Review of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," DVD

Review of

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, DVD


Four out of five stars

 Wolverine likely has the most volatile, dynamic personality of all the X-Men. While he is a mutant in the sense that he has incredible recuperative powers, the physically indestructible characteristics of his powers derived from metal were made by science not nature. As is often the case with stories like this, they are the consequences of a secret government program to create a super soldier. In such stories, it is necessary to have a powerful and ruthless villain that is the government agent overseeing the program. This story has that character.

 Logan has a brother that shares his recuperative powers and the opening has them fighting side-by-side in many wars. When the major wars are over and the only fighting to be done is for hire, the two brothers join a mercenary band of mutants. They track down the Earth point of origin of a meteor and when the order is to slaughter all the inhabitants of a village in Africa, Logan walks away from the mission and the group. He “retires” to a logging job in Canada, but as expected, there is no retirement from his previous line of work.

 There is a great deal of action, a lot of subterfuge and some superb special effects. The government program involves the capture and control of many mutants, which leads to the major logical hole in the plot. Professor Xavier appears to take them to his special school only after they have all been released from government control. Which implies that Xavier either did not know of their imprisonment or did so and waited until they were freed. Both of which are logically untenable given Xavier’s significant mental powers.

 That weakness aside, this is an action movie derived from the comics that remains true to the original story. It also explains Logan’s attitude towards the world and his having no memory of his past.