Preview: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Considering Wolverine's the definition of a badass, the first minute of the trailer is shockingly tame. I expected an explodo-fest from the second the trailer began, but instead we get pensive reminiscence with a low-key voice over and an instrumental background behind scenes of war and a traumatic childhood.

"Finally, an action movie with some character behind it?"

A string of new characters are introduced. Fans of the comics are getting their first quick glimpses at the members of Team X: The Blob, Deadpool, Kestrel, Agent Zero and Silver Fox (Obviously "Mastodon" didn't rate enough to make it into the movie). Regular viewers are seeing a fat guy, Ryan Reynolds, Will.i.am, an Asian guy and a woman.

The trailer is trying oh-so-hard to elevate this movie from just another summer flick, but gives into its true DNA halfway through, letting rip with the action scenes. However, instead of switching to a hard rock track that would usually accompany action like this, the preview ups the instrumental ante into a choral chant. That's always artistic, right? A chorus singing as death and carnage rains down screams Oscar material, I'm telling you!

It isn't until 1:30 into the trailer that long-suffering fans finally get to see what they've been waiting for since the first movie: Gambit. It's an excellent teaser moment that gives hope that being denied this character for three movies was actually worth the wait (and being saved the potential panic that he might have been unceremoniously offed in the third X-men movie). All of the Gambit scenes look fantastic, but they're followed by some awkward-looking fighting between Wolverine and Sabertooth. The uneven quality makes me a bit nervous, but quick cuts to more glimpses of other mutants quickly snatch at my attention: The Blob in action, what looks like Storm as a child and Emma Frost.

The trailer winds down with an incredible leap onto a helicopter (upping the ante after Die Hard 4's killing of a helicopter with a car). They should have ended that clip there instead of continuing to a cheesy-looking helicopter hang, but the trailer manages to end on a humorous note, bringing out the badass Wolverine everyone knows and loves as he tells Sabretooth exactly how he's going to kill him.

Nice.

Of course, no matter what else I say about how uneven the action filming looks, many of the fans burned by the third X-men movie will still go see this simply because Wolverine is one of the most popular X-men characters ever, and Hugh Jackman has always done right by the character. I have to admit, I'll probably be in line too.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine releases May 1st, 2009.
Visit the official website for the trailer and more clips.