Everyone's favorite slicing-dicing, sideburned ball of rage is back in the newest summer blockbuster! But after several shaky attempts at film greatness, can this new take deliver the Wolverine we've really been waiting for? The answer, for the most part is an emphatic YES.
Plot
The movie opens on Wolverine an undetermined time after the events of X-men: The Last Stand. Logan has exiled himself in the Canadian wilderness due to his guilt over having to kill Jean Grey, aka the Phoenix. However, he is soon flown to Japan to say goodbye to an old friend who's life he saved in Hiroshima years ago. Of course, nothing here is as it seems, and Wolverine is soon embroiled in a massive conflict that will change him forever. One of the main problems I had with X-men Origins: Wolverine was how complex and convoluted the plot was. They attempted to bite off more than they could chew, and the result was a mangled mess of a movie. However, in this film they keep it simple, and that makes the movie more easy to watch. It is also interesting to see the movie really get into Wolverine's character a bit more. He tries not to help people, but he can't resist. It's in his nature. There are a few unnecessary characters, such as the villain Viper. She barely even serves a purpose in the movie, and still not really sure why she was in it. She also came across as very cartoonish, which was in stark contrast with the rest of the movie. I mean, your power is spitting acid on people? Really? However, aside from the occasional deviation from tone, the story this movie tells is a great character piece and holds your attention very well.
Acting/Writing
Once again, Hugh Jackman brings shocking life to Wolverine's character. It still surprises me to this day how perfectly he portrays the character's gruff, often brutal, but still kind demeanor. I honestly can't imagine anyone else playing Wolverine at this point. In this movie, Jackman well portrays Logan's guilt over the events of Last Stand, but also his eventual acceptance and moving on. In other words, Jackman's still got it. Tao Okamoto as Logan's love interest, Mariko, well portrays her helplessness in the situation she has been thrust into, but her determination to do the honorable thing for her family. However, other than these characters, the standout acting stops. The other characters in the movie range from acceptable to not so great, most of them simply functioning as plot devices. Then there's the previously discussed Viper, who has completely no purpose, and is rather awkward to watch. So, while the vast majority of the acting is lackluster, Hugh Jackman provides more than enough charisma for the whole film.
Visuals/Audio
The exotic locales of Japan suit Wolverine well. The visual combination of him and ninjas and swords somehow works very well, and makes for an interesting experience. The fight scenes are brutal and intense as ever, and are a standout in this film, particularly the fight between Wolverine and Shingen. However, as mentioned earlier, this movie seems to suffer from a split personality, and jumps between dark, noir-style scenes and Sunday morning cartoons. Within the span of 15 minutes wolverine is slicing and dicing a group of ninjas in a village, then fighting a giant robotic samurai and a lady who spits acid. The contrast is just a bit to drastic to work completely. Also, the soundtrack is lackluster and boring. I barely noticed it throughout the film. At times, this movie feels like a movie that was made to be rated R, but then just had all the blood removed. This is by not means a tame movie, but I found myself wishing that the violence was a tad more realistic. Watching Wolverine rip his way through 10 guys without a drop of blood is a little bit disconcerting.
In all, this movie in my opinion delivers the Wolverine movie I've been waiting for. A darker tone, more character development, and an overall increase in seriousness make for a much better movie. However, there are still traces of that cartoonishness that tainted Wolverine's previous outings, as well as some character flaws. Despite this, The Wolverine is a highly enjoyable blockbuster that I would recommend to any fan of Wolverine's character. Score:7.5/10
CONTENT: This is not a superhero movie that you would take the kids to see like The Avengers or Iron Man 3. This, compared to previous superhero flicks, is a very violent movie, with a very high body count. The fights are bloodless for the most part, but Wolverine is a very dark character and this shows in the possibly excessive violence. Language is also at a higher level than most superhero movies, again due to Wolverine's gruff demeanor. Sexual content is at a minimum for the most part, however, aside from a suggestive scene or two.
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