X-Men Origins: Wolverine

*** (M) 

Director: Gavin Hood. 

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds.

THE return of comic-book heroes as money-making film fodder goes back to X-Men (2000) - a surprise box-office hit that paved the way for the likes of Spider-man, Hellboy, Iron Man and the reboots of the Batman and Superman franchises.

After the first film, the X-Men series and its merry band of mutants reached new heights, as the second film showed how to do everything right in a superhero movie. 

The third film showed how to do most things wrong.Nowhere near as dire as X-Men: The Last Stand but nowhere near as good as X2 is this prequel detailing the back story of Hugh Jackman's hirsute brawler Wolverine.

Opening with Wolverine and and his half-brother Sabretooth's shared history, things really pick up when both are recruited into a secret hit squad of mutants led by General Stryker.

But after a falling out, Wolverine goes into isolation, opting for a quiet life as a lumberjack. 

Unfortunately, Sabretooth and Stryker aren't keen to let Wolverine disappear quietly.

Where the original X-Men trilogy tapped into the comic's themes of racism and discrimination with mutants standing in for minorities. 

However Wolverine forgoes big ideas and hones its action muscles, punching out a hard-hitting revenge tale with a twist of Cain and Abel. Jackman and Schreiber, no slouches in the acting department, flex their muscles more than their acting chops, but for its explosions and mutant battles, Wolverine is deeply satisfying. 

The opening raid of Stryker's mutants on a team of Nigerian diamond smugglers is fantastic, as are Wolverine's key battles with Deadpool, Sabretooth and a helicopter.

It's a shame there are some dodgy special effects moments and a need to throw in a few too many action cliches (surely that overhead shot where a character screams `No!' to the heavens should be banned).

The main downside of the all-brawn, little-brain approach is a lack of characterisation. The introduction of such cool characters as Deadpool, Gambit, The Blob, Agent Zero, Bolt and John Wraith will please the hardcore comic-book fans but most are given little screen-time or depth, which will puzzle the casual viewer. 

Yes, this is Wolverine's movie, but after seeing Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool's early incarnation in the film's opening, you'll want more.

Reynolds also helps contribute to the film's great sense of humour, but at the end of the day, this is all about the action, which is pretty cool. Expect more mutant adventures to follow.