?X-Men Origins: Wolverine?
D: Gavin Hood
S: Hugh Jackman

IN GAVIN HOOD?S action-packed ?X-Men Origins: Wolverine,? the Oscar-winning director of ?Tsotsi? brings clarity and indie sensibility to the sketchy back story of James ?Logan? Howlett aka Wolverine, one of the comics world?s most popular superheroes:

Logan and Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) are brothers bound together by a violent past (a crime the former commits) and a shared dark secret: They?re mutants. Victor aka Sabretooth has bestial metahuman abilities: Razor-sharp fangs and claws, a rapid healing factor and ultrasensitive senses.

Healing factor

Logan also possesses acute, animal-keen senses, enhanced physical strength and agility, retractable claws and a regenerative healing factor that allows quick recovery from virtually any wound or disease. Later, he becomes even more powerful after his body is molecularly infused with the invincible metal alloy, adamantium (the only thing more durable in the Marvel Universe is Captain America?s vibranium-iron alloy-coated shield).

Logan and Victor?s superhuman abilities allow them to live longer than most humans. But, while Sabretooth embraces his savage powers, Wolverine suppresses his, because he longs for normalcy. This difference becomes a contentious issue between the siblings after William Stryker (Danny Huston) recruits them to the Cold War super-soldier program, Weapon X, along with Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Chris Bradley aka Bolt (Dominic Monaghan), etc.

Thereafter, Logan leaves Victor and the mercenary group and settles into a peaceful life as a lumberjack, with his schoolteacher-girlfriend, Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins), who also turns out to be a mutant on a dangerous mission.

But, when his former colleagues in Weapon X are killed one after the other, he?s forced to turn to his dark side and recruit John Wraith (Will.i.am) and Remy LeBeau aka Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), to help him avenge the fate of his lady love, hunt down Sabretooth and Weapon XI (Scott Adkins), and release the young mutants?including the young Scott Summers aka Cyclops (Tim Pocock) and Kayla?s sister, Emma Frost (Tahyna Tozzi)?who are held prisoners in a secret government facility on Three Mile Island.

There are some shaky bits toward the end of the film as it attempts to connect this prequel to Bryan Singer?s first ?X-Men? (2000), but that?s a minor quibble. ?Wolverine? doesn?t merely jack up the action ante, it?s a treasure trove of trivia for comic-book geeks and nerds, and provides nonstop, edge-of-your-seat entertainment even for the uninitiated. The CG-assisted, special effects-heavy action scenes with Reynolds, Kitsch, Pocock and Tozzi are also thrillingly staged.

Commitment

Jackman?s commitment to his role is key to the movie?s success?it?s hard to imagine any other actor who would be more comfortable in his character?s skin and claws, as he limns Logan?s nature-versus-nurture dilemma. And, his action scenes with Agent Zero and his dizzying combat with Weapon XI alone are enough reasons not to miss ?X-Men Origins: Wolverine.?