Shake a Tail Feather

Today (and for the rest of this weekend really) I feel like this...

Against the Grain (Please Weigh In)

The past seven days have got me thinking...a dangerous pastime, I know.

It all started with me noticing the general "thumbs down" consensus for TERMINATOR SALVATION. However, once I saw the movie for myself, I found that I quite enjoyed it. I wondered aloud what everybody expected out of it to pummel it so fiercely.

Then on Wednesday, I read about New York reviewer Armond White who was the first critic to give UP a negative review.

It turns out White goes up cureent quite often, since he also gave thumb's down to IRON MAN, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, MILK, and THE DARK KNIGHT. But what really bent my noodle was seeing the films that White liked that seemingly everyone else didn't...namely SWING VOTE, NEVER BACK DOWN, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, LIONS FOR LAMBS, and I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU LARRY & CHUCK.

While I'd love to mock this critic for his questionable judgement, I realize that I'd be opening myself up to the same mockery (heaven forbid!). However, it leaves me curious...we've all had these moments of breaking away from the pack, for better or for worse. So it's time to fess up...

Which film did everyone else love that you hated? And which film did everyone else hate but you loved?

Mambo Italiano (Rob Marshall's NINE Trailer)

Seeing this trailer left me with more than a few questions. For starters, how did a remake of a autobiographical movie by one of the greatest directors in movie history come to be? Furthermore, how the hell did it come to be a musical??

Strangely though, I must admit that it looks pretty friggin good!

Decade pt. iii ( Top Five 00's Movies - 2002 )

In the previous two posts of this series, I mentioned my disappointment for the films that came in the early years of the decade. Well moviemakers got their act together in a hurry, because whittling down 2002 to a mere five choices was actually a whole lot harder than the previous two posts.

It was the year that a certain web-slingin' superhero swung into our hearts, the year we discovered we could die seven days after watching a twisted videotape, and the year we learned that George Lucas can't write a love scene to save his life.

It was the year of the very first American Idol (seems like much longer than seven years back, don't it?). After the jump, please find...

Hatter's Top Five Films of 2002

#5. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN... I count myself as a fan of Steven Spielberg, and I could argue that this is his best film of the decade. He doesn't try to turn the story into an allegory for a deeper social statement. He allows the film to be playful, while still giving the audience something of substance. And he manages to sidestep his biggest problem this decade - he figures out how to end the film without taking it down some ill-advised road. Watch it to see some of the best performances Leo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken turned in during the last ten years.

#4. LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS... The first film was pretty, the third film seemed endless. For me, Peter Jackson's landmark series begins and ends with this amazing middle chapter. With the fellowship splintered, the movie gets to take full advantage by giving us three parallell narratives, each of which could have made for a stellar movie all their own. From the mind-blowing use of CGI to create Gollum, to the intense action scenes in the Battle of Helm's Deep...this was the chapter that best exemplified the darkness of Tolkien's stories and cemented Jackson's legacy.

#3. THE PIANIST... While it feels like we're still waiting for Adrian Brody to follow up this Oscar-winning performance with something equally profound, it is nontheless deserved for how long he has to carry this film on his own. What begins feeling like a holocaust story we've already seen, takes a turn and becomes a deeply engaging story of survival. Perhaps it's deepest lasting legacy for me, is the fact that I can still remember the tension I felt while watching the scene where Brodey's Szpilman plays piano for the SS Soldier who has discovered his hiding place. Results of Oscar voting are never revealed, but if they were the 2002 Best Picture Race is the tally I'd most like to see. Something tells me that this flick came pretty darned close to winning that year's top prize.

#2. ADAPTATION...
I coulda ranked this movie on the list merely for the way Nicholas Cage gives the twin Kauffman brothers such wonderfully distinct personalities without cheating. The writer in me absolutely adores this film, because...well...I've found myself stumped on more than one occasion. I can only hope that one day I have the guts to go in such a maverick direction like Charlie Kauffman did while trying to interpret Susan Orleans' nonfiction book about orchids. I do wonder - what Hollywood exec thought botany would make a good screenplay? And who was the brilliant used car salesman-cum-talent agent who talked Kauffman into adapting it?? Putting the cherry on this sundae of absurdity is the way Spike Jonze and Charlie Kauffman heed Robert McKee's advice, and decide to wow the audience in the final act by running the story right off the rails.

