X Men Origins: Wolverine: Stafffs take Article by Stafffighter, 05:45 PM 06th May X men origins: Wolverine delivers on everything the title promises while managing to be somewhat less cluttered. Hugh Jackman plays the title character with the same charm and determination that have made him a fan favorite throughout the varied deliveries of the previous X-men films. You believe him in both action and inaction, which is vital for this genre of films. Most of all you believe the character as told by the story, which is vital in any film. Overall the cast is a large ensemble, at times threatening at utter fan service. There are of course roles that are more prominent than others but only at select places do they feel tacked on. The balancing act is imperfect, but well done. As such I will tip my hat to the cast at large but focus specifically on the characters of particular importance. Liev Schreiber plays the role of Wolverine’s main sparring partner Victor Creed/ Sabretooth with all the cunning of a barely contained animal. His ferocity puts that of the hero in context and such provides both character and the more brutal of the fight scenes. Danny Huston is believable as Sabretooth’s government keeper, William Stryker. While at times his indirect motives do seem contrived you believe in his execution of them. In serving to give the film a grander scale he succeeds. Along all these battles is Wolverine’s love interest Kayla Silverfox, played ably by Lynn Collins. The gentle wisdom she carries herself with stands both on its own and serves to bring new dimension to Wolverine. Her chemistry with Jackman draws the viewer in and enhances both of their performances. The setting in this film, from nature to laboratories to war grounds the world over all manage to look real. That is what ultimately makes the visuals work. In telling a visceral story such as this the images must draw you into the situation. Their realism draws reality to the characters and situations and in this case that is done beautifully. For those of you looking for a story, you will find one. Given the subject matter the filmmakers could have excused themselves into disjointed eye candy but they never do. We’re given a cohesive story with an even flow. It serves to explain the standings of the character, both to overwhelm us with it. All this aside, you came for the action, which is delivered in spades. The quality of the effects makes the superhuman abilities of the characters visceral and real. They appear heightened in a grounded setting, which is something all comic book films attempt but is rarely achieved. In the end we have a fun, character based action film that favors the action. It is at times guilty of fan service but never truly loses itself in it and as such I give this film three and a half stars. Back to The Endless Crew