The Wolverine Review

The Wolverine is an oddity among superhero films, an introspective character driven affair that is more concerned with the emotional journey of its characters; that is until the third act where it divulges into a noisy CGI finale. The previous Wolverine solo-film was an absolute shit fest, sure not the most eloquent descriptor but true nonetheless. This entry is a more honest depiction of the character as Wolverine struggles with his immortality and his place in the world. The Japanese setting adds a much needed breath of fresh air to the typically hyper american superhero movies and the pretty obvious similarities to Wolverine and the classic wandering samurais, the ronin, are not coincidental.

The Wolverine finds Logan living alone in the wilderness haunted by the death of Jean Grey by his own hand. He is approached by a mysterious woman whose employer, Yashida, seeks to thank him for saving his life many years ago. Wolverine reluctantly follows the woman to Tokyo where he meets the man who he saved in Nagasaki during WWII. Yashida is now a wealthy business man with a tumultuous family with tenuous connections to the yakuza. He offers Logan the chance for mortality and an end to his eternal suffering. Taking Wolverine's regeneration ability away lends stakes and consequences to the proceedings making Logan's obstacles that much more seemingly insurmountable and exciting. The film takes a more methodical approach to the typical bombastic comic book movie, instead unfolding like a sleek neo-noir thriller with a rage fueled steel-clawed beast at its core. The grounded story allows Hugh Jackman to give an exceptional and surprisingly multidimensional performance. The director, James Mangold's portrayal of the character is the most accurate and engaging yet, with an emphasis on his questionable morals and infamous berserker rage.

The film is beautifully shot taking advantage of the unique setting to great effect. The action is well choreographed and easy to follow, a godsend in modern action movies, with homages to classic samurai films. Practical effects keep the action fast, exciting. and grounded with the exception of the indulgent finale. The film is also surprisingly and appropriately violent lending even more intensity to the once invulnerable hero. A particularly intense and gruesome moment in the film involves Wolverine performing self-inflicting heart surgery and then promptly participating in a wonderfully brutal no-holds-barred sword fight which stands as the absolute height of the movie. Unfortunately the films climax is an absolute mess with all the comic book movie tropes coming out for some inane reason. A fight with a giant CGI monstrosity, a campy villianess with ridiculous powers, and a series of so called twists telegraphed a mile away.

The Wolverine is a great film, marred only by a messy predictable climax, it takes an increasingly stale genre and infuses it with a great setting, a sharp character driven script and great performances. Hugh Jackman is fantastic in the role as always but the more subdued pace and grounded script give the talented actor more to work with, allowing for a more meaningful portrait of the beloved character. The movie unfortunately embraces the outlandish in its third act, but still leaves a refreshing and more intimate take on the superhero genre that marks the definitive portrayal of The Wolverine.

(4 out of 5)