XMEN ORIGINS : Wolverine

[jo]

I came across a cable TV rerun -- and I watched it again.

I really do not understand why this is the most maligned XMEN movie.

The initial scene in the barn is not the sole reason why I like this movie






The dramatic arc is excellent and the development of the story of his origin is very credible......The action is fast-paced and well-choreographed! The actors, especially Hugh and Liev, portray their roles very well!  Everytime they call out "Jimmy" and "Victor", I forget that they are also known by their comicbook identities of Wolverine ( aka Logan) and Sabretooth. I also liked the initial scenes which portrayed the two brother warriors passing through time, via historical scenes on a war footing. Very effective portrayal of how they age -- and yet the scenes reference to actual phases in history!

Also, this is the look of Wolverine that I liked the most!






And I would put this on almost equal footing with The Wolverine.

Re fanboy complaints --what I am aware of is that fanboys did not like the portrayal of Deadpool. But in the storyline, Deadpool had not yet evolved fully as Weapons XI and they resented how he looked like ( The Merc with a Mouth -- but he was kept physically unable to speak at the end)...but blame that on Stryker for rushing his evolution.

Jo

[hughmanity]

I agree with you, Jo, and I'm glad you expressed this! I like the film (of course I certainly don't have the fanboy perspective) and never really "got" why it was so poorly received.

[jo]

It looks like one of the characters from XMEN ORIGINS: Wolverine, GAMBIT, will finally get on the screen for a reboot. Channing Tatum has finally signed up for the role, after what some cynics said was negotiating in public

www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/channing-tatum-closes-his-gambit-812514?utm_source=twitter

Can they create as many storylines about Gambit as they did for Wolverine ? The comic books were very rich in different Wolverine lores, but fanboys say they do not see the same rich vein to mine for the character of Gambit. Hmmm... I guess the screenwriters will have to be very inventive. It looks like that based on fanboys constant requests, the second most popular XMEN hero is Deadpool!

Jo

[jo]

A fair assessment by one of the more mature film sites that cater to comic book film adaptations.

www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/TwistedKingdom/news/?a=123797

EDITORIAL: 5 CBMs That Aren't As Bad As Fans Say They Are


CBMs are raking in the cash for studios like Warner Bros, Sony, Fox and Marvel. But not all of them have received the best of receptions. In fact, some of them are downright reviled by fans. Here are five that aren’t the catastrophes people claim they are.



By TwistedKingdom - 8/9/2015


What’s one of the easiest things to do in a community like this one? Hate. Hating on a movie, a casting decision or an adaptation is not only easy but commonplace on forums and message boards. But as a wise man once said, “…Hate leads to suffering”. Okay, he’s not a man he’s a…what the heck species is Yoda?

For every Batman Begins and Captain America: The Winter Soldier there’s a Catwoman and Green Lantern. But then you have those movies fans agree to hate on. Hating on them may even be the popular thing to do. Only, some of these films just aren’t getting a fair shake. They don’t deserve the venomous slurs spewed in their direction. Here are five comic book movies fans should ease up on.

A little clarification before getting started – there’s Hate and then there’s Criticism.

Hate includes nitpicking and complaining over the tiniest and inconsequential details. Saying something “sucks” or is the “worst ever” without anything to back it up. Bad mouthing because it wasn’t done the way some fans wanted it done. Complaints that carry no weight.

Criticism is evaluating the shortcomings of a film and citing examples – story, character, dialogue. Legitimate concerns. Haters look for flaws, critics acknowledge the flaws that are already there.

Now that that’s out of the way let’s kick this off in chronological order with…




X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006)

Directed by Brett Ratner
Screenplay by Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn



Okay, this one, fans have a legitimate gripe. The Dark Phoenix Saga is easily one of the most influential story arcs in comics. But in X-Men: The Last Stand it was reduced to a watered down subplot. Yeah, the fans have every right to be ticked over that. General audiences, however, couldn’t care less.

Still, X3 is the punching bag of the X-films, right next to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And the one getting a majority of the blame is director Brett Ratner. Which is just like blaming an interim coach for a team’s problems after the head coach quits during preseason.

For those of you who don’t know, Bryan Singer was signed for a three picture deal with Fox, which included two sequels to the first X-Men movie. But Singer asked if he could delay Last Stand when Warner Bros. offered him their Superman reboot. The thing was, pre-production had already started on X3, (which costs money) and he was already signed. Negotiations fell apart between Fox and Singer and he was subsequently dropped (or left by his own will according to some sites).



