next time around so cool your chimichangas.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is fun, enjoyable and action-packed, all it really needs to be. So don’t overthink it. Focus on the positives and lighten up, bub.
