Wednesday 29 April 2009

The Geek Beat: Origins and Endings

From: cinematical.com
Written by: Elisabeth Rappe

You'll probably be getting a one-two punch of Wolverine this week and next, and I apologize -- but big popcorn flicks deserve a lot of digital ink, especially if they're kicking off the summer season. Plus, this is the solo adventure of my favorite superhero. Avoiding the topic is impossible.

Over the past year, I have shared a lot of opinions of what I wanted X-Men Origins: Wolverine to be, or where I hoped they would take the character, or issues I had with their portrayal of the Weapon X program. But you know what I really wish? I wish Wolverine could have remained mysterious.

Hugh Jackman has argued that he wasn't comfortable taking the character anywhere like Japan without first showing who Logan was, and where he had come from. But what kept Wolverine as such an enduring character (besides his gratuitous body count) was his shadowy origin. It was a big deal when he revealed his name was Logan. The way such information was handled was brilliant and brusque. When asked why he hadn't ever told anyone his name, he shrugged. "You never asked." He just appeared on the scene, a snarling badass. He was Marvel's Man with No Name. Fans loved it. We lived for the teases, flashbacks, and guessworks.

No comments: