X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Big-budget prequels can be a precarious thing. On the one hand they can be a much needed shot of adrenaline, reinvigorating an ailing franchise, (see Batman Begins or Casino Royale). Whilst on the other they can be nothing more than a cynical attempt to ring that last bit of loose change out of the pockets of their loyal fans. Whilst aiming for the former, X-men Origin: Wolverine falls far short.

Settling for an easy life, Wolverine has retreated to the Canadian Rockies where he has become a family man. Only once his new life has been shattered does he return to violence, and the stage is set for an all-action escapade.

After Xmen: The Last Stand left fans wondering where it all went wrong, the pressure was on to recapture the dark roots of the first film, and how better to do it than to follow the most interesting of all the Xmen -Wolverine? Unfortunately audiences may well feel as if they have been there before. Wolverine’s experimentation and exploitation at the hands of the army have already been documented, and it is only really the on-screen relationship with his half brother Victor Creed (Liev Schrieber) which holds up. As with Spiderman 3, the supporting cast of mutants is far too large, so fleeting and one dimensional that they are reduced to being merely inconsequential.

Tonally the film feels far enough away from the previous corny Xmen film to entice fan boys back, but really there is little substance beneath the surface to warrant repeated viewing and as such it's far closer to being Superman Returns than Batman Begins.