Review: The Wolverine

Plot: Set shortly after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan (Hugh Jackman) has become a homeless drifter in Canada, picking up odd jobs where he can and trying to escape his past. Haunted by nightmares of lost love Jean Grey, the woman he was forced to kill in order to save his fellow mutants, Logan has become weary of life and seemingly has nothing to live for. When mysterious Japanese woman named Yukio (Rila Fukushima) invites Logan to say goodbye to the dying Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), a man Logan saved in Nagasaki who has since become a corporate billionaire. Logan gets more than he bargained for however as Yashida informs him he can make Logan mortal.  But before long Logan is caught in a web of intrigue involving Yashida's granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamota) and the Japanese Yakuza. With his healing powers fading and mysterious mutant Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) tracking his every move, Logan must protect Mariko, regain his powers, and discover the mystery surrounding Yashida's life and family.

Review:

After the abysmal failure that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine I was surprised to find Marvel planned to make a sequel. Even though the film made money, it was a complete disappointment for fans of the adamantium clawed mutant and for moviegoers in general. I've never been a huge comicbook person although I did have a subscription to X-Men when I was a kid. But regardless of whether you are obsessed with the X-Men or just a fan of comicbook films, Origins failed across the board--acting, editing, action, CGI, story; you name it the film was a disaster on every...single...level. Someone should have just put a adamantium claw right through the heart of this movie and put it out of it's misery.

Having said all this you can probably understand my trepidation going into this film. Even with a strong director in James Mangold, a screenplay based loosely on a popular Wolverine story arc from the early 80s, and the good buzz, I had my doubts.

I never should have worried for one second.

The Wolverine isn't just good, it's great. In fact it's freakin' awesome is what it is. The only way I can describe The Wolverine as a whole is that it is the complete antithesis of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Evey thing that Origins failed at The Wolverine succeeds and then some.

The single most important thing that director James Mangold does that makes this movie succeed is focusing on the character of Logan/Wolverine. Where Origins preferred spectacle over substance, in The Wolverine the audience receives the first real in depth look at a beloved character. This man (or should I say mutant) is a lost and lonely character living with guilt and regret. Losing a loved one and living with the guilt that you caused their death is something many of us can relate to. Where before Logan was always a larger than life action badass (and he still is, no worries there) Mark Bomback, Scott Frank, and Christopher McQuarrie's script humanizes Wolverine and makes him relatable. Imagine that, humanizing a mutant? What a novel concept. Hugh Jackman excels at a role that I think always came natural to him but in The Wolverine he really comes into his own. Maybe because in this incarnation his character actually has some depth!

Additionally The Wolverine tones down on the CGI and action considerably. There aren't explosions every six seconds like in Origins and his claws don't look like something bought at The Dollar Store, scanned, and then put on the big screen. That's not to say there is no action in the film. Far from it. The fight scene on the bullet train in Japan is phenomenal and the final thirty minutes involving the Silver Samurai and about four dozen ninjas is EPIC. And I have to tip my hat to the fight choreographer. The fight scenes are so smooth and enthralling they play like a ballet on the screen. Slightly choppy editing does detract a little from the grandeur of the scenes, but not much.

Speaking of grandeur I can't stress enough how vibrant Japan comes across in this film. Whether it is the majestic urban settings or the quiet traditional houses next to a river near Nagasaki, the majesty is tangible. It sets a tone that a sound stage in Los Angeles just wouldn't have been able to accomplish.

What was also a pleasant surprise was Jackman's supporting cast. With Origins the audience received a bland Lynn Collins as Logan's love interest, a so-so Liev Schriber (Sabertooth) and a one trick Ryan Reynolds(Deadpool).  The Wolverine is flush with acting talent.  Okamota shines as Logan's love interest and her ersatz prescient sister Rila Fukushima as Yukio equally impresses. You should see how she handles a sword in this film. (That's not intended to be dirty. Or is it?) Additionally,  Yamanouchi perfectly embodies the role of the dying billionaire Yashida and Hiroyuki Sanada excels as his devious son Shingen. While Khodchenkova  mostly succeeds as the mutant Viper, at times her villainy seems a little forced.

Even after a week, I still find myself reflecting on various scenes in The Wolverine. They keep clawing (pun intended) through my brain at odd times. Aside from Star Trek Into Darkness it's only the second film I've seen this summer that I want to see a second time in the theater. Next to X2: X-Men United and X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine succeeds as the best Marvel film in the X-Men movies and a welcome edition overall to the Marvel universe.

My rating: 9/10