So, the train had already left the station as far as pre-production and Fox was forced to look for a new director at the very last minute. And even though several high profile directors were offered the job, essentially the only reason Brett Ratner was hired was for his ability to complete rushed productions under budget. Ultimately, he was handed the keys to a film with a finished script (featuring Xavier and Cyclops killed off) and had to go from there.



If anything, Ratner deserves a great deal of credit for not only keeping the X-train on the tracks for Fox but also help making X3 the highest grossing entry of the X-trilogy. His contributions to the film even include moving the Golden Gate Bridge sequence from the middle of the story to the climax and adding the post credits scene - mainly because fans at a test screening were upset with X3 seemingly being the end and wanted more sequels.



While X3 is an injustice to the Dark Phoenix Saga and characters like the Phoenix, Angel and Juggernaut, as a straight up action adventure movie, it’s respectable. It deals with themes like tolerance, desperation, acceptance and prejudice. It features nods to comic book elements like the Fastball Special, Sentinels and the Danger Room.



It features some pretty cool set pieces such as Magneto freeing Mystique from captivity and, of course, the battle on Alcatraz Island. And the score provided by John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2, Pan) is severely underrated.



Is X-Men: The Last Stand a great film? No. Top ten good? I wouldn’t say so. Is it the abomination some fans claim it to be? Well, if you’re looking for a faithful adaptation of Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s epic, yes. If you’re looking for an entertaining sci-fi action adventure film, you could do a lot worse.






X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009)

Directed by Gavin Hood
Screenplay by David Benioff and Skip Woods




I know, I know, I’m nuts for not hating this movie. But, when you really examine it, what’s the biggest reason Origins draws so much heat? One word – Deadpool.

It’s downright unholy what director Gavin Hood did to the character. But do you know who’s upset the most about this? Comic book fans. The general audience, however, couldn’t tell you who Wade Wilson or Remy LeBeau are.

Set the outrage over Deadpool and Gambit aside and Origins is a descent action film. Not great but serviceable. Yes, there are some goofy moments (see Logan chopping a fire escape down to size) but the film does some things well.

The cast is solid where it counts. Danny Huston’s turn as William Stryker is great. Liev Schreiber can do no wrong. His Victor Creed is menacing…that is up until Logan gets his adamantium and Sabertooth is basically neutered.

let’s not forget Hugh Jackman. He’s finally given a chance to provide Logan with some depth. I’ve never been a fan of his casting. C’mon, in what universe is Wolverine taller than Superman? But Jackman fleshed Logan out well. An intense performance.

The plot is straightforward and the story is easy to follow. The criticism over cramming too many mutants into Origins is justified. In fact, I believe if Deadpool and Gambit weren’t in it, it may have gotten a better reception.

Am I asking everyone to add Origins to their top ten comic book movies lists? No. Yeah, Hood (or Fox) should be ashamed of these characters’ adaptions but this film deserves better consideration than it gets.

Side note – looks like Deadpool will be redeemed. Gambit…is Channing Tatum.

more...

[jo]

From the original cast of XMEN Origins:Wolverine -- two characters soon to be up for solo spinoffs, hamming it up

http://instagram.com/p/93ezkEChH1

A bit of background --

comicbook.com/2015/11/09/hugh-jackman-tweets-ryan-reynolds-video-from-deadpool-set/


www.cosmicbooknews.com/content/watch-ryan-reynolds-deadpool-unmasked-pretending-be-hugh-jackman


Of course there is always the speculation of a Wolverine cameo in the Deadpool movie up for release next year --

collider.com/ryan-reynolds-hugh-jackman-impression-deadpool-video/?utm_campaign=collidersocial&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[jo]

Re the People feature --

I have wondered why Hugh has been featured lately on their print and online publication lately --

*In a current issue, partly discussing why he thinks Clooney is the Sexiest Man Alive
*On the online edition, why did they just compile on video a list of Hugh's memorable movies?
*I wonder if this is part of the promotion for PAN that failed to ignite more interest in the film ( what do you expect -- any publicity would have fallen down facing the barrage of negativity from critics and some filmsites smiley-rolleyes010 )


Could it be? Can it happen again?

Why ever not

[jo]

Probably the longest GOODBYE to an iconic role in cinematic history --

www.hollywood.com/movies/reasons-why-only-hugh-jackman-is-the-only-wolverine-we-need-60484508/


It will take some time before people will accept another movie Wolverine! Besides, what other stories can still be adapted to film which will be equally interesting?

