The first time we saw Wolverine get a spin-off was last 2009 and it was a disappointment. Now, they decided to give him another chance. Can the first X-Men film without the X-Men in the title be X-ceptional?
Set after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, we first see a damaged and lonely Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who can’t still move on from killing Jean Grey. Summoned by an old acquaintance, the film takes him to Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.
Hugh Jackman returns as The Wolverine for the sixth time. He is in his best form here performance-wise and physically (I read that he contacted Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for advice in bulking up and the advice paid-off). The story arc fits his claws perfectly. We get to see more of his explorations and struggles against his inner demons compared to the past installments. But not every scene is a broken Logan as Jackman was still able to show the comedic side of the character with his funny one-liners. With Hollywood’s latest trend of re-imagining characters, it was a relief that they didn’t reboot him. It’s hard to imagine anyone taking it over from Jackman.
Taking Logan to Japan proves to be a great decision. With excellent wide shots, the film benefits from Japan’s rich culture, beautiful sceneries and gorgeous landscapes from present Tokyo and flashback Nagasaki. Unlike other Hollywood films set in Japan, it doesn’t feel forced. Wolverine fits right into the setting and with his Japanese co-stars. From being Japanese fashion models, newcomer Tao Okamoto showed a surprising sense of vulnerability as his love interest but the real standout is Rila Fukushima as his “bodyguard”.
Initially, the film was meant to be a prequel to 2000’s X-Men but later James Mangold decided to make it a sequel for the third. In doing so, he brought this story outside the usual superhero movie formula which is very bold. It doesn’t feel like one. Surprisingly, there is less mutants in here. It’s more like James Bond action thriller with a touch of the Japanese samurai films. I think this take will get mix reactions – some will love it while others will not. For me, it’s a fitting approach. The film goes deeper to the core of Wolverine. It’s not about a mass mutant threat but more of his personal emotional journey focusing on his issues with immortality. The film depicts it as both a gift and a curse. Would you rather die like an ordinary person or face the ages of the world alone? It reign heavily here and was well-explored. It’s quite dark but it still gives the audience a space to breath by adding humor. For instance, there is this hilarious scene at a love motel. Dungeon room? LOL. It didn’t forget to be entertaining. As for the action, it takes an hour before we finally get to taste it. The action scenes are intense and elegantly choreographed from the sword confrontations to the exhilarating bullet train sequence which is one of the best I’ve seen since Spidey’s fight with Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2. My complain with this is that the earlier action scenes are more impressive compared to the climatic match at the end. It feels downsized. Actually, the climax is very flawed. It doesn’t match the earlier parts but still it’s gripping enough. There is a plot twist here and it kinda worked even if it’s something we have already seen in other films. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed it and it’s definitely loads better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Just in case you are not aware, there is an upcoming X-Men film which will be released next year May 23rd. Titled as X-Men: Days of Future Past, the film brings both the past and present characters to face a powerful threat. To demonstrate how big it will be, I’ll just say: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin plus Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult in one movie. Star-studded much? Yes, indeed! So why am I mentioning this? Without giving any spoilers, this is the reason why you should stay after the ending credits. It’s a scene that will make you excite for this film. You will leave the theater adding it in your 2014’s most anticipated films list.
“The Wolverine” also stars Tao Okamoto, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Will Yun Lee and Brian Tee, directed by James Mangold and scripted by Mark Bomback and Christopher McQuarrie.
“The Wolverine” opens in more than 200 screens nationwide on July 25 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
Verdict:
This dark and bold take of the character may get mix opinions with its less Superhero approach but I find it to be an enjoyable action thriller and a definite improvement from the disappointing X-Men Origins: The Wolverine! Hugh Jackman proves that he’s still Wolverine!
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About the movie reviewer:
Orange Magazine TV‘s newest film critic is a self-confessed movie geek. John Albert Villanueva love movies so much, he watch every movies from the big screen and collects DVDs of classic movies. Read his other review here.
