The Wolverine

 

James Mangold may seem like an odd choice to be the director of a movie like The Wolverine.  After all, he's more known for directing intimate dramas like the 3:10 to Yuma remake, or Walk the Line.  But, watching the film, I started to understand.  This is definitely a more character-driven superhero movie than we're used to, putting more emphasis on relationships and drama, than on big action set pieces (though there's plenty of that, too).  After the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this is a vast improvement.

Set chronologically sometime after 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, The Wolverine finds our hero Logan (once again played by Hugh Jackman) living an isolated existence in the Canadian wilderness.  With his Grizzly Adams-style hair and beard, and his nightmares constantly haunted by the memory of his former love Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Logan doesn't exactly strike us as the kind of guy who's going out of his way to win people over. (Not that he ever has been in this movies.) During one of his rare ventures into the civilized world to visit a nearby town, he is picked up by a mysterious woman named Yukio (Rila Fukushima), who claims she has been sent by an old friend of his named Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), who is close to death, and is waiting for Logan in Japan, wanting to see him one last time.  We witness in the film's opening prologue how the two met, when Logan happened to save his life during the dropping of a nuclear bomb on Japan back in World War II.

Shortly after arriving in Tokyo, Logan finds himself caught in the middle of a battle for control of Yashida's vast corporations and fortune after the old man eventually passes away.  It seems that Yashida's beautiful young granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto) is being targeted for a kidnapping plot by the Yakuza, and Logan becomes her unlikely bodyguard as the two try to stay ahead of gangsters and other mysterious assailants, as well as attempt to learn the answers as to what they want with the girl.  The young Yukio (who, it turns out, is Mariko's oldest friend) also joins in as a sidekick of sorts to Logan, as she is fortunately quite skilled in martial arts, and is able to fight off the various pursuers.  As our heroes race about Japan searching for clues, they are being closely watched by a man with a connection to Mariko's past named Kenuichiro Harada (Will Yun Lee), as well as a mysterious mutant who calls herself Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova).

Outside of a thrilling action sequence where Logan battles some Yakuza thugs on top of a speeding bullet train, and an extended climax in a secret lab which holds a giant mechanical samurai (which is not quite as thrilling, and is kind of generic, actually), The Wolverine is really more of a Japanese crime drama, where the main character just happens to be a guy who has long knife-like blades that shoot out of his knuckles, and has Mutant healing powers.  The focus is on the family drama, and the fight for control over Yashida's company after his passing.  It's certainly not the kind of thing we expect to see in a big budget superhero movie, but it also sets it apart.  As the plot starts to fall into place, it does get pretty convoluted, and the wrap up as mentioned is a little bit of a disappointment.  But, before all that happens, the intimate drama and the more character-driven plot is handled well by Mangold and his screenwriters.

As it has been with just about every X-Men or Wolverine movie, it's Hugh Jackman who serves as the driving force behind this film.  There's a reason why the character of Wolverine shot him to fame when it came to movies.  He is completely invested, bringing pathos, rage, and small bits of sarcastic humor to the character.  Outside of Robert Downey, Jr. in the Iron Man films, I can't think of an actor who stands out better as the hero in a recent comic book movie.  His female co-stars, Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima (both newcomers to acting), hold their own, as they are both not only beautiful, but capable talents.  The only weakness in the casting comes with the villains, and that's largely because they are underwritten.  The mysterious Mutant Viper has the potential to be an interesting character, and even holds the ability to rob Logan of his healing powers.  But, she's not given much to do outside of wearing skimpy outfits, and spewing toxins at the good guys from her mouth.

 

Still, thanks to its dramatic and slightly more human approach, The Wolverine stands out from some of the other comic book movies out there.  Another way it stands out is the violence.  This can be a surprisingly brutal movie in certain moments, and had me wondering if some scenes had to be trimmed in order to secure the "golden" PG-13 rating.  Whatever the case, this is still a very satisfying movie.  And to those who are smart enough to stay in their seats when the end credits start, they'll be rewarded with a satisfying pay off that ties into the next movie as well.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

0 comments