Full disclosure: As a baby boomer, three things changed my life when I was a child in the 1950s and 60s: baseball, rock 'n' roll music and Marvel Comics.
I still have a vivid memory of the first Marvel comic I read. I had been a fan of Superman, Batman, The Flash, et al, from the DC group, but the Marvel superheroes were so completely different. They had foibles. Granted, I didn't know what "foibles" meant at the time. Actually, Marvel taught me what that term implies. Lessons learned can come from anywhere and comic books, Ernie Banks and Willie Mays, and Beatles albums taught me a number of things back then.
I was happy when Marvel started licensing their product to film companies, and I have seen every film based on characters from their stable. The resulting films are a mixed bag. The "Spider-Man" series is well accepted. "The Hulk" films have gotten mixed reactions. "Daredevil" was widely panned. "The Fantastic Four" series looks like made-for-TV cinema, but I still like it.
It was "The X-Men" who were my favorites when I was a kid, and in retrospect, I can see why. Childhood can be a confusing time and these folks were mutants, shunned by some, embraced by others - confused by their own state of being. Yes, that's what the kids of the 1960s were about and that's why Marvel still holds a big place in our hearts.
A strange anomaly in the comic book universe is the way characters get redefined over the years. When new writers and artists take over the books, things can change dramatically. And every now and then, a new "origin" story will come to the fore.
When I last read the X-Men comics (in the 1960s) there was no Wolverine. Now, I think much due to Hugh Jackman's appeal as a movie star, Wolverine is the most beloved member of the troupe.
The title of the latest X-Man film is "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." And it seems to imply that there will be many more "Origin" films to follow. If they are no better than this film, it's going to be a dreary dozen.
While it's somewhat interesting to get the back-story on James Logan (Wolverine) and his brother Victor Creed (Sabretooth), the tale becomes so muddled as to induce frustration.
Why do we see them fighting in the U.S. Civil War, World Wars I and II, and in Vietnam?
Later on we learn how James comes to have the bones that shoot from his knuckles that are replaced by a metal alloy called adamantium. It's done by a covert militarist known as Stryker, who is trying to assemble a team of super mutants to aid the war effort. As compelling as that concept sounds, it plays out rather flatly in "Wolverine."
There's not a scene in this film that is anywhere near as interesting as when Wolverine showed up in the first X-Men film. Jackman makes Wolverine the coolest of the X-Men ... teenage boys like him because he's moody and intense. Teenage girls like him because he looks like Hugh Jackman.
To try to describe the story at hand would simply be an exercise in futility. Probably the most pertinent thing to note is, at the end of the film, Wolverine is stricken with amnesia so he has no recollection of what a bad movie he's just been a part of. If only we viewers could be so lucky.
Recent "comic book" films - "Iron Man," "The Dark Knight," even "Watchmen" - have set the bar fairly high. This latest chapter in the "X-Men" saga doesn't measure up. But, my guess is more "origin" films will follow.[[In-content Ad]]
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
