Stars: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Daniel Henney
Running time: 111 mins
Rating: ★★★★

WITH this X-Men spin-off, to be followed by the rebooted Star Trek, the summer blockbuster season not only opens earlier than ever but delivers a pair of superior pictures in which characters make as big an impression as the stunts and special effects.

Watch the trailer for X-Men Origins Wolverine

More of the invigorated Captain Kirk, Spock and the SS Enterprise next week. Wolverine is plenty to be going on with as Hugh Jackman, fresh from the underrated epic Australia, sprouts lambchop sideburns and metal claws from his knuckles as the chap suffering from berserker rage (which means he makes the Incredible Hulk look like a pussycat).

Jackman, beefed up to bodybuilder standards, strides manfully through a story that reveals Wolverine’s origins as Lucas and his troubled relationship with Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), who turns out in a soap-like twist to be his brother.

William Stryker (Danny Huston, oozing slimey nastiness) is in charge of Team X to which he recruits a Lucas, angry over the death of the love of his lumberjacker’s life, Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Lucas is transformed through the most painful operation imaginable into the virtually indestructible Wolverine. Director Gavin Hood proves an inspired choice to helm the movie and elevate it above the usual wham, bam, thank you mam adventure.

The balance between humour and action is just right, while Jackman ensures that Wolverine has a heart as well as a temper. Schreiber is the big surprise as Sabretooth, whose bite is worse than his bark.

He’s more than a match physically for Wolverine as we see in a couple of brutal encounters.