Just seen X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

[daibhidc]

Pretty good.

A touch overly violent for my taste, but I knew it was a Wolverine movie going in[1]. A solid story, with lots of neat touches for geeks. I'm not sure it was really necessary to do the first two issues of Origin, which despite the title is almost totally irrelevent to Wolvie's history (one reviewer said it was as much an origin as Peter Parker: The Kindergarten Years would have been), but it established the Victor/Logan dynamic nicely[2].

It was a bit crowded, especially Team X. In the comics, the black ops unit comprised Logan, Victor, Wraith and Maverick (Agent Zero). (And possibly Silver Fox, depending on which of Logan's memories of her are assumed to be accurate this month.) Deadpool makes sense, especially given the role he plays later[3]. But the Blob? Seriously? And I don't even know who Lightbulb Man is.

I enjoyed Gambit's role though. And the appearance of Prof X came as a nice surprise[4]. I also enjoyed the geek game of identifying the prisoners. I spotted Quicksilver, Toad, and another character who I thought "Oh, I know who that is!" and then forgot. Not sure about Emma Frost being Silver Fox's sister, but it's not a major deal[6]. And kudos for ensuring Xavier and Scott never actually met Wolverine, since they hadn't met him before in X-Men.

Talking of cameos, unless I blinked and missed it, no Stan Lee. I know he wasn't in Ghost Rider or Punisher because he didn't create those characters, so maybe the thinking is X-Men team movies, yes; solo characters he didn't create, no. I understand the next Origins movie is going to be about Magneto, so he'll probably be in that.

The mythical origin of the Wolverine name was interesting[5], but I'm not sure we ever got one for "Logan". In the comics, it's his real father's name, but I don't think that gets established here (and if it is, where did Sabretooth get the surname "Creed"?)

Another interesting touch was Wolvie escaping from Weapon X before he had his memory wiped. It got wiped eventually, of course, because that was already established, but it would have crippled the film if it happened when it was "meant" to.

The bit after the credits was interesting; it looks like X-Men Origins: Wolverine II may be based on the Mariko storyline. Or there aren't any plans for Wolverine II, and they just thought the Mariko story made Japan a suitable place for him to end up.

[1] This is why I haven't seen Watchmen. I don't care how amazing it is, I could only just handle it on the page. I really don't need to see SFX guys bring it to life...

[2]Which the comic doesn't do, by the way. It's left unclear whether James's half-brother (known only as "Dog") is meant to be Sabretooth or not, and later comics have mostly assumed he isn't.

[3]And yes, I'm sure that if I cared even slightly about a crazy mercenary who kills people while breaking the fourth wall, I'd be outraged by that development. But I don't.

[4]I really didn't see that coming. I was trying to remember if there'd ever been any hint in the comics that Cyclops had direction-finding powers.

[5]Although I'm sure the legend is entirely fictional. For one thing, wolverines don't howl...

[6]Edit: Following both the discussion below, and a similar one in rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe, I've decided that yes, it is. What were they thinking?

Comments

[shriker-tam.livejournal.com]

A touch overly violent for my taste, but I knew it was a Wolverine movie going in[1]
[1] This is why I haven't seen Watchmen. I don't care how amazing it is, I could only just handle it on the page. I really don't need to see SFX guys bring it to life...

Trust me, that's a very good decision if you thought Wolverine was too much. I looked away a lot when I saw Watchmen, eurgh.

I'm not sure it was really necessary to do the first two issues of Origin, which despite the title is almost totally irrelevent to Wolvie's history (one reviewer said it was as much an origin as Peter Parker: The Kindergarten Years would have been), but it established the Victor/Logan dynamic nicely[2].

Two first issues...well, one scene anyway. And that one fcked up... See, I really really like Origin[1], and especially the relationship between James and Rose. What relationship you ask, well, the one that was not in the film even one tiny bit.[2] Also, in the comic, Logan is the last name of the groundskeeper - Thomas Logan - which is where Wolverine gets it, so the half brother's name would be something Logan, not Victor (or anything) Creed. James last name was Howlett. So either all they kept from the comic was the place, year and bastardhood, or Sabretooth assumed that name later. In the movie it seemed very strongly like Logan was Wolverines last name, though which father's name that would have been was never revealed. Either way, in the comic, Wolverine does not grow up with anyone who could remotely be sabretooth past age 10 or so, when he and Rose flees - so the movie and the comic cannot both be accurate.

