Just saw Wolverine with my wife Saturday.
When considering to go see it, let me issue the following warning, in the event you don't want you or your kids to partake:
Wolverine uses G.D. three times and uses Christ similarly once.
Now, for the review, discounting the above.
IT ROCKS SO HARD!!!
SPOILERS BELOW!!!
They tinkered with Wolvies origin just a little bit, making him and Victor/Sabretooth brothers on the run as opposed to Victor pursuing Wolvie to kill him. Still, it worked. It added an extra tension dimension to their relationship. It worked.
Will.i.am as Wraith was a solid performance, as was Dom Monaghan as Bolt. Too bad Victor had his way with them. No sequel paychecks!
Putting Fred Dukes/Blob in Wolvies past was an interesting twist but it worked. In spite of the way he was portrayed, he served a type of catalyst roll. That, and it introduces and makes Blob available for the Brotherhood in the upcoming X-Men: First Class.
Dan Henney played Agent Zero/Maverick with extreme arrogance, which was perfect. Remember, he's escaped death on many occasions so the exploding helicopter sets up his return in the sequels nicely. Or sets him up for the Deadpool movie. That would be interesting.
Dan Huston as Stryker was done to perfection. A manipulative, evil, mutant hating, butthead! Huston just oozed it so much you wanted Wolvie to slice his head off every time you saw him! I liked it!
Silver Fox was used in a similar fashion to the comics but with a few twists. The only one I didn't like was making her and Emma Frost/White Queen sisters. There wasn't even a resemblance between the two of them. The power change actually worked for me in the story. However, her being involved in the program sets her up for a return. The movie never said she didn't have the healing factor. Still, it worked.
Wade Wilson/Deadpool couldn't have been cast any better! Ryan Reynolds nailed it! I was hoping for a little more mouth but, it was Wolvie's show. With a Deadpool spinoff with RR on the way, butt-kicking is abot to pick up, along with body count! Gotta love the Merc with the Mouth!
Another, and perhaps the, most perfect casting was Taylor Kitsch as Remy LeBeau/Gambit! He had the look, the style, and, thanks to Friday Night Lights, the athletic ability. Dey don't get much betta dan dis! Coulda had some more Cajun accent but dat be one t'ief what need his own movie, no?! It does set up a Gambit movie and, given his past as equally twisted as Wolvies, it could be like swamp gumbo, loaded with flavor and pack a punch!
Now, this fan boy did have a freakasm when Patrick Stewart as Prof X stepped off the helicopter to rescue Scott/Cyclops, Emma, Quicksilver, Toad, Banshee, Magma(or Firestar?), and, I think, the St. Croix twins, Nicole and Claudette. There were a few others but I didn't get a good enough look to id them. Still, SWEET! Beautiful set up for X-Men First Class.
Liev Schrieber played Victor/Sabey with such delicious homicidal fun. Granted, I wanted someone bigger than Wolvie cause that's how he is in the comics but, it worked so, so, so nice! He really oozed the killing joy when he was wasting people, just like our comics Sabey! What can I say, I love a villain done right! Plus, he and Hugh really seemed to feed off each other well in their scenes.
Of course, Hugh Jackman IS Wolverine! He really did a nice job balancing the human and the animal! Nailed it. Looking forward to some Wolvie in Japan action next. Silver Samurai, Lady Deathstrike, you're on deck!
Now, for my ONE REAL BIG GRIPE! In the comics, adamantium is indestructible, it can't even cut or break when hit with other adamantium. So, to scramble Logan's memory, Stryker shoots him in the head with adamantium bullets, theorizing his brain will heal but his memories won't, thereby violating the comic established facts about adamantium by having the bullets pierce Logan's adamantium infused skull! Yeah, that was messed up. It so defied comic facts I can't accept it. My wife theorized it rang his bell so hard(five skull shots) it shook his brain up like a blender. Maybe.
As for Weapon XI, well, it actually worked. Seeing Wolvie/Sabey fighting it together was a nice touch to their brotherhood, especially when Sabey said they're brothers and they gotta look out for each other and nobody kills Logan but him! Aw, they used Wade/DP to make XI! Get over it. It set him up to be the mask over the scars anti-hero we all know and love. Seriously, what better way to make him more annoying than sewing his mouth shut, cutting his head off, then bringing him back! He'll never shut up now! It worked.
One secret ending, which we got, has Weapon XI/Wade Wilson/Deadpool alive and reaching out of the rubble for his severed head. Nice setup for the Deadpool movie. The other, which I haven't seen, supposedly has Logan in a bar in Japan, drinking to remember. Wolvy 2 with the Silver Samurai and Lady Deathstike anyone? Sweet.
Now, for you comic book purists, get over it. I AM a comic book purist but I approach comic book movies with the reality that some things done in comics can't be done in movies without some modifications, whether due to time constraints, budget, or whatever. Plus, these movies aren't just made for us, they're made to bring in new fans! So, sometimes, so the new fans leave quicker than they arrived but more confused, you make some modifications. Never be happy or rejoice that the movies are getting made.
I am just happy to see the movies made in a way that works! Quite frankly, all comic book purists should be. Yeah, we can be angry when they totally screw them up but, this isn't one of those. This actually worked well.
IT ROCKED!
Sadly, for me, they get my ticket money towards the box office total but, due to the way above mentioned warning, it won't be in my DVD collection. I do draw a line on things. As a Christian and Reverend, I have to. Sorry, Wolvy!