It is quite a change to have the camera fixated on Jackman in various stages of undress while the women are demurely dressed. Like the name reveals, the movie tells the story of the origins of the X-Men’s most fascinating character — the clawed and conflicted Wolverine.

We go back in time to the 19th Century where we see James Logan and his elder brother Victor on the run after their father is killed. Then is a quick history lesson as the indestructible mutant brothers fight many wars in the many countries. They fight the War of Independence, the Second World War, Vietnam and random others till James is sick and tired of the killing.

He decides to give it up and settle down to be a lumberjack with his sweet school teacher girlfriend. However, our hero is not let to live in peace and soon enough the shadowy General Stryker drops by to tell him somebody is hunting down members of their company. When the girlfriend is killed, Logan is hell bent on revenge and signs up to have his skeleton fortified by adamantine to make him even more indestructible and thus is born Wolverine.

The film is in one word, eye-popping. Hugh Jackman gives it his all, grimacing, roaring and flashing his brawny biceps and more as Wolverine. Liev Schreiber is suitably feral as Victor (comic book fans will know him as Sabretooth) while Danny Huston makes for an unctuous Stryker. While the star cast is suitably heavy-duty, it is the stunts and CGI work that truly take one’s breath away.

From the extraordinary swordplay to climatic battle atop a reactor, each set piece is a paean to technical wizardry. Wolverine does not offer any adult superhero psychobabble, but as long as it offers us the dishy Mr. Jackman who are we to complain?

MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

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