#1. TALK TO HER... Possibly my favorite foreign film of all time. Upsetting, sad, and moving all at the same time, it's one of the few times that Pedro Almodovar has given the men in his movie centre stage. And fittingly so, the men are brought forward to show how much they love and care for the women in their lives. What truly makes this movie stand out for me, is the fact that when everything comes to light, it becomes a truly shocking story. However, it's told in such a loving manner, that the audience almost wants to forgive the sinner's sin for how innocently misguided they seem. (Almost). Peppered with some wicked humour, and one truly odd retelling of a movie in a movie, TALK TO HER was a truly original film that stuck with me the most in a year of great cinema.

Others on my shortlist for 2002 include CHICAGO, PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, MINORITY REPORT, THE QUIET AMERICAN, 28 DAYS LATER, ABOUT A BOY, and CITY OF GOD, . Check in on June 23rd for the next installment, my top five films of 2003.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments with your own favorite movies from 2002, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Review: TERMINATOR SALVATION * * *

I usually try to refrain from reading reviews of a movie I'm going to see until I have mine written - mostly because I want to try and watch the film (and subsequently write about it) with an open mind. However, when it came to TERMINATOR SALVATION, I couldn't help but sneak a glance at other reviews.

By and large, I was seeing nothing but hatred. Having now seen the movie for myself, I'm left with one question for the critics who loathed it so deeply:

"What did you expect?"

We begin at the end, so to speak. Judgement Day has happened, and America is now a Road Warrior-esque post apocalyptic wasteland. Man is at war with The Machines, and the machines are winning. Handily.

Enter John Connor (Christian Bale), a soldier who seems to know so much about the future, that some are calling him a prophet. Others, like his superiors in The Resistance call him a loose cannon. Regardless, Connor has entire battalions who will follow his every word, believing that he alone can lead them out of the darkness. Little do they know, that Connor is working of cheat sheets - the audio cassettes his mother Sarah left him, detailing as much as she could learn from his time traveling father Kyle Reese.

Speaking of the unsuspecting father-to-be (played here by Anton Yelchin), he turns up as a rebel in Los Angeles. He's a less-than-awe-inspiring teenager, but quickly demonstrates that he has the instincts and tenacity that it takes to take on The Machines. While bunkered down in Los Angeles, he pulls Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) out of harm's way. Wright seems to be stuck in a haze, and is unsure about how he came to be where he is - puzzling indeed, since the first time we see him in the movie he is on death row condemned to death by lethal injection.

Wright and Reese head towards John Connor's location, wanting to earn their place in the human rebellion. Speaking of the revolution, they are planning a massive offensive after having stolen some SkyNet intelligence - a plan that lists Reese and Connor as number one and two respectively on the hit list.

The movie is fun but flawed. On more than one instance, I had to shake my head as characters who should know better by this point made some rather stupid decisions. However, they were few and far enough between that I was able to forgive them and move on. The acting in the movie is about as good as it needs to be, although why Christian Bale kept reverting to his DARK KNIGHT growl is beyond me. Likewise, we discover that a detail revealed in the trailer is actually a pretty big plot turn (I'll never understand why Hollywood continues to reveal such things). Without trying to come off as an apologist, these flaws are what prevent it from becoming a great movie - but they don't stop it from being a good movie.

Without getting too specific, one other thing that holds it back from being a great movie is an ending that seems unconcerned with concluding the chapter. During the final act, the story goes down a familiar road, but then seems to corner itself into indecision.

A moment that should shock the audience doesn't because of what we know is still to come. After that, a moment that seems triumphant is dulled rather nonchalantly in that it's actually only "one small step". The story was clearly written with the intent to carry the franchise on for at least one more film. Fair play, but if Warner Brothers wants to ensure a future audience, perhaps they shouldn't forsake their current audience with sloppy storytelling.

