Story
This latest movie in the X-Men series opens in 1845 in Canada. James/Wolverine and his older half-brother Victor/Sabretooth are children, running away together after the death of their fathers. As adults, they fight, die and are brought back to life through their mutant powers in several major conflicts.
During the Vietnam War, James (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) are court-martialled and imprisoned. While in prison, they are offered freedom and the chance to serve their country by Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston). This is in exchange for joining Stryker’s special team of mutants.
James witnesses the team killing innocent people in an African village. He declares that he has had enough of killing and leaves, walking away from Victor, Stryker and the team. The movie shifts forward six years. James is now called Logan and lives a peaceful life in the Canadian mountains with his girlfriend Kayla (Lynn Collins).
While Logan has been living the quiet life, mutants from his old team have been systematically killed. Stryker approaches Logan, asking him to assist in tracking down those responsible. Logan refuses, not wishing to be involved in killing anymore. But when Victor turns up and apparently murders Kayla, Logan goes into action. He seeks out members of his old team and becomes involved in epic struggles against enormous and unforeseen forces.
Themes
Mutants; war; superpowers
Violence
The movie contains frequent intense action violence. It is often brutal, although there is minimal blood and gore. For example:
Sexual references
The movie contains infrequent sexual references. For example:
- Kayla tells Logan a folk tale in which the moon takes a lover.
- When an elderly farmer discovers a naked Wolverine in his barn, he offers him a coat. He says, ‘Cover up with that. I don’t want you giving the old lady a heart attack’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie contains some use of substances. For example:
- On several occasions, we see Logan/Wolverine with a cigar in his mouth. The cigar appears unlit.
- A young teenage boy is shot in the neck with a tranquiliser.
- Wolverine sips beer from a bottle and also sits in a bar sculling a shot glass of spirits. When he asks for another shot, the bartender asks him if he’s drinking to forget. Wolverine replies that he’s drinking to remember.
Nudity and sexual activity
The movie contains occasional nudity and low-level sexual activity. For example:
- Kayla hitches up her oversized shirt and straddles Logan’s lap.
- Kayla and Logan kiss in several scenes.
- We see front, side and rear views of Wolverine running naked across a field, standing on a waterfall and in a barn.
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
This movie contains occasional low-level coarse language, putdowns and hand gestures.
Ideas to discuss with your children
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a comic book-style action adventure. It is darker and more violent than other X-Men movies and is definitely aimed at older adolescents. The movie relies more on intense action and special effects rather than story line.
The main messages from this movie are that:
- Brothers should look after and protect each other.
- Revenge can distort perception and leave people open to manipulation.
Values in this movie that you might wish to reinforce with your older children include selflessness, courage, self-control and forgiveness.
This movie could also give you the opportunity to discuss with your older children issues such as:
- whether the means justify the end
- the very different ways in which Wolverine and his brother use their mutant powers.