The X-Files: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine came out at an interesting time for both the X-Men franchise and superhero movies in general. Following two well-received outings for the mutant crowd, X-Men: The Last Stand was a financial success but lacked in the critical or audience love, whilst 2008 saw the release of two hit superhero movies in the form of MCU kick-starter Iron Man and DC's universally-adored The Dark Knight – two films which would pave the way for both superhero franchise-building and the tonal choices many a film would have. So with Origins the following year having no way of really showing off what it can bring to the market table outside of the leftovers from its previous failure and a screenplay which was being finished while filming was going ahead, it's no surprise that the film – working as a prequel to X2: X-Men United - has since been used as mockery for the darker period in the franchise, complete with eradication with X-Men: Days of Future Past and constant commentary in semi-spin-off film Deadpool. But does it really deserve all the hate it gets? 

In 1845, a young James Logan develops his bone claws following a tragic and traumatic incident of which he reacted to a little badly, and as such decides to go on the run with his half-brother Victor. The two are inseparable - enlisting into every war that happens to the concerning delight of the adult Victor (Live Schreiber), who's developed a similar healing factor as brother Logan (Hugh Jackman) alongside strong nail-claws that rival his brother's – and after being discovered by one Major Stryker (now played by Danny Huston) are enlisted into a special team of mutants called Team X. However, Logan becomes uncomfortable by the tasks he's hired to work on, leaving both the team and his brother for pastures new and, six years later, finds himself back in Canada as a lumberjack and with a loving girlfriend (Lynn Collins). But when attacks on people close to Logan's past start to come to light by the hands of Victor, Logan willingly puts himself forward for an experiment called Weapon X, and from there comes a devastating set of attacks from his former allies, lead by his uncontrollable brother and the man who set him up... 

Whilst a few leeways are made to the continuity despite three previous films going up against them, the actual idea for the story is a good way to go; especially for one that's set up as an origin story for the franchise's most popular character. Unfortunately – and likely due to the numerous script issues that the film had during its tricky production – the screenplay instead decides against surpassing a fine opening five minutes with a further 90 minutes of dull disinteresting concepts. With dialogue scenes that hastily explain things like the origin of the nickname 'Wolverine' or where his jacket came from, and the action sequences never really going anywhere or having much impact largely thanks to the main character being, you know, indestructible. And with many a character being pushed in for the sake of fan recognition and twists and turns which don't make quite the impact one would expect because of it being a prequel, it ends up creating a film where you don't exactly care what happens to the titular character once he gets the adamantium claws – from then on you're just waiting for the film to be over. 

Months before the film's release, a near-finalised workprint of the film reached the internet and was pirated possibly 4.5 million times. You’d think that in that time, some changes would have been made to the special effects to make them look better in a film with a $150m budget. And yet, Wolverine's claws look worse than they did nearly a decade prior on a film with half this one's budget, and the numerous action set pieces and CG usages don't seem to surpass that of a singular minute-long segment featuring Ryan Reynolds' sword-thrusting (and even then it isn't really that spectacular). And while there isn't anything outrightly bad with Gavin Hood's direction, there isn't a single shot or decision that's outrightly good either. It's just mediocre. 

If there is a saving grace, it is Hugh Jackman. While the dialogue he's given at times is questionable, it's evident he's dedicated to his character by this, his fourth outing as Wolverine. Add a producing credit and a few bits of tweaking to the screenplay here and there, and he is probably the only one who's severely disappointed by how the film ended up. Especially when you have Schreider's iteration of Sabretooth – a character previously seen in the first X-Men film – being so full of megalomania that it's questionable as to what his role is other than foil for our hero. He does what he can, but Schreider is given very little to do that has substance. Huston's Stryker doesn't make much of a threat either, as the whole time you wish for the return of Brian Cox from X2; Lynn Collins as romantic interest is nothing more than that could really have been played by anyone; Will.I.Am is a bizarre decision and is barely noteworthy; Taylor Kitsch is there because Gambit and doesn't really contribute to anything; Kevin Durand is...interesting, to say the least; Daniel Henney makes for an obnoxious badly-written character; Dominic Monaghan is there, I guess; and then there's poor Ryan Reynolds. What's said about the poor choices made for his character has been said by many a person, but let's just be thankful that he got another chance with 2016's Deadpool. Poor fella. 

There's something strangely watchable about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I'm not quite sure why that is. Sure, Hugh Jackman remains a good element of these movies, but with a cast of not-really noteworthy characters, awful special effects and mediocre direction, it really does beg the question as to why watch it. Maybe because it marks the franchise's lowest point, and a point which the studio has since decided is part of the 'What Not to Do' manual they assign to every filmmaker they hire to their superhero franchises. It's just a dull, uninspired, yet watchable movie. 3/10.