One thing I quite liked about this movie, is how it centers on a future we only got glimpses of in the first two Terminator films - a future war where humanity has banded together. There are no flags, no borders. The symbol The Resistance rallies behind is a simple swatch of red, meant to symbolize the common blood of mankind. It even takes a moment or two to remind us of where the series has come from courtesy of a nifty musical cue, along with a familiar bit of dialogue or two.

Whether or not you enjoy TERMINATOR will really come down to what you go into it looking for. Allow me a moment of simplistic comparison:

Not as datedly cool as THE TERMINATOR
Not as great overall as TERMINATOR 2
Not as silly as TERMINATOR 3

I won't go so far as to call it mindless, but all the same it definitely isn't what I'd call an intelligent action film. It is indeed one action sequence after another...but given that the war depicted has been prophesied for three movies, I must ask again - what did you expect?

Keep It Together

Today I feel like this...

Tell Me Why

Feels like every six months, I need to take a moment and question the need for an intended sequel. And right on cue comes this week's news...

First of all, Hollywood has been all a-tither with the prospect of a third Ghostbusters movie. Why? Someone please tell me who the heck this one is intended for. We are twenty years removed from the steaming bowl of stupidity that was part two...are there really that many fans out there with an unsatisfied hunger to go trilogy?? Last year, rumour had it that Judd Apatow's crew would make G3. I'll admit that the prospect of seeing actors like Seth Rogen and Jason Segel in the jumpsuits makes me want to let my dork flag fly and turn up the Ray Parker Jr....but it's a fleeting reaction.

Really, I'd much rather Hollywood just let this one be.

Dusting off 80's dorkiness might seem odd, but that's nothin compared to the news on Cinematical that Hollywood is working on a sequel to EASY RIDER.

Say it with me now - "WHY??!!"

EASY RIDER is one of my favorite movies, but it's not one that I consider a must-see since it's become incredibly dated. It holds an important place in cinematic history, but I've never looked at it and thought to myself "Now there's a movie ripe for a sequel". Not to mention the plot of the movie doesn't exactly leave much story to be told in a sequel.

I guess there is a pocket of writers, directors, and producers out there who must operate under the notion that if they can't achieve the next great movie...at least they can create the sequel to one that already exists.

...Oh, and speaking of sequels, check back this weekend for my review of TERMINATOR: SALVATION.

Until the Day Is Done (Please Weigh In)

The day job has been tough lately, for reasons that I won't get into here. One small side effect is that I find my thirst for media and concentration for blogging has taken a downward turn...but in both cases I've tried to keep upbeat and enjoy fleeting attempts at both to help shake off the work day.

While originally I was going to create a top five in honour of it, I thought I'd try to up the interactivity of this space and turn the question over to you...my loyal dozen readers.

What are some of your favorite workplace-related movies?

Mysterious Ways (SHERLOCK HOLMES Trailer)

Seems like we're barely into the summer, and already I'm getting antsy to the awesomeness that many of this fall's movies seem like they will be providing.

Take for instance, Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES....

The Boxer

One of my fellow movie bloggers has a pretty nifty recurring feature, and with her blessing, I've decided to start using it in this space every week or so.

So in honour of my friend Ivy over at Do You Have a Flag, I thought you might like to know that today I feel like this...

Review: STAR TREK * * * 1/2

True story: The soon-to-be-Mrs-Hatter was talking to a co-worker and mentioned that four days after its release, she had not yet seen J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK. Without missing a beat, her co-worker replied "How is that possible? You're marrying a geek!"

Thanks pal.

Little does my intended's work peer know, that while I am indeed a geek, I am not - nor have I ever been - a Trekker. Which left me very curious what a new Star Trek film could do for this particular breed of nerd.

Our story begins with the U.S.S. Kelvin, which becomes the victim of a surprise unprovoked attack. After its captain is killed, the first officer does all he can to evacuate as much crew to safety - including his own pregnant wife. As she escapes to safety, she gives birth to the officer's son; a baby that is named James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). We learn that James grows up as a bad seed, who always seems to find trouble, and likewise appears to be wasting away his potential. This is until Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) pulls him out of a bar fight. Pike tells him of his father's bravery, and practically dares him to join Starfleet.

