Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: The Wolverine

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Wolverine - Review

THE WOLVERINE
(2013 - July 26)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
2 hr. 6 min.

Rated: PG-13 Language, Intense Sci-Fi Action, Some Sexuality and Violence | Read more
Grade: B-

Director: James Mangold
Writers: Mark Bomback (screenplay), Scott Frank (screenplay)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima | See full cast and crew

Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in this sequel to the member of the X-Men's first solo outing. Mark Bomback and The Usual Suspects' Christopher McQuarrie penned the script, which takes its inspiration from the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Marvel miniseries from the 1980s dealing with the character's adventures in Japan as he fights ninjas in the ceremonial garb of the samurai. Knight and Day's James Mangold directs. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Lured to a Japan he hasn't seen since World War II, century-old mutant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) finds himself in a shadowy realm of yakuza and samurai. Wolverine is pushed to his physical and emotional brink when he is forced to go on the run with a powerful industrialist's daughter (Tao Okamoto) and is confronted -- for the first time -- with the prospect of death. As he struggles to rediscover the hero within himself, he must grapple with powerful foes and the ghosts of his own haunted past.

I was truly dreading seeing this film. I am so over the recent flood of Marvel Comics Superhero movies. However, this film is really a cut above most of the films in this genre. This is in part due to the excellent direction of James Mangold and the screenplay by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, at least for the first 90% of the film. The last 10%, the climax, does go a bit over the top with the common 'throw everything in including the kitchen sink' type superhero finale, but it is not so egregious as most.

Hugh Jackman is a fine actor and he carries this film on his very ample shoulders. The word is that he buffed up for this film and that his Wolverine physique is his, not photo shopped or enhanced via CGI. His presence and strong acting carries this film a long way, this is definitely his movie. He makes The Wolverine is his role, his franchise.

Even though the theme of the movie is that the mutant Wolverine, for the first time in his immortal existence, is threatened with death, we also know that this is never going to happen. We know that somehow he will prevail and in turn save the planet from some diabolical plan. That's his job, that's what superheros do.

The Wolverine is for the most part a wholesome film for the entire family but Hollywood had to throw in one very unnecessary 'F-bomb', from the title character, that distracts from the rest of the film.