Hugh Jackman’s back as the steely-clawed mutant who fights the good fight in this spin-off from the super successful X-Men film franchise: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Although the film didn’t quite live up to its hype, Jackman and X-Men newcomers Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds make it one worth checking out.

Pros:

– What the film lacks in action, the Blu-ray release makes up for in entertaining extra features. Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are terrific as mutants

Cons:

– Wolverine doesn’t live up to expectations, but it’s still a decent comic book-inspired adaptation.

Description:

– Starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Lynn Collins, and Taylor Kitsch
– Directed by Gavin Hood
– Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence and some partial nudity
– Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: September 15, 2009

The Story:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine focuses on one of the most interesting mutants from the series, providing a look at his family life and how he came to fight on the side of what’s good and wholesome. The film also introduces us to Logan/Wolverine’s brother Victor/Sabretooth (Schreiber) and unveils Victor Creed’s mysterious Weapon X program.

The Bonus Features:

Although Jackman doesn’t provide an audio commentary, director Gavin Hood does one on his own, with producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winters contributing their own separate track. Skip theirs and listen to Hood’s. He gives in-depth explanations as to the choices he made, just what X-Men fans want to know.

The featurettes include X-Men creator Stan Lee and Wolverine co-creator Len Wein sitting down for a lengthy chat which is a must-watch, even for those not into comics. “Wolverine Unleashed” is an insightful piece on the character’s origin and Jackman’s dedication in getting into the role, and “Thrill of the Chase” is a behind-the-scenes look at the helicopter sequence. The multi-part feature “Weapon X Mutant Files” explores all of the central characters, with interviews and other background material.

I suggest watching the four deleted scenes and an alternate ending with the optional commentary by director Hood turned on. His thoughts as to the direction of the story and why these didn’t work are well worth listening to. The disc also includes “Ultimate X Mode” with pop-up tracks and a live look-up feature that lets you access IMDB.com using the BD-Live feature. It’s state of the art and allows for easy access to the info you need/want/might enjoy looking up.

Wolverine looks just as gorgeous on blu-ray as on the big screen, the colors are crisp, the audio sharp, and the bonus features are not just filler material but truly interesting/entertaining.