ORIGINALLY POSTED ON COMICZONEAZ.com (site no longer active)
First off, let me make this clear: I did NOT watch the bootleg work print that’s been all over the Internet for the last few weeks. I actually went to the theatre, paid in full for the movie, and that is the version I am reviewing. And how was it?
Well. I expected a very different movie.
See, I expected the movie to be based on Origin by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins; and Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith. But, other than a few scenes with some elements from those comics, it’s not.
There’s no crazy Weapon X helmet. There’re no false memory implants. This is a toned-down, less sci-fi, and more human origin to Wolverine. But, as a result, I feel that it’s also a lot less tragic. In the comics, Logan was captured and treated like a lab animal. In the movie, his personality traits were manipulated and played for the benefit of Colonel William Stryker.
But let’s not talk about what the movie ISN’T. Let’s talk about what the movie IS.
It IS an hour and a half of Hugh Jackman kicking ass and blowing things up. It IS a very Wolverine-feeling story. And it IS a good abridged telling of Wolverine’s history for people who’ve only seen the three X-Men films.
There ARE a bunch of Weapon X program mutants involved – Logan, Sabretooth, Deadpool, Silverfox, Agent Zero, Kestrel (John Wraith), and a couple others who didn’t get named. Gambit, Cyclops, Emma Frost, and The Blob all make extended cameos, and these cameos all work, without destroying established movie continuity.
Yes, there are flaws, and there are things I would’ve liked to have seen done differently, but, overall? It’s not a total waste of time. Or money. And it’s easily as good as any of the other three X-Men movies. So I’m not going to tell anybody to NOT see it.
It’s by no means a bad movie. In fact, it’s a pretty good one. But it’s not for the established Wolverine/X-Men fanbase. It’s for movie fans. And it may not be the best at what it does, but it is pretty damn good at it.