Hollywood certainly hasn‘t been short on comic book superhero films recently, but with the hype that has accompanied "X–Men Origins: Wolverine", could Hugh Jackman‘s claw–wielding mutant action flick prove itself to be a memorable outing for a genre close to saturation point?

The tale of how the sickly young boy, James Logan, becomes the angry, hairy fella begins promisingly enough. Along with his menacing brute of a brother, Victor Creed (admirably played by Liev Schreiber), Logan is plucked by the morally ambiguous Col. Stryker (Danny Huston) to join a team of mutants on a secret mission that involves killing innocents.

Logan, unable to withstand the dishonourable nature of their task, quits the mission to enjoy the quiet life. Yet, after the murders of several of his old team by the now near–maniacal Creed, things turn personal when Logan finds his girlfriend, Kayla (Lynn Collins), has become his brother‘s latest victim. As Logan undergoes the transformation into Wolverine to avenge his lover‘s death he uncovers a web of deceit that he could never have suspected.

With more ambitious action scenes than you could shake a stick of dynamite at, there‘s plenty in "Wolverine" for it to be an enjoyable Saturday night popcorn movie. Jackman, Schreiber and Huston all deliver strong performances, while special mention must go to Ryan Reynolds for his humorous, but all too brief, turn as Wade Wilson (later to become Deadpool).

However, these highlights cannot fully disguise a weak script and a lack of time and care given to develop characters. Logan and Creed‘s relationship should have made for a fascinating look at the inner turmoil that drives these brothers to want to kill each other, but is not given enough time to be properly explored. Also, the romance between Logan and Kayla appears too contrived for the audience to empathise with Logan‘s desire for revenge.

Director Gavin Hood‘s fun but forgettable venture is not the proudest moment in comic book big screen adaptations, but provides just enough for fans of the "X–Men" series to sink their claws into.