Meanwhile, on the planet Vulcan, a young child named Spock (Zachary Quinto)is having troubles of his own. He is the son of a vulcan father and a human mother, and thus a bullseye for ridicule. As he grows into a young man, he hedges his bets and applies to both Starfleet Academy and the Vulcan Science Academy. He spurns the Vulcan elders by declining his placement, and goes on to excel at Starfleet. It's here where he first meets young Kirk - when Kirk seems to cheat to pass an unbeatable simulation test of Spock's design. Thus, a frosty relationship is born.

Before Kirk can be disciplined for his actions, the class of Starfleet are assigned to Starships to respond to a Vulcan distress signal. With the help of his friend Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), Kirk stows on to The Starship Enterprise and joins a crew that includes Captain Pike, Spock, Nyoto Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), and Hikaru Sulu (John Cho). Most of them are so inexperienced, they wear expressions that just barely mask their deep-seeded nervousness. As the ship is en route to Vulcan, Kirk realizes that they are flying into an ambush.

When the ship arrives, and he is tragically proved right, his uneasy commission as a Starfleet officer begins. Indeed, the distress signal was actually a beacon baiting starships into a Romulan attack. What's worse is that Spock must now watch, as the attack is turned towards his home planet. The crew of The Enterprise is forced to mature and come together quickly, in order to try and stop further destruction in the galaxy.

First thing's first - I am not about to convert to a new religion. I've never understood the Trekker sub-culture, and I still don't. But that in itself is what slants my reaction to the film. I don't care a bean for any bit of Trek that has come before, and yet I had a blast watching this movie. The glimpses that I've had of the movies that have come so far have always left me with the same indifference to how seriously they take themselves...to the point where nobody ever seems to be having any fun. This vision of the quest to boldly go where no man has gone before seems to be hellbent on broadening the base. Indeed, with a well woven story that ups the action, drops the earnestness, and even serves up a few laughs, Abrams has taken Trek out of the conventions and shown the rest of us what all the fuss was about.

STAR TREK walked down a dangerous path when the filmmakers decided that it should be an origin story. If recent origin films have taught us one thing, it's when the audience already knows what's waiting for them at the end of the road ends, the trip to get there better be well worth the walk. In this respect, STAR TREK has succeeded admirably. The crew of The Enterprise are far from an intergalactic all-star team, and their reasons for being on the bridge are varied and amusing(Heck - Kirk and Scotty aren't even supposed to be there!).

Indeed, the origins of the crew are spotted with distrust, distention, happenstance, fist fights, fate, and luck. It's the way some of the best teams are created. Think about the best workplace you ever punched the clock at - chances are, everyone was brought in at different times, for different reasons, with different backgrounds. Somewhere along the line though, your group clicks, and everyone suddenly realizes that they are a part of something good. The fact that STAR TREK understands such group dynamics is what makes it a more familiar story.

The entire cast brings their A-game, though in the end, this is Zachary Quinto's show. Showing that his work as TV's Sylar is no fluke, he brings a wonderful range to the Spock character. Your attention always goes right to him, whether he's playing stoic and logical, or giving us a rare glimpse of the Vulcan in a moment of violent rage. He even gets to say "Live long and prosper" with a tone of distaste it has never had. One can only hope that more big-screen parts are on the horizon for Quinto.

What STAR TREK has done is proved that a movie shouldn't be tethered to mediocrity simply because it has a built-in audience. It's a movie that could have been content to be a straight sci-fi geekfest. It could have pleased the long time fans, made a few million bucks, and retreated into a safe spot in the nerd lexicon. Instead, it combined a smart script, with an accessible set-up, and action that is exciting without being overindulgent. In so doing, it won over a few nerds that previously hadn't given Trek the time of day - nerds like me.

In The End (THE ROAD Trailer)

Note: Go figure - I write one of my most popular and well thought-out entries to date, and the day I post it, a work re-shuffling drives my writing energy into the ground. Sorry for the lack of posts this week, and thanks for all the great feedback lately. - Hatter.

There were a few disappointments for movie geeks like me last year - the sudden year-end love for THE READER, the lackluster adaptation of CHOKE, and the fact that cheap rehashes of 80's movies continue to be made. But nothing in 2008 was more disappointing for me, than the release date for THE ROAD getting unceremoniously pushed (worse yet - pushed to no certain future).

