Movie Review: The Wolverine (2013)

Armed with Claws and Cause The Wolverine does not disappoint

The moral of an immortal mutant

Every superhero has a storyline or era that most readers agree is the best period in their history. For Spiderman, it’s the Kraven series and anything involving Venom. Daredevil has the Elektra and Bullseye saga. For the X-Men’s most feral member [besides Beast], it might be his time in Japan and his battles with the ninja. The trailer shows Wolverine going head to head and a glimpse of a giant metal samurai. The story looks to be centered on Wolverine losing his healing abilities and living life as a regular mortal. That would normally be enough to sell us, but there’s that lingering taste left over from his first outing; X-Men Origins Wolverine (2009). So can we finally get the Wolverine movie we’ve been waiting for? In a simple word, yes.

He has lived many lives. He may die for one in Japan.

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the cigar-smoking, bub talking, and quick healing loose cannon. After the X-Men’s Last Stand, Logan has retired to the wilderness to deal with his personal demons [and mostly] the loss of his deepest love- Jean Grey. It’s here that he is found by the Yashida Clan and brought to Japan in order to have an old debt repaid. A Japanese officer, saved by Logan near the end of World War II, has offered Wolverine the chance to end his life as an immortal.

James Mangold [3:10 To Yuma (2007)] directs a nicely paced action adventure that adds humanity by exploring the mortality of a central character that has the attitude of truly being invincible. That acerbic swagger has always been the trademark of Wolverine- even in the first X-Men (2000) movie when he tells Cyclops “You’re a dick” as the X-Men leader is unsure if wolverine is really Wolverine. Wolverine goes on to steal his bike and almost steals his girl…Jean. Well, that’s the residual that resides in Logan. It’s that bit of unfinished business that gives Logan his dimension and gives us a reason to care beyond the fight scenes. Newcomer Tao Okamoto is perfectly cast as the granddaughter of corporate tycoon Yashida and becomes the love interest and central focal point. She becomes the thing worth fighting for. She becomes the reason to live and to love again. It’s a chemistry that works and we are given a worthy addition to the current crop of superhero movies.
Speaking of additions, I can’t forget to mention the work of Rila Fukushima as the ass-kicking sidekick Yukio. She flips in the trailer and fortunately, she’s been fully fleshed out in the film. She adds a fair amount of flair and flash and I hope we find her in Logan’s future.

His actions will echo for generations.

But, The Wolverine is not without its bumps. I find them to be mostly minor and not too much of a distraction. Every so often we have a small dip in CGI quality [That damn Coca-cola bear] and a little inconsistency with some of the characterizations and repeated action shots [You’ll see a few things a little too often]. The surprises, twists and turns keep Wolverine fresh and The Wolverine has re-energized the brand. And, the after-credits teaser may have just re-energized the X-Men franchise. Put the Origins movie on your shelf to fill out your Marvel collection, but set a special place for The Wolverine when it finally comes to DVD. See it now, own it then.