X-Men Origins-Wolverine parents guide

X-Men Origins-Wolverine Parent Guide

While fans will likely enjoy this tale of the conflicted Wolverine, the revengeful plot and frequent violence may give parents concern about letting their kids see this slicer/dicer in action.

Overall C

If you have ever wondered how Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) came to be the angst-riddled, blade-wielding character portrayed in the X-men franchise -- then puzzle no more. This movie reveals his lupus origins, the reasons for his feud with Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) and how the government turned him into a living weapon.

Release date May 1, 2009

Violence D+
Sexual Content B-
Profanity C
Substance Use C+

Why is X-Men Origins-Wolverine rated PG-13? The MPAA rated X-Men Origins-Wolverine PG-13 PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity.

Run Time: 107 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

“Tell me about your childhood…”

I’d love to see a scene with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) reclining on his psychiatrist’s couch and detailing what led up to his present state as a hybrid human/food processor. Unfortunately, there’s little in the way of deep contemplative thinking in this prequel X-Men movie, which looks at the how young Jimmy Logan turned into the immortal bladed-knuckle fighter he is today.

Logan and his brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) begin life in the Canadian wilderness where a domestic dispute reveals their unusual powers (his brother will later become Sabertooth, with impressive cat-like abilities). Soon they begin fighting together as soldiers in various wars. Through a series of events, General Stryker (Danny Huston) from the US military discovers these two Canucks have some unusual survival skills—not the least of which is living through a firing squad execution.

Seeing these mutants as the perfect weapon, Stryker enlists their help on a special assignment, but when they are faced with killing innocent Africans, Logan decides he’s had enough. Heading back to Canada, he settles down in the Rocky Mountains with the beautiful Kayla (Lynn Collins). Six years later Stryker finds him and tries to convince Logan to take part in an experimental project. Although the bladed one initially refuses, he changes his mind after his brother also reappears and murders his girlfriend. Suddenly, Stryker’s offer to infuse Logan’s almost-indestructible body with a secret substance and turn him into the ultimate killing machine seems like a good way to get revenge. Setting off to settle their dispute, the newly christened Wolverine is about to discover the situation is much larger than a sibling quarrel.

Parents familiar with previous X-Men movies can expect a somewhat greater degree of violence than last outings. Wolverine and Sabertooth’s claws seem to be perpetually puncturing abdomens (with sound effects) making the impalings more “human” and possibly more disturbing. Almost every scene depicts some sort of mayhem, and many of the on-screen shootings include unsuspecting bystanders. The depiction of these victims as innocent and kind-hearted may make their deaths even more distressing for younger viewers. A smattering of mild and moderate profanities is also heard, along with scatological terms and religious expletives. And, while the near-naked Mystique character from past films does not make an appearance in this X-Men adventure, a nude Jackman is seen (obscurely) from the side and rear.

Now that the X-Men Trilogy is safely tucked away on DVD and Blu-ray, Fox appears to be mining new stories from their old material by going back into the childhood origins of these Marvel Comic creations. (Internet buzz has Magneto as being the next biographical focus). While fans will likely enjoy this tale of the conflicted Wolverine, the revengeful plot and frequent violent portrayals may give parents reason for concern about letting their kids see this slicer/dicer in action.

Starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Gavin Hood. Running time: 107 minutes. Theatrical release May 1, 2009. Updated

X-Men Origins-Wolverine
Rating & Content Info

Why is X-Men Origins-Wolverine rated PG-13? X-Men Origins-Wolverine is rated PG-13 by the MPAA PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity.

Revealing Wolverine’s past provides an opportunity to uncover a lifetime of violent confrontations, from domestic disputes, to war violence, firing squads and duels between mutant characters. Death is delivered in just about every conceivable way, including bullets, explosions, swords, impaling, slashing and strangulation. These on screen depictions sometimes include blood. Battles between nearly immortal characters are detailed and extended, and feature bodies being tossed around, smashed and crushed, or thrown through walls and windows. Plenty of property is damaged, and innocent bystanders are killed. The military orders the death of civilians, along with other illegal or unethical activities. Frequent death threats are uttered. A character is decapitated (the severed head is seen, but no blood is shown). Surgical procedures are portrayed, such as exposed eyeballs, a stitched up mouth and injections with needles (some of these portrayals are gruesome). Torture is mentioned. A naked man is seen from the rear and side (details are obscure), and a male character’s bare chest is often shown. It is implied an unmarried couple have a sexual relationship (the woman is seen wrapped only in a blanket, and latter in scanty pajamas). A man forcibly carries off a woman. Some mild and moderate profanities are used, as well as terms of Christian deity. A main character chews on a cigar, and alcohol is occasionally consumed.

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X-Men Origins-Wolverine Parents' Guide

Throughout the movie, Wolverine wrestles with his personal ethics over the use of his mutant strength. How does the sanction of military authority affect his choices? What happens when he desires revenge?

A caring character in the movie tells Wolverine that he can choose the way he reacts. Do you think this is true? Is he in control of his feelings, or are they just a product of his animal instincts?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of X-Men Origins-Wolverine movie is September 15, 2009. Here are some details…

Release Date: 15 September 2009

X-men Origins: Wolverine on Blu-ray Disc is presented in widescreen, with audio tracks 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (English) and 5.1 DTS (French and Spanish). Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. Bonus extras include:

- Commentary by Director Gavin Hood

- Commentary by Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter

- The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with X-Men creators Stan Lee and Len Wein

- - Featurettes: Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins, Wolverine Weapon X Mutant Files, The Thrill of the Chase: The Helicopter Chase Sequence and X Connect and On Set With Gavin Hood

- X-Facts: Trivia Track

- Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Gavin Hood

- Alternate Memory Erase Sequence

- Alternate Tag Scene: Japan

- Fox Movie Channel Presents: World Premiere

- IMDB BD-Live technology

- Digital Copy of the movie

X-men Origins: Wolverine Two-Disc Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen, with audio tracks in 5.1 Dolby Surround (English) and Dolby Surround (French and Spanish). Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. Additional material includes:

- Commentary by Director Gavin Hood

- Commentary by Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter

- The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with X-Men creators Stan Lee and Len Wein

- Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins” featurette

- Deleted and Alternate Scenes

- Alternate Tag Scene: Japan

- Anti-Smoking PSA: Bubbles

- Digital Copy of the movie

X-men Origins: Wolverine Single-Disc DVD is presented in widescreen, with audio tracks in 5.1 Dolby Surround (English) and Dolby Surround (French and Spanish). Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. Special features include:

- Featurette: Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins

- Anti-Smoking PSA: Bubbles

Related home video titles:

This movie is a prequel to the popular X-Men franchise. The proceeding three movies are: X-Men, X2: X-Men United and X3: The Last Stand. Fans can also look for the recent Blu-ray release of these films in a package titled: X-Men Trilogy.