Running time: 107 minutes
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will i Am, Ryan Reynolds
Rating 3 out of 10
As Hugh Jackman reprises the iconic role of Wolverine in a history of the popular comic-book character, one must wonder whether he thinks it was worth it. An uphill struggle all the way, Jackman signed on as Executive Producer and consequently dealt with a soaring budget, unimpressed studio-heads, numerous re-shoots and a very public internet leak of a near-complete version of the film that was downloaded over 75,000 times within its first day. Beginning with the death of his father, we see how Logan/Wolverine's fighting spirit was forged in numerous battlefields (alongside brother and eventual arch-nemesis Sabretooth) before becoming the metal-infused Wolverine at the hands of General Stryker (Danny Huston). Disgusted by the private blood-thirsty antics of Stryker, Wolverine aids the various super power-infused mutants to help formulate a plan of revenge.
Starting well with an impressive war montage that brims with style and invention, the film quickly lets itself down with a wildly uneven tone that can't decide whether it wants to be a wise-cracking superhero movie or a dour tale of revenge and betrayal. With every dramatic death succeeded with a witty quip and an arched eyebrow, it veers from one extreme to another and subsequently feels inconsistent, incoherent and silly.
Even where the film should score well it fails. Fight scenes are poorly realised, confusingly edited and overblown with shaky CGI that results in a movie that feels rushed and cheap. Liev Schreiber's Sabretooth is laughable for all the wrong reasons and the performances of the supporting cast of mutants veer dramatically with Ryan Reynolds sword-slinging Deadpool being a highlight and the Black Eyed Peas Will.I.Am being a definitive failure.
Fans hoping for a story faithful to the original comic-book should steer clear. A blood-thirsty saga of an animalistic superhero struggling to reconcile his primal urge to kill this isn't, it's been neutered, trimmed and tailored for a teenage audience. Even as cannon-fodder for teenagers, they're going to struggle to remain entertained.
Was it worth it? Absolutely not. It's a massive disappointment and fatally flawed - this film lacks bite.
Jonny Dawson
