Wolverine Week: Hugh Jackman – Recommended Viewing

With Hugh Jackman’s latest installment in the X-Men series coming out this week, fans who just can’t get enough of Wolverine will need to seek out another avenue to get their Jackman fix. Although he hasn’t had a long career in movies, Hugh does have some gems. Here’s a few movies that I’m watching to get me excited to see Jackman in Wolverine.

Swordfish (2001) – I’d never seen this movie before last week, but I thought it was pretty cool. I’m not a particular fan of John Travolta, especially him as a bad guy, but Hugh did a good job as the reluctant hacker forced to work for the bad guys.

Kate & Leopold (2001) – I know this is a chick flick, but it’s a decent romantic comedy. Meg Ryan plays the typical woman looking for the perfect man, and then this dashing Englishman gets transported to our time and the wooing begins. Interesting face: Hugh joins Liev Schreiber in this, who will later play Victor Creed/Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Van Helsing (2004) – I won’t lie, Van Helsing is not a very good movie. But I would definitely have it on my guilty pleasure list. Jackman plays Abram Van Helsing, the monster killer from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He is on a mission to destroy evil creatures and comes across the Count as well as the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s Monster. It’s a pretty pointless plot and has over the top action, but sometimes that’s what we like to see in a movie.

The Prestige (2006) – My favorite Hugh Jackman role, aside from Wolverine, Hugh competes with Christian Bale as two magicians get stuck in a rivalry with deadly consequences. With a twisting narrative and Christopher Nolan’s brilliant storytelling that culminates in a shocking ending, I find myself watching this whenever it’s on TV. Good thing Hugh never went around checking out the lights when Bale was filming a scene.

I am a big fan of Hugh Jackman but found myself disappointed by two of his latest movies, Deception and Australia. I have high hopes for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so we’ll see if he brings his top game. Are any other Hugh Jackman fans excited for Wolverine?