[jo]

Gavin Hood opens up ( somewhat) about XMEN ORIGINS : Wolverine --

www.indiewire.com/article/gavin-hood-x-men-origins-wolverine-eye-in-the-sky-20160308

'Eye in the Sky' Director Gavin Hood Talks About the Mistakes of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'



By Hans Morgenstern | Indiewire

March 9, 2016 at 5:40PM


"Hollywood has a strange sense of calling, and when you’re young, you have a strange way of being flattered by that call, for good or bad."



When director/actor Gavin Hood presented his new film "Eye in the Sky" at Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival earlier this week, he didn’t expect to take the conversation on a tangent about what went wrong with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." But, as he said more than once that evening, he felt obliged to the aspiring filmmakers he knew were in the audience.

The event was more than the Florida premiere of Hood’s latest film, it was also a career tribute, one of four at this year’s 33rd annual edition of the festival. Before bringing Hood up for the conversation portion of the tribute, Miami International Film Festival programming director Jaie Laplante took the stage at the Tower Theater in Miami’s historic Little Havana neighborhood. He spoke of Hood’s keen eye for camera placement, and then it was into clips of "Rendition," "Wolverine," "Ender’s Game" and Hood’s career-making Oscar winner "Tsotsi." After the scenes rolled and the sold out theater applauded, Hood was brought on stage.


He said of the clips, "I find all this a little unsettling but thank you...I’ve never had to sit over an audience and look at those reels and try to make sense of them."



It seems watching the clip from "Wolverine," a simple, dialogue-driven shot-reverse-shot repartee between Daniel Henney, Danny Huston and Hugh Jackman, triggered something in Hood.

Laplante asked about what happened when Hollywood came calling, after he had won the Oscar. Hood framed his response as a warning to aspiring filmmakers. “When 'Tsotsi' happened, the best we were hoping for, frankly, was to get the film released in our own country. It was made for a very low budget, and so the event that followed, including the Oscar, were not something you planned, and they came, frankly, as a huge shock, and I thought we were very lucky, and it could have been somebody else, but when it happened, Hollywood has a strange sense of calling, and when you’re young, you have a strange way of being flattered by that call, for good or bad."


He explained that his first Hollywood film, 'Rendition,' was a "very good experience." He said the studio left him alone to do his own thing, and even though Meryl Streep played a supporting role, it was still a lower budget film that wasn’t star-driven. However, he said the stakes were much higher with "Wolverine." He said it was Jackman who approached him to make the movie.




"He’s a great guy to this day," said Hood of Jackman, "and he’d seen 'Tsotsi,' and he really felt that he wanted to try to make this film about a guy who is a superhero, but doesn’t really like what he does and has all this post-traumatic stress disorder."

The film ultimately became something else, Hood said. The reasons for it were plethora, including having to deal with stunt casting, a second unit director who didn’t match his style ("I felt the action looked like ‘80s action"), and the writers’ strike that left the director with an unfinished script and facing a looming, fixed release date. He felt he had little control. Characters like Gambit and Deadpool were written in, and even the title was changed on him, which Jackman broke to him after the actor stumbled across the change on IMDb.



It was a bit of a rant for Hood that took everyone by surprise. He paused several times to admit that he had never been as honest as this about the making of the film, but he felt beholden to the aspiring filmmakers in attendance.

"I’m very grateful because I managed to buy a house off that film, so don’t get me wrong," he said at one point. "I own the mistakes I made. I learned a great deal, but I hope that the film tonight is more in my wheel house. If you don’t like the film, you can tell me after. I come back for Q&A, and I have no one to blame. It comes from working with a writer who I loved, prepping it with producers who really wanted to make the same movie, and that’s the Hollywood story." ...











Additional comments on the issue, from another filmsite --

www.slashfilm.com/gavin-hood-x-men-origins-wolverine/

The buzz leading up to X-Men Origins: Wolverine was toxic. Reports of huge creative differences didn’t help, but things got worse when the film leaked online. After a rocky production, it wasn’t very surprising when the film turned out to be a major disappointment. Director Gavin Hood has done fine work since then, like Ender’s Game and Eye in the Sky, but X-Men Origins: Wolverine sticks out of his filmography like a sore thumb, for a variety of reasons.

The director hasn’t said too much about the film in the past, but now he’s opened up a little about his experience on the 2009 comic book movie.



After winning an Oscar for Tsotsi, Hood got the opportunity to make his first Hollywood movie. Rendition, he says, was actually a “positive experience,” but he wasn’t afforded the same level of creative freedom on his followup film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Hugh Jackman and Hood wanted to make a movie “about a guy who is a superhero, but doesn’t really like what he does and has all this post-traumatic stress disorder.”

