(May 8, 2009) — X-Men Origins Wolverine is indeed a gem but when compared to the comic book movie diamonds such as Iron Man or The Dark Night it shines as though it was a polished stone. However, if you loved the other X-Men movies then you’ll probably enjoy this spin-off from the series, because its pretty much the same acting, effects, and action. The plot of this movie could have been portrayed in a better way, but it was a good attempt at explaining the origins of one of the more enigmatic X-Men, it showed his past all the way from his childhood until he looses his memory. They made it seem like the entire movie was a revenge fueled romp through the woods, because practically every character wanted revenge from another character at some point in the story. The continual albeit unneeded plot twists also make the plot very undecipherable at points. The only parts that may glue you to your seat were the fight scenes and the special effects though they weren’t all that great. Compared to the special effects of even some of the more recent action movies, X-Men Origins took a bit of a step back, to the point that at times Tony Stark’s suit seemed real when compared to wolverine’s claws. At some points, the claws looked similar to plastic but made metallic noises and produced a few sparks when they struck things. A friend who watched the movie with me even said that some of the visuals were reminiscent of the effects in the Star Wars franchise, though some of the effects were eye-poppingly gorgeous. The best one was the whole war montage that they used in the opening and the trailers, with Gambit’s card shuffling at a close second. The actors really tried to add some depth to the characters, though the cheesy dialogue cancelled out their efforts and in turn the combination added a bit of comedic awkwardness to some of the scenes. Then again, this is an action movie designed for teens so you really can’t expect depth in the conversations. Some characters could’ve played a more integral role while some could have been omitted out entirely. If you for some reason have seen the bootleg version of the movie, I advise you to not waste money on this film. It is the same version with a few new transitions and some polish – though not enough – to the effects. If you’ve read the comic book of the same name, they are completely different and you might want to watch the movie. The movie delivered what a summer action movie should: lots of explosions, guns, swords, claws, brawls, a cheesy love story, and last but not least, more guns. This movie receives a solid C, three and a half paws out of five.