Rating: ***

I love Wolverine. Wolverine is my second favorite character in comics - Batman is my first. I’m such a big fan that I named my son James Logan. When I first heard that they were going to do an X-Men movie back in 2000, I was worried because I felt who the hell could they get to play Wolverine? Well, as luck would have it, Bryan Singer cast Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in one of the best casting of an actor in a comic book movie. Not since Christopher Reeve stepped into the shoes of Superman did comic fans look up at the movie screen and feel as if they were watching their favorite character come to life.

The first X-men movie was pretty good, but not great in my opinion. X-2 was amazing and is one of the best comic book movies ever made. X-3 was slammed by both critics and fans, but I liked it. It wasn’t the best movie ever, but by no means the worse. That’s kind of what we have here in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. A movie that is good and fun to watch, but not a great film.

I’m not really sure why this isn’t a great film. I think I would have to see it again and really deconstruct what works here and what doesn’t. If there was one thing that I can put my finger and say that really didn’t work was the Blob. When we first see the Blob as played by Kevin Durand of “LOST”, he is just a big guy with super strength. When Wolverine meets up with him again later in the film, he is big and fat and he and Wolverine fight it out in a boxing ring. The scene is more comical and although it furthers the plot as the Blob informs Wolverine of where he can find Sabertooth and William Stryker, I would not have had them box and I probably wouldn’t have had him be big and fat. I just don’t think with the current make-up and computer technology, they can do that character justice with out making him look silly. That didn’t work for me, but what did work here?

What worked in this movie is Hugh Jackman. If there was anyone who was born to play Wolverine it was him. Although he is taller than the regular Wolverine in the comics, the guy looks and acts just like the character. Jackman is great when Wolverine is battling it out with Sabertooth, Gambit, and Weapon XI aka Deadpool. Jackman carries this movie and if he weren’t as likable in this role, I doubt I would be giving this movie as good as a review as I am giving it.

Liev Schreiber who plays Sabertooth in this movie also does a fine job. I think Tyler Mane who played Sabertooth in the first X-Mne film definitely looked more of the part, but Schreiber’s acting ability really bought the character of Sabertooth alive here. He was as much as an animal in the action scenes as Jackman was for Wolverine.

Other X-Men characters make appearances in the film including Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit. Reynolds is descent as Deadpool, but they didn’t really portray him as the goofy character we all know and love in the comics. Kitsch nails Gambit’s coolness and sex appeal. I think both actors do a good enough job that they could make solo films for these guys.

A young Scott Summers and Emma Frost are also in the picture as prisoners of William Stryker’s prison on Three Mile Island. They are freed by Logan along with some other mutants and are rescued by an old friend. I won’t spoil it here, but I had no idea this character would be making an appearance in this film and I was generally surprised and happy to see him.

The film ends with a three-way fight between Wolverine, Sabertooth, and Deadpool. Wolverine wins of course and as Wolverine is about to walk off into the sunset with his girl Silverfox, he is attacked by William Stryker who uses a gun loaded with adamantium bullets. Stryker tricked Logan earlier in the film into lacing his bones with adamantium. The bullets are able to penetrate and hurt Wolverine, but they do not kill him. They do however end up effecting his memory as Stryker puts two bullets into Logan’s head which cause him his memory loss.

Three Mile Island is on fire due to the battles that took place and Gambit encourages Wolverine to get loss as he may not want to stay around and talk to any authorities. Logan takes his advice and runs off as the camera pulls back from an aerial shot as the credits hit. So it leaves us open for a sequel. Jackman has already said in interviews that would like to continue playing Wolverine and would like to do a story involving Wolverine’s time in Japan. A film focusing on Wolverine and say the Silver Samurai or The Hand would be pretty cool. I hope we get to see it.

My advice to Jackman who produced this film is to look for a good writer and director for the next one. Not to say that director Gavin Hood and writers David Benioff and Skip Woods didn’t do a good job, I just think it could have been better. So if you are big Wolverine/X-Men fan, I recommend “X-men Origins: Wolverine”. It was fun ride. I took my son and he loved it so check it out at a theater near you!