Hugh Jackman is great returning as Wolverine, the character that put him on the movie map, but “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is not  the best movie in this franchise.

I waited to write this review, because as a fairly die hard fan of X-Men, I have to say this prequel has me going back and forth on how great it is… or isn’t, mostly because some of the things I thought I knew about the characters in the X-Men universe were quite different in this movie.

After walking out of the theater when the end credit clip was finished (you should stay to the very end), I had the movie rated an 8.5… but I’ve decided that’s too high.

The action is great, the fighting sequences are solid, the story is well crafted, the special effects and editing and photography are good and most of the casting is spot-on.

For the fanboys: Ryan Reynolds was a great choice as the wisecracking Wade Wilson (Deadpool), Liev Schreiber is good as Victor Creed (Sabretooth), Danny Huston does well as the younger Col. William Stryker, Daniel Henney was good as David North (Agent Zero), Kevin Durand does well as Frederick J. Dukes (The Blob), and Will i Am does well as John Wraith.

I’m not saying Taylor Kitsch was bad as Remy LeBeau (Gambit), he just wasn’t the loner with a cajun accent and rebel attitude that I’m used to.

There’s a lot of creative licenses the filmmakers took with several storylines (and obviously timelines) that had me puzzled… and will have other fans scratching their heads.  For example the relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth, the progression of Wade Wilson’s character, the physical difference between Sabretooth in this movie and the less intelligent, more feral one played by Tyler Mane in the original “X-Men”, etc.

It was cool to see some fun cameos by characters from the other “X-Men” movies.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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Tempe, Arizona wins the world premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Thousands voted to win the premiere for Tempe.    The red carpet premiere on Monday, April 27th will include cast members:  Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Will.i.am, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and director Gavin Hood.

The rest of the country will have to wait until Friday, May 1st.

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Posted April 15, 2009: (more…)

 This is the first of planned prequels to the X-Men movies focused on popular characters.  Hugh Jackman returns to play Wolverine for a fourth time as we see his life before the events of the X-Men movies from childhood to adult.  We’ll also get to see a variety of X-Men characters that never made it in the three movies (like Gambit, Deadpool, the Blob, and Emma Frost).

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” the first chapter in the X-Men saga, unites Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe, in an epic revolution that pits the mutants against powerful forces determined to eliminate them. 

Nationwide release is May 1st.

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER THROUGH THIS LINK

Cast of characters:
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine)
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)
Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth)
Dominic Monaghan (Beak)
Lynn Collins (Silver Fox),
Danny Huston (William Stryker)
Daniel Henney (Agent Zero)

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“Defiance” is a powerful drama based on the true story of three brothers who set out to defy the Nazis by living out their lives with some sense of normalcy.

Movies set during World War II and the Holocaust are depressing by nature… because of the inhumanity of the Nazis in their persecution of Jews.  While “Defiance” is sad, it sets the mood and then keeps it there without constantly attacking you with reminders of movie’s time in history.

Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell are great as the three brothers who band together to escape the Nazis and ultimately form their own community of survivors.
 While this may not be the best Holocaust-era movie ever, it is certainly the most uplifting as the brothers battle the Nazis both literally in battle and figuratively as they try to keep their sanity and humanity by living out their lives, even if they are in hiding.

The movie weaves in a sense of history while exploring a part of the survivor story many of us had never heard of before now… the settings, the clothing, the weapons, the vehicles, the characters, everything helps remind you that you watching people in the late 1930s/early 1940s.

The action is spread out throughout the movie… followed by moments of dialougue and character building.  Daniel Craig puts in one of his best non-Bond performances yet as the oldest of the brothers, leading the group through the forest and through the very difficult circumstances.  Liev Schreiber does and excellent job as the second oldest brother, a character layered with problems and regrets and disagreements with his older brother.  Jamie Bell is solid as the third brother and the other supporting cast are also good, including a solid turn by Ravil Isyanov as the Russian commander who comes into conflict with their little community.

THE BOTTOM LINE: (more…)