Of Wolverines and Men

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Brett Ratner’s “X-Men: The Last Stand” might not satisfy every X-Men loyalist, but the makers of the mutant trilogy have learned one thing – Wolverine puts people in movie theater seats.

Unlike other superheroes, swathed in spandex and often relying on their tool belts to fight crime, Wolverine needs no gadgets to get what he wants. Also, women find him incredibly sexy (Though my sample size here may be one, I’d be willing to bet).

His presence is confusing. Wolverine is a low level mutant with big claws in a film with mutants that can move mountains and change the weather with their minds. But to those who are confused, there is only one response: Who cares?

Wolverine gets first billing in the X-Men franchise not because his retractable claws are sweet and he can heal himself (hot). But for the simple fact that he is much cooler than anyone else in those movies.

Beyond that, he’s much cooler than most any presence on film these days.Hugh Jackman may be a highly skilled actor, but it’s a bit difficult to understand why anyone casts him in their projects without contracting the full Wolverine getup. Surely “Van Helsing,” “The Boy From Oz,” and “Kate and Leopold” would have benefited from those trusty sideburns and claws.

Furthermore, any number of films released this year could only have been helped at the box office by the furry mutant’s presence.

Wolverine is the ultimate outsider. He never quite fits in, but he always makes sense on screen. And the following examples should only prove this point.


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