That’s not the movie we got, sadly. While Hood discussed his latest film, Eye in the Sky, at the Miami International Film Festival, he reflected on his superhero movie (source: Indiewire):

When ‘Tsotsi’ happened, the best we were hoping for, frankly, was to get the film released in our own country. It was made for a very low budget, and so the event that followed, including the Oscar, were not something you planned, and they came, frankly, as a huge shock, and I thought we were very lucky, and it could have been somebody else, but when it happened, Hollywood has a strange sense of calling, and when you’re young, you have a strange way of being flattered by that call, for good or bad.

That call led to a tough experience. Hood had to deal with stunt casting, a second unit director he couldn’t see eye to eye with, and a writers’ strike left the production without a finished script. When the title of the film was changed Hood wasn’t even aware about it until Jackman showed it to him on IMDB.

Hood, wisely, doesn’t play the blame game, taking full responsibility for the film:


I’m very grateful because I managed to buy a house off that film, so don’t get me wrong. I own the mistakes I made. I learned a great deal, but I hope that the film tonight is more in my wheelhouse. If you don’t like the film, you can tell me after. I come back for Q&A, and I have no one to blame. It comes from working with a writer who I loved, prepping it with producers who really wanted to make the same movie, and that’s the Hollywood story.

Eye in the Sky is absolutely more in Hood’s wheelhouse. The director takes war and violence very seriously in his work, but X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a big cartoon. Eye in the Sky, on the other hand, treats the idea of one innocent life lost as a tragedy, which isn’t something we could say about Hood’s X-Men movie.

* I have no quarrel with XMEN ORIGINS : WOLVERINE. I enjoyed the prequel story of how James Howlett became WOLVERINE; I thought the team-up with Liev as Sabertooth was excellent ; and I did find the dramatic underpinnings of how he became Wolverine ( the story of Silver Fox, the obsession of Stryker, the back story of little Jimmy and Victor, the reasons why Wolverine became a wandering anti-hero) quite insightful.

*And the intro to the movie where the two brothers fight together over a long period of time ( centuries) was very well=executed,

*One cannot put a creative talent down -- I hope Gavin Hood will recover from the supposed debacle of ORIGINS and continue to add to the list of excellent filmmaking.




*Hugh reads IMDB ??!!!

I better post some more over there - LOL! Suggestions only



Jo

[jo]

On April 1st, many minds are infected with a desire to think of alternative universes

But this one could have fooled many a reader --


www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/wolverines-military-records-personal-journals-879967

01, 2016 12:52pm PT by Graeme McMillan

Wolverine's Military Records and Personal Journals Revealed





James Howlett is finally officially recognized by Canada.
Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada


James Howlett is finally officially recognized by Canada.


In a well done April Fools' reveal, the personal journals and records of James "Logan" Howlett — or, as he's better known, the X-Men's Wolverine — were unveiled by Canada on Friday.

The joke came via an official release from Library and Archives Canada, which underplayed the gag all the way to the end, where it noted that his operative name changed at one point to "Wolverine," with an artificially-aged still of Hugh Jackman as the movie version of the character used as illustration.

Howlett's history in the release is consistent with the comic book version of the character, down to his parentage and circumstances of birth. The release states that his journals "provide valuable insight into his early life in Canada, including work as a miner in a British Columbia stone quarry, a fur trader for the Hudson's Bay Company, and a homesteader in the Canadian Rockies."

Similarly, his military career is noted for "spann[ing] multiple conflicts, making his personnel records an unprecedented study in Canadian military history." T

The Facebook version of the release tags the Canadian Armed Forces, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, but sadly no mention of Department H, the comic book division that was in control of the character when he debuted in 1974's The Incredible Hulk No. 181.

Maybe we'll have to wait until next April 1 to see if details of that organization can be unclassified.

[jo]

If you scroll up to the top of this page on the forum, there is a familiar-looking image posted

[jo]

The feature also made it to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY - for entertainment purposes only

www.ew.com/article/2016/04/01/april-fools-wolverine-canadian-archive






And social media is a-twitter about this fab April Fool's Day reporting








Do check out the link from the official "Library and Archives Canada" website itself --



www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/Pages/2016/acquisition-records-supersoldier-james-howlett.aspx









I wonder -- did Hugh ever come across the original report or the social media references ?

[jo]

The official weathered-looking record on CANADA'S SUPERSOLDIER --







Wolverine (aka James Howlett) is celebrating a birthday soon ( April 5)


He will be 134 years young -- he was 32 when he signed up.


