The beginning of May typically marks the start of summer tent-pole season at the box office and Wolverine kicks off this summer as the first blockbuster out of the gate.  In this origin story, Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine, a mutant who possesses superhero strength, retractable claws and enhanced healing capabilities.  A prequel to the three other films in the X-Men franchise, the X-Men Origins stories are meant to delve into the back story of the popular X-Men comic book characters.  In this first installment, we are given a glimpse into the tumultuous past of Wolverine and his troubled relationship with his brother, Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber).  We also learn about Wolverine’s transformation, previously only revealed in flashbacks, and several other mutants are introduced as Wolverine searches for Creed and uncovers the Weapon X Program.

Now I will admit to being a total sucker for big-budget event movies and I’m just as much a geek about comic book flicks as any red-blooded American boy. In fact, I’m a big fan of this franchise and the first two films in particular, which is probably why I found this film so disappointing.  While it was somewhat entertaining to watch this conflicted hero’s back story unfold onscreen, it is by no means quality entertainment. The plot is full of holes and for a film that is meant to explain the origins of a character, there were certainly quite a lot of questions left unanswered.  Most notably, the explanation of why Wolverine changed his name from Jimmy to Logan, which bothered me throughout the entire film. I know many would argue that story may not be the strength of most comic book movies, but I would at least expect there to be some spectacular special effects.  Unfortunately Wolverine doesn’t deliver on this front either; the effects in this film are horrible and the entire movie looks like it was shot on a green screen and computer-generated in the editing room.

That Girl says: Leave it!  Wolverine is a disappointing prequel to the franchise and first installment in the X-Men Origins series.  With a plot that lacks continuity and special effects that are far from impressive, the film is only mildly entertaining.  Even the usually charismatic Hugh Jackman, doesn’t shine on screen, though Ryan Reynolds delivers a standout performance as Deadpool.

Release Date:  May 1st, 2009 (Wide Release)
Running Time: 107 minutes
Rated:  PG-13
Company:  Twentieth Century Fox
Cast:  Hugh Jackman – Logan / Wolverine
Liev Schreiber – Victor Creed / Sabretooth
Danny Huston – William Stryker
Dominic Monaghan – Chris Bradley / Bolt
Ryan Reynolds – Wade Wilson / Deadpool
Taylor Kitsch – Remy LeBeau / Gambit
Will i Am – John Wraith
Lynn Collins – Kayla Silverfox
Kevin Durand – Frederick J. Dukes / The Blob
Daniel Henney – David North / Agent Zero
Director:  Gavin Hood
Official Site:  http://www.x-menorigins.com/

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Comic-Con International 2008 kicked off Thursday, July 24th and ran through Sunday, July 27th, bringing a record number of fans to downtown San Diego.  Beginning in the early 1970’s, Comic-Con started as a small gathering of graphic novel aficionados devoid of press coverage and movie stars.  Since then, Comic-Con has grown into a huge platform for the entertainment industry to launch films, television shows, and video games to potential fans and bloggers.  Studios screen never-before-seen footage and invite celebrities and filmmakers to participate in panel discussions with hopes of generating positive buzz for upcoming projects.  This year, for the first time since its humble beginnings, the event sold out its 125,000 passes well in advance of its start date and no tickets were offered at the door.  It was nothing short of entertainment to watch the worlds of Hollywood and Comics collide in the San Diego Convention Center and while it is close to impossible to discuss all the happenings of the four day event, here are a few of the highlights.

While the actual convention began on Thursday, doors were opened to four day pass-holders for a special preview night on Wednesday. Crowds of people packed into exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams, the creator of Lost.  Thursday was expected to be a strong day with Fox previewing X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Max Payne, but the real surprise was the crowd of 6,500 teenage girls and their moms who waited in line for hours to watch the panel for Summit Entertainment’s adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer vampire novel series, Twilight.  Comic-Con has historically been a fan-boy event, but this massive fan-girl turnout shocked exhibitors and opened doors for the ‘Con to reach an even larger female audience next year.

A counter to Thursday’s unexpected female influence, Friday was deemed Star Wars Day in anticipation of the upcoming Warner Bros.’ release Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  While there were many popular panels, WB stole the day in general with a panel for one of next year’s most anticipated superhero films, Watchmen.  Saturday offered presentations for a number of popular TV series including Chuck and Pushing Daisies, but the highlight of the day was the Sony panel for Pineapple Express.  Judd Apatow moderated a Q&A with Seth Rogen, James Franco and the rest of his creative team which proved to be one of the funniest moments of the weekend.  Sunday was a much slower day as many opted to head out early and beat the traffic, but for those who stayed, the day was coined “Kid’s Day,” with a number of special programs aimed at children.  The convention wrapped Sunday afternoon with a hysterical screening of Buffy the Musical.

This year was my first trip to Comic-Con and, although I was completely “Conned-out” by the end, it was definitely a worthwhile and unforgettable experience.  While it may sound like a mecca for geeks (and in many ways it is,) the opportunity to see celebs and attend guest-only Hollywood parties has helped Comic-Con evolve into a mecca of pop culture.  This is an event where there is truly something for everyone and with this year’s newfound female presence; I can only hope more women will join me at the ‘Con next summer.

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