Well lo and behold a release date has been confirmed (October 16th - the day before this hatted writer is getting married), and now we even have a trailer to feast our eyes on...

That's Alright Mama (My Mom's Top Five Movies)

The grinnin' fool you see before you would be yours truly. I'm not certain exactly how old I am in that photo, but I'd guess somewhere around seven or eight. The lovely lady to my left would be my mom, Margaret. I'd venture a guess how old she was when this photo was taken, but I don't think she'd appreciate that very much.

My mom and I are somewhat different when it comes to our movie-watching habits. For starters, mom isn't the biggest fan of watching movies she's seen before over and over again - though she isn't adverse to the odd repeat viewing. For seconds, my mom doesn't share my leaning towards dark/heavy stories.

However, my mom was a pretty big part of my cinematic education. She had a knack for picking some pretty good movies when we'd go to the video store. They weren't all winners, but it certainly give me a boost towards good cinematic taste. So in honour of Mother's Day this weekend, I thought I'd turn this week's top five over to her. I've added a thought or two for each, so take a look after the jump at...

My Mom's Top Five Movies

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)... Note: Mom couldn't rank 'em, so I've listed these in chronological order This is a fitting place for my mom's list to start, given that she spent much of my childhood working in municipal politics. I'm not sure if that was Jefferson Smith's influence or not, but I'm willing to bet that part of the reason she did it for as long as she did, is because much like Mr. Smith, she has a deep-rooted desire to help people.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)... My mom didn't come from high society, but I'll bet deep down she wishes she did (she was always making jokes about what would happen when she won the lottery). There isn't much in the plot of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY that I can stem back to my mom, except perhaps some daydream of having a life like Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant always seemed to have in the movies. Although, the fact that it makes her list does re-affirm my estimation that she has pretty good taste when it comes to movies.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)... For starters, it reminds me that my mom - like me - thinks that many of the best movies were made before she (and likewise I) was born. I also have to smile at the fact that this is the third James Stewart movie on her list - and second Frank Capra film. I think this story stuck with my mom... that she holds tight to the effect our lives have on those around us. She's always imparted upon me the virtues of being a good person, and doing what's right. As such, a movie like this only underlines her life-lessons to this humble blogger.
THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)... Wanna know what part of my mom's character this reminds me of? Her knack for challenging me. Why? because I've never seen this movie, so I haven't the foggiest clue what my mom loves about it. Perhaps it's her subconscious way of saying "Hatter sweetie, you've missed a good one - get on it." Ya just gotta love that sort of parenting. Moving right along...

THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)... For starters, I like that my mom chose five absolute classics, and likewise, how her fifth is such a cool movie. It's also a slightly amusing choice, since she's never been a big fan of motorcycles. It could be that she wishes that she married or gave birth to someone as cool as Steve McQueen (no luck in either case). Or, it could be that there's something about the platoon's determination that speaks to her (a theme in many of the movies on this list actually). Or, it could be that a band of brothers who were constantly up to no good reminded her of her kids. Whatever the reason, this is a solid inclusion in her top five - such good taste is one of the reasons why I'm proud to call her my mom.

Curiosity brings a change this week - Please ask your moms about the movies they love, and leave comments with your mom's top five movies, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Dead and Gone (Fox Announces Deadpool Movie)

Yesterday, fellow blogger Farzan posted about Fox's announcement that a Wolverine sequel had been greenlit. I left him a comment saying that I could do with a break from Wolverine for a movie or two, and hoped that Fox might move on to another character for their next project.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

Fox has announced today that they will be developing a movie around the character of Wade Wilson, or "Deadpool" as he comes to be known. Ryan Reynolds is attached to the project for now, reprising his role in WOLVERINE. No word yet on how the events of WOLVERINE will be woven into the story.

A month or two ago, I mentioned that somewhat second tier characters like Deadpool could well make for good movies. Looks like someone at Fox is thinking the same way!

Dumb

It's my favorite dumb joke, and I only get to tell it once a year - so here goes. Looking at the calender, I notice that today is the 4th of May. So here's wishing all of you a very good day today...

