X-Men origins: Wolverine (12a)

Apr 29 2009 By Pierce Hunt, Surrey Herald

HUGH Jackman reprises the role that made him a household name, as the ferocious, self-healing Wolverine (Logan).

Establishing Logan's past before his inception into the X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine attempts to balance action and narrative, but unfortunately inputs too many characters and leaves you feeling robbed as a much-needed, show-stealing action scene never materialises.

With scenes spanning more than 150 years, Logan's story is a complicated affair, riddled with violence and heartache.

In the mid 19th century, after unwittingly killing his biological father, Logan and his brother Victor (Sabretooth), run away to escape persecution.

Eventually William Stryker (Danny Huston) recruits them for a stint in a specialist mutant unit. But Logan soon walks away from a life of unrelenting violence for a normal existence.

But normal life was never going to be easy, and six years later Stryker locates Logan to persuade him to join the new Weapon X programme, but Logan abruptly refuses. But before he leaves, Stryker informs him that members of the unit have been brutally murdered and that he could be next.

But it's not until Logan finds his girlfriend Kayla (Lynn Collins) slain by the roadside that he realises that Victor (Liev Schreiber) is behind the attacks. And it's Logan's tragic loss that triggers his involvement with Stryker to help him seek revenge on Victor.

Logan undergoes a treatment infused with Adamatium, making him indestructible. But Logan soon wises up to Stryker's attempt to erase his memory and escapes from the secure facility.

From here on in the action takes off, with Wolverine's metal claws taking centre stage. As producer and leading man, Jackman steers the film in the right general direction, ticking all necessary boxes for the casual film viewer, but die-hard fans will not be impressed.