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The first twenty minutes or so are necessarily quite episodic, setting up the main story before the film hits its stride. We start in the 19th century with Logan, then called James, as a young boy. We are then brought up to the near-present with an impressive opening montage of Logan’s career as a soldier in conflicts ranging from the American Civil War to the Vietnam War (sneaking in a recreation of the Normandy landings from Saving Private Ryan).
And there ends the impressive use of CG. Although the action sequences are enjoyable, and showcase the obvious amount of fun had by all concerned, some were rather clichéd, such as Wolverine walking away from a burning helicopter in slow-mo. The special effects seemed almost too showy, and in some cases were unnecessary. Despite the beautiful locations, some shots were still filmed against an obvious blue screen which, given the incredible advances in FX in recent years, isn’t acceptable any more.
The film has a palpable sense of self-awareness in its conscious need to give the fans what they want. While this is usually a good thing, Wolverine makes this fact obvious, resulting in Jackman releasing several animalistic roars that end up becoming a pastiche through over-use. Less is more.
Having said all that, none of it is the actors’ fault, most of whom deliver impressive performances. This prequel is a chance to include some of the many characters from the X-Men universe that didn’t make it into the first three films. Thus we are treated to appearances by such superheroes as Kestrel (will.i.am), and notably Gambit (in a superb turn by Friday Night Lights’ Taylor Kitsch). One character who did appear in the first X-Men film, however, is Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), so the producers are hoping for a certain suspension of disbelief with Wolverine. Schreiber is clearly having a blast as Wolverine’s long-nailed brother-turned-nemesis, and he oozes bloodthirstiness with every sadistic smile. And Jackman has got Wolverine down to a fine art, with some newly improved muscles on show.
Also, the film has lost none of Wolverine’s trademark wit from the original trilogy, which is what made the character so likeable in the first place. There are plenty of smart one-liners, including this fantastic exchange between General Stryker (a suitably evil Danny Huston) and Logan:
Stryker: “You’re country needs you.”
Logan: “I’m Canadian.”
All in all, it is the wit and the performances that only just redeem the film from being a disappointing cash-in on a successful franchise. The sheer enthusiasm of the cast and the filmmakers wins through so that you can’t help but enjoy the ride with them. But it just doesn’t do justice to a character that deserved so much more.
P.S. Don’t make a rookie mistake and leave before the end of the credits!
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