- 8
Capable of carrying even the most mediocre effort, he [Jackman] singlehandedly makes X-Men Origins: Wolverine an excellent start to the summer 2009 season.
—Bill Gibron Reel
- 8
Capable of carrying even the most mediocre effort, he [Jackman] singlehandedly makes X-Men Origins: Wolverine an excellent start to the summer 2009 season.
—Bill Gibron filmcritic.com
- 7
...accomplishes its mission with élan -- if a tad less stylishly or humorously than last year's heavy metal kickoff, Iron Man.
—Lou Lumenick New York Post
- 7
Despite a couple of "Nooooo" yowls, Wolverine is well-acted, with spectacular action and witty one-liners. The special effects are top-notch.
—Claudia Puig USA Today
- 7
...demonstrates that you can segue effortlessly from a tuxedoed song-and-dance man at the Oscars to a feral gent with adamantium claws and "berserker rage."
—Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor
- 7
It's a solid, efficient comic book movie that is content to provide comic book satisfactions of the action and violence variety. If it doesn't rise to the heights of Christopher Nolan's Batman films, it doesn't stray into Daredevil territory either.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 6
...if your expectations run no higher than those for a Blade sequel, you should walk out happy.
—Jordan Burchette Premiere
- 6
...a sharp-clawed, dull-witted actioner that falls short of the two Bryan Singer-directed pics in the franchise but still overpowers 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.
—Justin Chang Variety
- 6
The effect-laden showdowns feel more dutiful than daring, and the rare moments of fun are parceled out frugally, like precious nuggets of adamantium.
—Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly
- 5
...a transparent attempt to squeeze a faltering franchise for its last drop of box-office juice.
—Peter Travers Rolling Stone
- 5
This fourth X-Men picture ties for weakest X-Men picture with No. 3.
—Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune
- 5
Such films are assemblies of events. There is little dialogue, except for the snarling of threats, vows and laments, and the recitation of essential plot points. Nothing here about human nature. No personalities beyond those hauled in via typecasting. No lessons to learn. No joy to be experienced. Just mayhem, noise and pretty pictures. I have been powerfully impressed by film versions of Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Iron Man and the Iron Giant. I wouldn't even walk across the street to meet Wolverine.
—Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times
- 5
...you've seen it all before.
—John Devore Maxim
- 5
The cast gives it their all, but they're wasted in what is essentially an infomercial for potential future spinoffs.
—Luke Y. Thompson E!
- 4
A keen disappointment...
—Kirk Honeycutt Hollywood Reporter
- 4
...[has a] lack of imagination...
—Nick Schager Slant Magazine
- 3
...2003's expeditious X2 more or less covered the same ground in a matter of seconds, as opposed to 107 minutes that feel like almost as many hours. A suggestion? Wait for the bootleg.
—Robert Wilonsky Village Voice
- 3
A couple of halfway decent action scenes do little to distract from the story's mounting ludicrousness--two words: adamantium bullets--or a conclusion that?s only a little more satisfying than a projector breakdown. Maybe.
—Keith Phipps Onion AV Club
- 3
...almost programmatically unmemorable, a hodge-podge of loose ends, wild inconsistencies and stale genre conventions.
—A. O. Scott New York Times