But I thought he was much older than that -- check out the first scenes from XMEN ORIGINS





Wasn't the first scene showing him fighting in a war from the time of the American Civil War ? My American friends -- when did this happen? How old would he have been at that time, if Canadian records say he was born in 1882 -- or had James Howlett been born yet





Jo

[jo]

Another attempt to analyze what went right and what went wrong with XMEN ORIGINS : Wolverine --

screencrush.com/x-men-origins-wolverine-what-went-wrong/

[jo]

The actor who doubled for the Deadpool character at the end and ended up fighting with Wolverine, actor and martial art expert Scott Adkins, praises Hugh's ability in screen fighting --

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/doctor-strange-marvel-horror_us_57572486e4b07823f9518d08

What actor would you say is the best fighter you’ve worked with?

Well, you say “fighter,” and there’s a difference between a fighter and a screen-fighter. I can fight, but I’m not about to go into the UFC and fight. That is a whole different ballgame [...] but as screen-fighting goes, a lot of that has to do with being able to sell to the camera and having good rhythm and being able to work with a partner. So someone like Hugh Jackman, who’s not a martial artist but has a background in musical theater. He was a joy to work with screen-fighting because he would remember the choreography straight away, and he would understand the rhythm and the timing of what we were trying to do. It’s more like you’re working with a dance partner in many ways, except it’s a lot more painful.

In addition to Hugh's ability to use his dancing skills in screen fighting, he has athletic skills and grace which add to his ability to deal with physical challenges.

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/BZ02ZL4DNYM

Not only is this photo drawing a lot of clicks but one can also glean from the messages ( Instagram/Facebook/Twitter) how many actually loved/liked the movie!

Moi, included


Hope someday that eventually it will get the recognition it deserves! It took The Fountain a few years to be accorded the respect it deserves -- hope ORIGINS brings the XMEN fans back to the fold of those who loved all XMen movies!


Jo

[jo]

Many have also decried the absence of Sabretooth in LOGAN, saying that the fans were owed the " final fight" from the two brothers, Jimmy and Victor ...

And some said X-24 should have been replaced by Sabretooth.


Hmm... it looks to me that many fans did not fully appreciate that X-24 was a representation of the bad side of Wolverine. A side that the humane Wolverine was trying to understand and get away from. Thus the third act partly represented how Logan/Wolverine came to terms with what he is ( Wolverine with his angst ... but who sacrificed his life to become the better side of his nature)!

Too bad maybe some people missed that point... and only wanted a memorable finale action scene


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

The fan complaints re the Origins movie focused on the treatmemt of Wade Wilson or Deadpool. But when you look deeper-- the Weapon XI villain is not Deadpool, even if Logan referred to him as "Is that you, Wade?". I think it was primarily because he wielded a katana sword ( his trademark earlier in the early scenes of Origins) and maybe unformed face ( with the mouth still unformed) sort of suggested that the closed mouth meant that the talkative WADE was deliberately shut off. No, the super-mutant was still unfinished when Stryker ordered his activation because Wolverine descended on him unexpectedly.

I did like the unfolding drama - particularly of two brothers fighting together, going their separate ways because they differed in their outlook on life and ambitions, to be reunited as enemies... but with a touch of getting back together if only for the moment. In real life, that is drama to the highest - family bonds broken by different outlooks on life!

Very well acted by Hugh and Liev.

Had LOGAN not changed its finale ( by having a metaphorical Wolverine double - X-24 - the bad Wolverine as his final challenger) -- there were early talks that Victor was coming back... But that did not happen. Logan was able to defeat his dark side...but in the course, lost his life, too. However, he was at peace meeting his end...not just because he has finally defeated his violent Wolverine side...but that he found love in his daughter.


Hmmm....

Sounds familiar -- to some extent...

There was a man who was a thief and was caught as a thief...but through the kindness of a saintly man found the grace of redemption ( making him disown his previous motivations to survive)... and eventually found love through a little girl.

Sorry... it is a stretch, but why ever not


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[njr]

No wonder she didn’t get the role - she called the movie “Wolfman!” 😂

[jo]

"Wolfman" sounds a little better than what Barbra Streisand called him in the publicity reel promoting her duet with Hugh ( "Any Moment Now")-- "Werewolf"

[jo]

[jo]

Hugh gets a full Hollywood Reporter feature ( I was wary when I first saw that THR tweeted something about Hugh - I haven't been reading the media outlet since l'affaire Rudin)

on Hugh's social media post re an encounter with one of New York's finest!


www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/hugh-jackman-shares-deadpool-3-advice-to-ryan-reynolds