X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine explores Logan's (James') life prior to the X-Men movies that already existed. It begins in the late 1800s Northwest Territories when he discovers that his parentage was a lie and lashes out, killing his real father. His brother, who has a similar mutation, ran off with him and protected him. The opening credits are particularly interesting to me, as it is a collection of clips of the brothers fighting together, generally for their own interests, in a number of wars throughout history. Essentially, by the time the movie picks up they have become special soldiers in a small mutant force under the control of Stryker (whom you may know from the previous X-Men movies).
This film explains how Wolverine came to be the person he was in the later films. He finds a woman in Canada who he falls in love with, and together they lead a quiet life in the country, until Stryker shows up wanting Wolverine to join him again. When Logan's girlfriend is harmed, he believes that he has nothing left to live for and agrees to become part of Stryker's new experiment, which is how his bones get turned to adamantium. Meanwhile, his brother goes on a bit of a violent streak as he tries to reassemble the team for Stryker.
Along the way, Logan realizes that Stryker and Victor (his brother) have their own agendas. He goes off on his own in an attempt to save other mutants whom Stryker has also experimented on or intends to experiment on.
I think this may be one of my favourite X-Men films, and it is definitely my favourite Wolverine movie. It explains everything that was unclear about Wolverine in the first X-Men trilogy, and it also adds another side to Wolverine. Suddenly, you can understand why he is so bitter and distrustful of others. It also clarifies why Wolverine remembers so little about his past, and especially the origin of his powers.
Liev Schriber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan, Will.I.Am.; so many big names make up the mutant team. What is disappointing about this team is, well, Deadpool. He is completely different, and totally disconnected from, the Deadpool which Ryan Reynolds portrayed in the new film. It is a totally different, but I must admit that it is equally depressing, just in a totally different way. Actually, it might be more gruesome. But enough of that, this is about Wolverine.
I loved Logan's complexity in this movie, as it made him more than just an angry, solitary, depressed mutant who never feels like he belongs. Here, he belongs somewhere and he has someone who loves him and who he loves. He wants a quiet life and a family, but he struggles to come to grips with what he is and what he has done in his past. And then the past catches up with him. It is a sad, but powerful, story. If you like the X-Men movies, I think that this film is a welcome addition to the franchise.

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