A lot of people are expecting "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" to be 2009's "The Dark Knight." It's pre-sales are high, it holds an instant coolness factor in the form of a hard-as-nails superhero on a dark mission and, despite a disastrous leak to the Web before the movie was even completed, has built enough hype to carry it forward.

Sadly, it will never be in the same league as "The Dark Knight." Instead, "Wolverine" is a directionless cannonball that spends the vast majority of its time seeking approval from the rest of the X-Men franchise instead of concentrating on the character in its spotlight. Who needs the rejects from the X-Men trilogy when you have a protagonist that is so immensely complex and filled with backstory - not to mention the claws and attitude - that he could singlehandedly carry the picture from start to finish?

As a film titled "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," you would expect more time to be devoted to charting the life of this unforgettable hero and how he came to find himself in a cage fight in Northern Alberta with no memory of who he is. Instead, the only origin story told is of how Logan got such a cool jacket mixed with more of the same Alkali Lake scenes from "X2" and an overview of his life before X-Men.

Opening with a powerful sequence showing the brothers' first steps into adulthood as they go to war, the movie firmly establishes the relationship between the soon-to-be Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and his half-brother Victor (Liev Schreiber) as a rocky one. Lacking Logan's insight into the meaning of such an immortal life, Victor takes pleasure in his mindless rampage from decade to decade, reveling in the despair of others. Before the opening credits even have a chance to end, the pair find themselves up against a firing squad and are offered a clean break by none other than Gen. William Stryker (Danny Huston).

From there on in the plot is ice-thin and slightly convoluted, relying heavily on sending Logan after all the mutants that are all introduced in the first 20 minutes of the film. Namely Sabertooth, The Blob (Kevin Durand), Wraith (Will I.Am), Agent Zero (Daniel Henney) and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). The powers of this so-called "elite" group are quickly revealed in a mission conceived purely for the purpose of demonstrating their abilities, which also clamors for some kind of larger significance that eventually comes in the form of the discovery of adamantium.

Huston is just one more casualty to the script, and as a result, turns out to be a pale imitation of the Gen. Stryker that was so vividly brought to life by Brian Cox. Although he succeeds in showing the same malevolent spark mixed with patriotic ambition that eventually brings Stryker to his "X2" end, the character remains devoid of the complexities that made him so revered in comic book legend.

It is only the talents of Jackman, Schreiber and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit that keep "Wolverine" from retreading the same ground of its preceding trilogy. The relationship between the feral brothers is rocky, and untamed, allowing a glimmer into the real James Logan and what really motivates him to go head-to-head with Stryker. In much the same way, Gambit manages to remain neutral in the whole adventure but comes packed with enough kinetic coolness that demands more screen time than Kitsch was allowed.

What Worked

"Wolverine" makes use of epic coolness to try and cover the cracks in the plot: Logan bursting from the tank following his adamantium-fueled operation, Gambit's twirling of the cards at the poker table, and the animalistic pounces made by Sabertooth are among the highlights.

Each of these moments effortlessly gives the briefer-than-expected action sequences a jolt and keeps the film moving. They may not be perfect, but all of the action sequences are good -- particularly the helicopter chase and the events that lead up to it.

The death of an elderly couple comes out of nowhere and through their honest and compassionate natures, their fate spurs on a deep burning desire to see Wolverine catch up with Zero and exact justice. Zero's fate is both satisfying and creates one of the coolest scenes in the movie: Logan casually walking away from an explosion in super slow-mo.

This moment also establishes how tensionless this movie could be - our hero is made of indestructible metal, can heal from any wound and has claws big enough to take down a helicopter in a single bound ... with nothing on earth than can harm him, why worry? Then, enter the adamantium gun packed with bullets that can kill our hero. It's not pretty, but it gives Stryker an edge almost as sharp as Wolverine's claws.

Among the stunts, chases and takedowns, there is a tenderness to "Wolverine" between Logan and Kayla (while it lasts) that offers a more intimate and affectionate side to the claw-wielding soldier. Its potency is diluted somewhat through her fate, and throwaway explanations on the hows and whys, but does send the wolf man howling at the moon and on a mission to kill Victor.

Also, in another uncharacteristic foray out of the comedy genre, Ryan Reynolds offers a very charismatic beginning to Deadpool and dishes out the same witty zingers that Wolverine originally offered in X-Men. Before he has the opportunity to outshine our protagonist though, Deadpool (along with the rest of the team) is removed from the equation completely allowing for the spotlight to shine totally on Jackman.

The final fight is forgettable, but as the mutant children scramble for freedom with a nuclear reactor coming down around them, there is a small pleasure - a distant whisper of "turn left." It is a whisper than can be heard only by a teenage Scott Summers (otherwise known as Cyclops) and leads the group to a nearby helicopter waiting to take them to safety. As they step out of the tunnel and into the clearing, a familiar - yet somehow younger - character steps out to greet them, in a cameo that comes as a sheer delight. Forget the rest of the hollow hints to the future, this is a moment fans can genuinely revel in.

What Didn't Work

Its fragile story may be the most pressing of "Wolverine's" problems, but it is certainly not its only one.

The big twist at the end comes as a bitter disappointment and smacks of desperation as the tongue-slinging, sword-twirling Deadpool is re-built in a very Sylar way with the combination of several powers. His multi-powered status as a tangible villain in the effects-filled final fight sidesteps the confrontation that the majority of the movie was building towards: Wolverine vs. Sabertooth.

And although "Wolverine" is intended to revolve singularly around Logan, it introduces a series of characters that are ultimately underused. The most notable are Deadpool and Gambit, both of whom could have had a larger part to play in the shaping of Wolverine. Deadpool's dialogue is slightly reminiscent of the kind of one-liners reserved for Logan in the X-Men trilogy (but are sadly absent in this moody origins tale) and Reynolds delivers them with the charm the movie lacked.

And Gambit, the mutant who was forgotten in the X-Men trilogy, was relegated to something of an afterthought despite being a fan favorite in the comics.

Lets hope the "Magneto" origins can do better.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Lynn Collins and Danny Huston and was written by David Benioff and Skip Woods. The movie was directed by Gavin Hood.