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Sunday, May 10, 2009

X-Men OrIgins: Wolverine and the future of the series



Three years after X-Men 3: The Last Stand, Wolverine is the first movie in a series of spin-offs.Hugh Jackman reprises his role and he's also a producer.Until its release, many things happened, from disagreements between the director and the studio to a leak of a work in progress version in file-sharing sites.Despite all this, the expectations were relatively high.So, does it deliver or does it disappoint?

The answer to the previous question is somewhere in the middle.The origins of Wolverine are established decently, but not without missteps.There are moments where you think that the filmakers achieved what they set out to do and other moments where you think that this isn't the origin story that you wanted or that you expected.And that's exactly the main flaw of the movie, the fact that it's an uneven one.There are certainly well-filmed, impressive, and emotional scenes, and the perfomances are decent (Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth stands out).Overall, there was potential, which to some level was wasted.

What's the reason for this outcome?Is it because you remove the mystery behind a character and you try to explain and eventually you fail?Is it because there isn't material, which could function as a basis for a decent story?As far the last question is concerned, it could be argued that there is plenty of material, which would be more than enough for a decent movie.



With a Wolverine sequel (set in Japan), a Magneto spin-off, a Deadpool spin-off and X-Men First Class already in development, it's evident where the series is going.This concept (of origin stories) is interesting, keeps the franchise fresh and ensures a steady source of revenue for the studio (with lesser cost, if the characters are recast).While i'm not opposed to all these spin-offs (if the execution is better than Wolverine), i have some reservations.My main reservation is about X-Men: First Class.I think that it's too soon for such a movie, even it's still in the early stages of development.But with all the remakes/reboots/spin-offs of recent years and of the future ,it's understandable why the studio would follow that concept.What i would want to see is X-Men 4, a true sequel to X3.The reception to The Last Stand was lukewarm and many think that the series reached its peak with X2, and so it's argued that there is no reason for another sequel and if there was possibility for such a movie, new contracts with the actors and actresses would be needed, which means new negotiations and maybe higher cost.However, i would like to see, after some spin-offs, a true X-Men sequel, ideally with most of the cast and Bryan Singer returning.I think that there many good stories that deserve to be told.I know that it's probably not going to happen, though you can never be certain for anything.

 
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