Directed by: James Mangold
Rating: ★★★½
After the appalling mess that was X-Men: First Class and the much derided prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which by the way, I happened to like), fans have been hoping for a darker, grittier film starring their favourite X-Man since X-2.
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| Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is back and as bad as ever... |
And have they delivered it? I would say yes. The Wolverine is a genre-bending superhero action drama that focuses a lot more on adding depth to our beloved hero then seeing him butchering people. The Wolverine really plays out a lot more like a romantic drama than an arse-kicking blockbuster, which viewers will either appreciate or revile.
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| Our heroine Mariko... |
I personally enjoyed it. Sure, it’s a slow burner and I would have preferred a lot more action, but it does have some climactic moments designed to dazzle and enthral, the most memorable being a fight scene on a bullet train which is visually stunning and incredibly exhilarating.
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| Run, Wolverine, run! |
Set after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan/Wolverine (Jackman) is struggling to come to terms with the death of Jean Grey (Janseen) and so accompanies Yukio (Fukushima) to Japan to meet Yashida (Yamanouchi) an elderly man who Logan saved during the Second World War. As soon as he arrives, he discovers a plot to murder Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko (Okamoto) and decides to protect her. They are then chased not only by gangsters and ninjas, but also by fellow mutants, all with their own hidden agendas as to what they want to do to both Mariko and the Wolverine…
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| Mariko and Wolverine go on the run... |
The Wolverine is a pacey drama/thriller that allows Hugh Jackman to show off both his well-honed acting skills and his well-toned body. The story is instantly interesting and involving, but we have to wait an awful long time for the reveal, and when we discover what is really going on, it’s a bit of a damp squib.
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| For some people (like my Hugh Jackman loving friend), his body is probably the real star of the show! |
But that doesn’t mean The Wolverine isn’t worth watching. James Mangold masterfully directs each scene so well that he is a victim of his own talent- the suspense built up to the climax is done to such a high standard that you’re desperate to know the truth behind the movie’s events, and feel like you deserve a huge spectacular action packed finale. Ultimately this doesn’t really happen. There is an action scene at the end, but because they are few and far between, it is a bit of a let-down.
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| Wolverine takes on a group of ninjas... |
On the plus side, the very strongest part of The Wolverine is the characterisation. Not only does Wolverine himself get to become a fully realised superhero, the supporting characters are also incredibly strong. Mariko, as love interests go, is quite a good one, and Dr Green (Khodchenkova) is an excellent villain, who is underused- I wanted to see her much more! The young Yashida (Yamamura) and Janssen give great performances, but the star of the show (after Hugh Jackman of course) is Fukushima as Yukio. Her role is both well developed and whimsically wonderful.
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| Fukushima as Yukio, an instantly memorable character |
One thing that really was noticeable about Wolverine’s adventures this time round were the potent moments of grisly gore. Although they weren’t shown in exacting or graphic detail, some of the wounds inflicted on our hero, by himself and by others, were pretty intense. The two that stand out the most (and were burnt into my subconscious forever) involved someone performing open heart surgery on themselves and a set of drills that are used to steal someone’s superpowers. Ouch. These elements added more ‘grittiness’ to the movie, but they are thrust upon the audience quite unexpectedly. I almost wish that they had just made the film a higher rating and showed the injuries in more disturbing detail, but it wouldn’t really have added much. I think we see as much as we want to for this type of movie.
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| Dr Green and Wolverine discovering that there is more about both of them then meets the eye... |
The Wolverine felt much more like a James Bond movie than any recent James Bondmovie, which as a James Bond fan, I really appreciated. The fact that it was set in Japan definitely helped, but the pace, tone and overall feel of the movie was definitely more Bond than Batman, although it probably was a mix of the two in terms of style and plot. Regardless of this, it was definitely better than Skyfall.
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| More Bond than Bond... and coming from me, that's a huge compliment! |
Even though the finale of The Wolverine is a bit of a let-down, as it isn’t the action packed adventure I was expecting- and willing- it to be, The Wolverine definitely delivers on two things: Hugh Jackman and Wolverine. So if you like those two things, then you will love this movie. It gives the fans what they want, and also happens to be a very enjoyable drama about a man with retractable metal claws.
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| Dr Green is a venomous vamp... |
It also includes beautiful women, exotic locations, vehicle chases, ninjas, samurai swords, martial arts and mutants.
You definitely get a bang for your buck, even if it slightly muffled.
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