(Not) A Movie Review of X-Men: Why We Love Wolverine (Even Though He's Kind of a Jerk)


Previously, I wrote a post about some of the reasons why the X-men story works. In this post I want to focus on the character of Wolverine and why many X-men fans will choose him as their favourite.  

Using example scenarios from the movies X-men, X-Men 2, and X-men 3, here are some of Wolverine's faults... and why we find ourselves so forgiving of them:



Jerk Symptom 1
He looks out for number one.



In all three movies, we hear other characters repeatedly complain about his tendency to ditch everyone at a moments notice. He often makes it clear that he feels he doesn't owe anyone a thing (lack of memory might add to this attitude), and is happy focusing on solving his own problems.

But That's 'OK' Because:
When push comes to shove, he will join, and even lead the team. Sure it may take circumstances to force him into leadership and teamwork... but he wouldn't, say, leave a bunch of school kids to fend for themselves outside when their school has been invaded by snipers. Granted, he did need a little reminder of this in X-men 2... during the scene where he has to choose between pursuing his past and protecting the (almost) defenceless. There was definite hesitation there, but he made the right choice in the end.




Jerk Symptom 2
He blatantly flirts with Jean Grey - even though he's fully aware that she's spoken for.






From the beginning of the trilogy, Wolverine makes it clear that he is interested in Jean, hardly phased that she has a laser-eyed boyfriend.

But that's 'OK' Because:
He truly cares about Jean. He loves her to the point that he would risk his life to save her. This is a bit unfair to Cyclops, because he loves her too, and he is actually the epitome of a gentleman - conventionally the ideal mate for a female protagonist. So why do we take Wolvie's side? I think this is because the writers play on our love for drama. We don't want to watch a relationship with mutual love, respect and stability (Jean and Cyclops), we want to see what happens when the boat is rocked, when the forbidden enters the picture, and the tension builds between these alpha males. Who will she choose??? Questions like this keep us watching, and drives the story forward.




Jerk Symptom 3
He has a terrible temper.




It has even been famously named the "Wolverine berserker rage": laws out, no-holds-barred, roaring, unstoppable fury.

But That's 'OK' Because:
He directs his wrath on the villains. Look at it this way - Wolverine has beef with Cyclops and he could easily have destroyed him (that's my bet anyway, you're welcome to place yours*), but he recognises the difference between an in-house grudge and a world-changing battle. And so he chooses relatively carefully when the claws will come out... berserker rage style!




In conclusion, I think the main reason we're cheering for Wolverine (to the point that an entire spin-off film can be made), is that a lot of us are like Cyclops. We follow the pressure of behaviour norms, and try to do the right thing. It would be liberating if we could do whatever we wanted - looking out for number one, berserker rage and all, and just not care about the consequences. 

But, even Wolverine comes back to doing the right thing, which is why he stays on the right side of the line between hero and villain. 



--------------------------------

*Vote in the poll on the top right of the sidebar! Who would win in a fight between Wolverine and Cyclops?


Comments

  1. T. KamotoDecember 19, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    Never really thought about why I like Wolverine before, but your points are quite valid. It's the attitude that makes me a fan. Which of the 3 symptoms, place you in his corner EE?

    ReplyDelete
  2. EkariWritesDecember 21, 2011 at 7:29 AM

    I would say it's not just one aspect, but a combination of all of them. The fact that he is a complex character who doesn't fit a mould. His range is broad, he can go from boiling rage to sensitivity and still stay true to Wolverine.

    Of course the movies handle Wolverine in a certain way, the comics portray him differently, and the cartoons may have a slightly different twist on him as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. T. KamotoDecember 23, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Maybe that's why he's so popular- he has so many relatable or enviable characteristics across the various media.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 Updates You Must Make to Your CV Before Applying

Image
  We have all been there, left with mere hours until the deadline of a job vacancy you just found out about yesterday. Maybe you procrastinated too long like the overconfident hare from the Tortoise and the Hare, maybe you heard about it late.  Whatever the reason, it might be too late to do more than give your  résumé   a once over, however there are 3 updates (verified by human resources professionals) which you absolutely must do to give your application a better chance of being noticed. Or at the very least, you'll remove any major red flags which may reveal that you had to rush the application.  1. Check your grammar and spelling It may sound pretty obvious, but when in a hurry it is surprisingly easy to miss a repeated "the the" or mixing up "there" and "their". You may be the most qualified in your field, but a small grammar mistake or two on your CV may be enough for the HR department at your dream company to disregard the rest of your applicat
Read More...

John Chilembwe Play: A Polished Performance

Image
History is not everyone’s favourite subject, and certainly has been given a reputation through years of international media as being boring - a long droning list of dates and facts. If the reality truly reflects this, perhaps an alternative teaching method would be to turn history lessons into theatre performances. That is exactly what YDC Theatre did when they brought to life the story of Malawian historical figure John Chilembwe, in a play titled  Operation Mandala: 1915 . The play is written and directed by Fumbani Innot Phiri Jr ( Chimmy the Chambo Has 3 Wishes, YDC Theatre's Macbeth ), whose invisible touch is responsible for the cohesive strength of the production.  The first impression when watching the play is observing the level of teamwork and synchronicity amongst the cast. The timing of the dialogue was perfect, alternating between group chants and solo monologues in a seamless, harmonic manner. Though the main character of John Chilembwe was naturally k
Read More...

Eulogy for Havel Elijah Dambula

Image
I hate it when young people die. I hate it so much. It's like the feeling of your chest getting winded without warning. Having held your breath for some physical feat you are sure is going to pay off incredibly, only to falter without seeing it happen. Potential that is simply... lost. No real understanding why, no one to answer for the unfulfilled promise of a life which once was, and without warning, no longer is. That is bad enough. But when that lost person is a writer… it punches me right where my own worst fears lie. What if we have more stories than years of life to tell them? .... *** I met Havel Elijah Dambula when he submitted a story to a Story Ink Africa storytelling session. I chose his story for similar reasons I chose any other story to be read aloud in front of a live audience. It was written in clear concise language, it followed the guidelines, and it had some element of je na’i c’est quoi about it – something which made it stand out. Havel’s story was abo
Read More...