The Wolverine

Cast of Characters:

Logan/Wolverine - Hugh Jackman
Ichiro Yashida - Haruhiko Yamanouchi

Mariko Yashida - Tao Okamoto
Yukio - Rila Fukushima
Shingen Yashida - Hiroyuki Sanada
Jean Grey - Famke Janssen
Viper - Svetlana Khodchenkova

Director - James Mangold
Screenplay - Christopher McQuarrie, Mark Bomback & Scott Frank
Based on the series Wolverine by Chris Claremont & Frank Miller
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language


      Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman dons the claws and sports the mutton chops once again for the role that made him into the A-lister he is now in The Wolverine. If you've seen X-Men Origins: Wolverine you know you can only go up from rock bottom, but does this film manage to do so?

     Following the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan aka "Wolverine" (Hugh Jackman) seems to have given up on fighting for the X-Men. He has moved to an isolated forest outside a Yukon town, and continues to have nightmares concerning what he once had to do with his old love Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). While in town he is met by a Japanese woman by the name of Yukio (Rila Fukushima) who tells Logan that the man she works for, Ichiro Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), is close to death but wants to thank and repay him for what he did years ago. At the beginning of the film, we see that way back during World War II, while a prisoner of the Japanese in Nagasaki, Logan saved Yashida's life when the second atomic bomb attack occurred. Logan at first is stubborn and has no interest in going with Yukio to Japan, but eventually gives in.

      Once in Japan, Logan meets the dying man he once saved who is now the powerful leader of a technological corporation. Yashida offers him a gift no once could ever give him before: a chance to become mortal. Is giving up such a bitchin' immune system such a good idea though? At first, Logan feels this is impossible and as he says, "What they did to me can't be undone.", but after an encounter with Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), he begins to experience some changes. Following Yashida's funeral, Logan - granting a dying wish from Yashida - looks after Mariko Yashida (Tao Okamoto), Yashida's granddaughter, who may or may not have corrupt forces coming after her.

      When I first heard about his film I kinda groaned and snickered a bit. Then I remembered how much fun X-Men: First Class was and thought, okay, maybe there's hope. When I heard it was being directed by James Mangold, then I was sold. There are a few gripes that I have. For starters, I wish the key villain Viper was a little more well developed than she was here.  It's not a bad performance from Khodchenkova by any means. I just would've liked to have seen the character a bit more fleshed out. Also, the final fight sequence, although very entertaining, falls into the typical action climax territory... but this is still miles and away a huge improvement over X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The key factor here I believe is director James Mangold. Mangold is such an underrated director and while not all his films were good (Knight and Day), he did direct the beautiful biopic Walk the Line as well as the both criminally underrated Cop Land and Identity. The vision he brings here really strikes the right balance between intense action and dark character study that we really haven't seen focused on an X-Men character before. One of the big failures of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was its constant churning out character cameo after cameo as if hinting, "Hey, one of these may be the next origin story!" That really stunted the development of any character in the film. Learning from its mistakes from the past, the story here is more self-contained and doesn't fall prey to character overkill. Plus, the relationship that gradually develops between Logan and Mariko is rather strong.

      Fans of the comic series will certainly love the various imagery Mangold pulls from the story. That being said, even if you're not a fan of the comics this film will still provide you with an entertaining time while never going over your head or leaving you confused. While not as good as X2: X-Men United or X-Men: First Class, this is a big step up from X-Men Origins: Wolverine and just as good as the first X-Men. The performances are strong. Mangold's direction is just right for this film. The story is one of the better, if not the best, representations of Wolverine out of the entire series, and the cinematography, capturing the Japanese landscape, is quite beautiful. Also, not giving anything away, stay for the end credits. About halfway through, there's a final scene that I, as well as everyone else with me in the theater, got a big kick out of. I give The Wolverine a B+ (★★★½). 

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