[REVIEW] Hulk vs. Wolverine

Fans got a sneak preview of the full Marvel/Lionsgate animated movie, Hulk vs. Wolverine tonight, and it is several cuts above some of the other Marvel animated films that have been released by Marvel as of late. It takes fans back to that very moment when Wolverine and Hulk tangled all those years ago, as well as brings back some old, familiar faces back into the mix.
The movie would have excelled and pleased fans if it were only a Hulk vs. Wolverine story – a full hour and a half of the two Marvel icons duking it out with each other until there was only one left standing. However, Marvel and Lionsgate decided to provide even more opportunity for the fans to get excited with the inclusion of the Weapon X project and delving into Wolverine’s past. In fact, what made this animated movie shine so well was the inclusion of Marvel’s Merc-With-A-Mouth, Deadpool. Every single line of dialogue that Wade Wilson had was perfectly delivered to uproarious laughter from the audience. Marvel and Lionsgate: Give Deadpool his own movie!
The biggest draw of Hulk vs. Wolverine was its ability to tell a story with minimal dialogue. There was much less speaking and a whole lot more action than in some previous Marvel animated films, which spoke very highly of the animation department’s ability to tell a fully realized story without exposition every other sentence. However, Craig Kyle was not joking when he said that this movie was for the fans, and not intended for children. There is a lot of blood, a lot of corpses, decapitation, hacking of limbs, and straight up stabbing through the chest. This movie is chock-full of violence that is sure to please fans who believe that Marvel’s animated movies have become too kid-friendly.
The animation style is very reminiscent of the Marvel children’s show, X-Men Evolution, but again, don’t let that fool you. This is most definitely not for children. The mature story that Christopher Yost tells is an excellent step in the right direction for Marvel to appeal to its die-hard fans. As long as the quality of writing, animation, and storytelling is of this level, Marvel’s animated features are in for a bright future.