If special-effects violence is your thing, X-Men Originals: Wolverine may satisfy. Little more than a cash grab for this X-Men franchise, the prequel promised to flesh out the backstory for one of the best- loved comic characters if all time. The first problem is the complexity of comic book story lines. It's
easy for comic book movies to fall victim to this complexity and wind up with something like Zach Snyder's wildly disappointing 2009 film adaptation of Alan Moore's fantastic and intelligent graphic novel The Watchmen - the screen version was so convoluted, so unclear and difficult to follow that even avid readers of the book had a hard time understanding what, exactly, was going on. Director Gavin Hood decided that with Wolverine, rather than attempt
to squeeze the whole story into one 90-minute flick, he would woo viewers with special effects and fight scenes so visually impressive they would distract from the unimaginative plot. Almost no depth or nuance is brought to the Wolverine character, and the movie seems to indicate that much of the character's angry raison d'etre is a single failed relationship. That said, the movie isn't a total failure. Actor Hugh Jackman is
perfect for this anti-authoritarian anti-hero role. Even if his acting weren't convincing - which it is - Jackman is physically a perfect fit, sideburns and all. Equally well cast is Liev Schreiber as Logan's (Wolverine's human name) half brother Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth. If you're looking for action, impressive special effects and attractive actors on high protein diets, that's what this movie
offers. If you want the real Wolverine bio, stick with the comic books.