Not sure about Emma Frost being Silver Fox's sister, but it's not a major deal.

It annoyed me a ridiculous amount...it was so unneccesary!! And made absolutely no sense. Kayla was native american, with the last name Silverfox, Emma is white, blonde, and upper class, with the last name Frost. Half sisters is the closest it gets to believeable, and even then, why do it at all? Why not just let Kayla be dead - the plot would have worked just as well, but been slightly less unnecessarily twisty and crowded. Or, if she had to have a sister - make one up. I enjoyed the "spot the shout-out" stuff in the first two X-Men movies, because it was subtle and didn't interfere with the story - but this obsession with cramming in as many unneeded characters as possible really riles me.



[1] I should clarify, I am very far from any kind of X-Men geek. I like X-Men, but I've seen the movies, read Origin and a few selected storylines from old issues, and that's it - so I am not a person who knows much about canon, and tradition, and whatnot.

[2] I have a rant about the removal of significant women in stories translated to the big screen, but I'll do it some other time.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

Two first issues...well, one scene anyway.

Yeah, but it was the first second issue cliffhanger, and then the followup. So two issues, super-compressed into one scene.

Either way, in the comic, Wolverine does not grow up with anyone who could remotely be sabretooth past age 10 or so, when he and Rose flees - so the movie and the comic cannot both be accurate.

I know; I was unsurprised they'd merged Sabretooth and Dog, but I did blink when I realised he was actually filling Rose's part as well.

But there are so many differences between the comics and the movies that it never occured to me they were supposed to be set in the same continuity. Mostly they try to keep the main themes the same, and gloss over the rest.

It annoyed me a ridiculous amount...it was so unneccesary!! And made absolutely no sense. Kayla was native american, with the last name Silverfox, Emma is white, blonde, and upper class, with the last name Frost. Half sisters is the closest it gets to believeable, and even then, why do it at all? Why not just let Kayla be dead - the plot would have worked just as well, but been slightly less unnecessarily twisty and crowded.

Well, because that's how the story goes. Wolverine wants revenge on Sabretooth for killing Silver Fox, then it turns out he didn't and he's rather poleaxed. That's a brilliant scene when he realises how far back Stryker was manipulating him; he's angrier than ever, but he's lost his justification for killing him.

It could have been more complex; in the comics her and Logan's cabin in the mountains was actually a soundstage at Weapon X, with Logan pumped full of drugs to make him suggestable. I forget why, exactly. She went on to run a terrorist organisation called HYDRA.

But yes, you're right about Emma.

[shriker-tam.livejournal.com]

But there are so many differences between the comics and the movies that it never occured to me they were supposed to be set in the same continuity. Mostly they try to keep the main themes the same, and gloss over the rest.

I don't really expect them to be the same either - especially since I don't even know how the comics go most of the time. I find it somewhat annoying that they seem intent on chucking the bits I like (Rose), while keeping the bits I dislike (Weapon X meaning Weapon 10)...

Well, because that's how the story goes.

They could have still made up a sister for her that made sense, or given her some other reason for what she was doing though.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

I liked the Weapon 10 idea.

Actually, that's a bit strong. I continuity-geeked over the pre-existing Marvel supersoldiers retconned into being Weapons 0-9.

[shriker-tam.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm one of those horrible people who basically sees X-Men as "Wolverine and friends", so I dislike anything that makes him less unique :o) Don't have as much trouble with weapons 1-9, as with 11->, as that implies _improving_ on Wolverine, which my inner fangirl doesn't think is possible ;o)

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

The new cartoon agrees with you. I think I'm the only person in the world whose favourite X-Man is Cyclops...

Anyway, that's the point of the film, isn't it? Weapon XI is meant to be an improvement on Weapon X, but Wolvie beats him anyway because he's Wolverine. Unlike the comic, where Grant Morrison seemed firmly convinced that Fantomex (Weapon XV) was simply the coolest character ever.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

Trust me, that's a very good decision if you thought Wolverine was too much. I looked away a lot when I saw Watchmen, eurgh.

Actually, the more I think about it, Wolverine was actually less graphic than The Dark Knight, wasn't it? I suppose the difference is I knew what was going to happen to Harvey, but despite being prepared for claw-on-claw action, I wasn't expecting the nice elderly couple to get shot.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

Then again, I wasn't expecting Joker's magic trick with the pen either, so I'm not sure what I was thinking with that...