...May the Fourth Be With You.

Review: X MEN ORIGINS - WOLVERINE * * 1/2

Nine years after first "snick-snick"-ing his way on to the big screen, the character of Wolverine has finally been given his own movie. There's no Halle Berry around to bitch about screen time. There's no Bret Ratner to reduce a franchise to a steaming bowl of silliness. No dumb lines about what happens when a toad gets hit by lighting. Just our man Logan with 107 minutes to kick some ass.

The perfect set-up for a great summer movie?...Or yet another big-budget, heavy-hyped letdown??...

WOLVERINE begins by introducing us to two children from Northern Canada named James and Victor. After a domestic incident, the two boys find out that they are in fact brothers, and brothers who have strange bones protruding from their hands every now and then. Oh yeah - and they're pretty much indestructible. As adults, James (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) enlist in every major war America fights from the Civil War to Vietnam, and find great success in each. However, exposure to such madness seems to have messed with Victor's mind, and on more than one occasion, james has to step in and keep Victor's bloodlust from running wild.

After Vietnam, they are found by Col. William Stryker and enlisted into his special ops unit known as "Team X". The team features men such as John WRaith (Will.I.Am), who can disappear and re-appear in the blink of an eye. It also features Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a talkative mercenary so quick, he's the only man who can bring a sword to a gun fight. This group of soldiers who have special abilities, are given special privileges, and are only used in special circumstances. During one such mission, James - now going by only his surname "Logan" quits the team, literally walking off the job.

Some time later, Logan has retreated back to Canada where he makes his living as a lumberjack and has a cozy rural life with a woman named Kayla Silverfox. However, his peaceful existence is torn to shreds when Victor comes looking for him. Victor kills Kayla to draw Logan out, and when Logan tracks him down, Victor handily wins a fight and leaves his brother broken.

Desperate to avenge the death of the woman he loves, Logan turns back to Col. Stryker and agrees to a seemingly insane experiment: Logan's skeleton will be grafted with ademantium, an unbreakable metal. His bone protrusions will now come out as razor sharp claws, and he will be virtually indestructible. He will leave Logan behind...he will become Wolverine...and dedicate his life to hunting Victor down.

If I had to sum WOLVERINE up in one word, I'd have to go with "sloppy". There are a handful of moments that do justice to this fan favorite of a character, but they never seem to happen consistently enough to build any sort of momentum. Far too often, the fun is disrupted by some questionable writing, directing, or editing.

The movie has a lot of fun putting the character of Wolverine front and centre, and even more so by winking dialogue to those in the audience who have read any of his comic books ("I'm the best at what I do", "I'm Canadian"). However, WOLVERINE suffers the same fate as the last two X-Men movies: too many characters, not enough time. The most important person is obviously the guy whose name is in the title, but if he'll only fleetingly interact with a fellow hero or villain, it strikes me as a waste of a supporting character.

One thing that WOLVERINE has proved to me, is that an Oscar winning director is no guarantee of a good genre film (For further evidence of this, look up Lee, Ang). Director Gavin Hood won an Academy Award by helming TSOTSI to Best Foreign Film, however his skills as a storyteller were sadly underutilized here. The story leans back on cliche about three times too many, and doesn't seem to end so much as it just runs out of road. What's worse, is that many of the special effects moments look like heavy effects moments. Seldom did I believe that I was watching actors on a set - far too often, I was jarred by the sight of actors in front of green screens. It begs the question - why would a studio bring in an indie director, when all they're after is really a Michael Bay-esque ringmaster?

Where this really puts the film at a disadvantage is the fact that the most successful comic book films of recent years have been the ones that tell the best stories. WOLVERINE seems less interested in telling the story of this man's evolution than it is in showing us him get into fight after fight.

Examining the plot of WOLVERINE, I wonder if it might not be better served as two films: one beginning in his childhood ending with his desirtion of Team X, and a second that begins with his return to Northern Canada and concludes with his memory being wiped. This movie gave audiences a clear picture of the origin of Wolverine as a metal-skeleton'd weapon; stretching the plot into two films might have given the origin of Wolverine as a man.