Nerds That Geek Movie Review - 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'

​Written by Scotty

Sometimes in life you need to take a step back and make note of where you came from. It is easy to forget and if you are successful with your future, you may forget the little people that helped you get there. Now with X-Men movies, that is something that is pretty easy to do since there are so many mutants out there, you never know who to thank when all is said and done. But one character is pretty standard in all of these movies, the Wolverine, and now he has his own feature, so sit back, grab a cigar and a glass of whiskey and let’s jump into X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Young James 'Logan' Howlett gets the surprise of his life when he finds out that he was born out of wedlock to his best friend’s father. Killing and running, James and Victor know that if they want to make it, they will have to stay together and wind up being recruited by Colonel Stryker after the Vietnam War. Being part of a team of mutants James and Victor are able to excel at their jobs, which mostly involves killing, but things are starting to get a little uptight in the group as they are being commanded to kill innocents and not for the greater good. As James knows what they are doing is wrong, he urges his brother to quit the group as well, but Victor being head strong will not let a good thing go to waste and decides that killing is what he wants to continue doing under Stryker’s command. 

Years later, Logan has found the love of a beautiful school teacher, Kayla, who has captured his heart. While Logan works at a logging company, he is happy to be away from the world, but his bliss will be short lived. When Stryker shows up and warns his old solider that someone is killing the old team, Logan shakes it off, but when he finds Kayla dead in the woods, he is ready for revenge. Knowing that his brother Victor is behind the killing, Logan tries his hardest to eradicate the problem, but Victor is too strong and defeats his brother for the last time. Waking up in the hospital, Logan is approached by Stryker once again and this time is offered the materials to kill his brother once and for all.

Having his bones covered with Adamantium, Logan has now become something more powerful than he ever imagined. Being nearly indestructible, Weapon X is ready to take to the streets to exact revenge on his brother, but Stryker has other ideas. Wanting to erase Logan’s memory, he finds that his new creation will not go down without a fight.  Escaping the lab, Logan takes to the road and is able to shack up for a night with Travis and Heather Hudson. Being treated like their son, Logan sees that they do not judge and are kind people, but they do not know that Stryker and his team are hunting for the animal that was released and are killed in the process.

Knowing he will need help, Logan turns to some old friends and finds out that Stryker is experimenting on mutants on ‘the island’. Needing more information on where to find this island, Logan enlists the help of Remy LeBeau who was a visitor a couple years back. Getting into the research facility, Logan sees the young mutants that are being held captive, along with Weapon XI who is on the operating table. Finding out what Stryker is really doing, Logan wants nothing more than his head on a spike, but when he sees Kayla again, he understands that Stryker is holding all of the cards. Wanting to leave, Logan’s love for the woman, along with the need to free all of the mutants that are being held against their will, he re-enters the facility and prepares for the battle of a lifetime, even though it will not be against who he expected.

This is the first X-Men movie dedicated to one character and it delivers a little backstory to Logan, The Wolverine, something most of the fans have wanted over the years and it did not disappoint. The biggest win in this movie is the interaction between Logan and his brother Victor as the two come from the same bloodline, yet have two completely ideas about what is right and what is wrong. Then you still get some more mutants that you have not seen on the big screen and the biggest one of course was Wade Wilson a.k.a., Deadpool. I know a lot of Deadpool fans were disappointed by this rendition of the character and they just got their own movie, but this one was just fine. He had the mouth to start the movie, lost it when he was being operated on and now it is open again as the credits start to roll, so it's fine, just let it go. But as far as characters go in this movie, how could you not love Fred Dukes, a.k.a The Blob?  He stole every scene and should have been given more screen time, just saying.  After watching this movie, it was truly a surprise as since the franchise took a turn that nobody expected.  Next, First Class.

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