Clueless Movie Reviews: “The Wolverine”

The Wolverine is a tremendous improvement over the previous Wolverine-centric X-Men film, 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and a fine addition to the series. This really is the Wolverine film both fans of Fox’s X-Men films and Marvel’s comics have been waiting to see: a film that balances thrilling and imaginative action with well-scripted and acted character-driven drama.

The Wolverine begins a number of years after 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, a film that climaxed with X-Man Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) being forced to kill his teammate and true love, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), in order to end the threat her powers as the Phoenix posed to both humans and mutants alike. Still very much haunted by his actions, Logan lives alone in the wilderness of the Yukon, unwilling to return to his former life and teammates and, more importantly, committed to never killing again. He finds himself sought out by Yukio (Rila Fukashima), an emissary from Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), the head of a very powerful Japanese tech corporation. Decades before, Yashida and Logan had a fateful meeting during which Logan’s mutant healing abilities came in handy in saving Yashida’s life. Now, on his deathbed, the elderly tycoon wishes to say goodbye to his benefactor and seemingly offer him the impossible: an end to Logan’s near-immortality by somehow ridding him of his mutant powers.

While contemplating Yashida’s offer, Logan finds himself drawn into the complex intrigues surrounding the Yashida clan and who stands to inherit its power and influence once Yashida passes away. Knowing him to be a mutant, Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada, The Last Samurai, Speed Racer), Yashida’s son, is immediately hostile to Logan’s presence. Mariko (Tao Okamoto), Yashida’s treasured granddaughter, however, finds herself drawn to the stranger she’s heard stories about from her grandfather since she was a child. When Mariko’s life is threatened, Logan leaps into the fray, adamantium claws bared, as he always has, only to discover his healing factor suddenly severely compromised. Wounded and now very mortal and vulnerable, Logan must rediscover his reason for living and fighting as he struggles to survive and to keep Mariko alive against gun-toting yakuza thugs and sword-wielding ninjas while they try to figure out just who is behind the attacks and how to restore his abilities.

Including The Wolverine, Jackman has brought Logan to life on-screen a total of six times (including his memorable cameo in 2011’s X-Men: First Class). But this film features arguably his most impressive performance in the role, as the script, penned by Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard) and Scott Frank (Minority Report) and inspired by the landmark 1982 Wolverine limited series story by Chris Cleremont and drawn by Frank Miller (Sin City) , forces the character into truly unknown territory for the first time in his existence. It’s easy to be courageous when your bones can’t be broken and every wound heals within seconds, but what happens when that invincibility is suddenly gone – does the courage and the will to fight for the powerless and endangered still remain? Perhaps more importantly, when someone’s lived as long as Logan has, lost as much and seen as much death as the seemingly-ageless warrior has, when the will and the power to fight tirelessly are gone, does he even want it back? Jackman once again disappears into Logan as the character grapples with these challenges, and his comfort and familiarity with the role that made him a household name, as well as his considerable gifts as an actor, serve him well in making these questions and Logan’s response to them compelling.

Aside from Jackman, the film’s supporting cast also contributes a great deal towards making the film work as well as it does. Standouts here are Hiroyuki Sanada, a legendary Japanese actor and accomplished swordsman whose dramatic skills once earned him a place in the Royal Shakespeare Company (the only Japanese ever to do so); and Tao Okamoto, who plays Logan’s new love interest Mariko in both quiet and action-filled scenes with grace and intensity. In addition, Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) brings a particularly sensual and sexy brand of nastiness to her portrayal of Viper, a mutant immune to poisons and toxins who takes great pleasure in killing intimately with them.

As for the film’s action, give credit to director James Mangold (Knight and Day, Walk the Line) and 2nd unit director David Leitch (Van Helsing) for coming up with some truly thrilling sequences, most notably a battle atop a bullet train moving at top speed. The production design utilized here to bring the film’s modern-day and WWII-era Japanese settings to life also deserves a nod here – they’re as memorable and visually compelling as any we’ve seen in any other Marvel film.

But truly what makes this film such a profound improvement over the last Wolverine solo adventure is the trust that cast, director, and producers finally place in the ability of the character to completely carry a thrilling, satisfying cinematic story without the aid of lots of additional mutants and powered characters. This is truly a Wolverine story from start to finish, unlike Origins, which turned out to be a movie about Wolverine and a bunch of other mutants whose presence in the script could only be explained by their popularity with fanboys and girls. All those gratuitous additions resulted in a cluttered, clunky mess. The Wolverine, in comparison, is as clean and precise as a katana blade’s cut.

According to comic book lore, Wolverine is the best there is at what he does. As a film, The Wolverine makes perhaps the most convincing case for the truth behind that statement. Go see it – it will make you a true believer. And don’t forget to stick around through the credits. You’ll be rewarded for your patience with a scene that will have X-Men fans talking for months to come.

Score: 4 out of 5

The Wolverine
Starring Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Will Yun Lee, and Famke Janssen.
Running Time: 126 minutes
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language.