Movie Review: The Wolverine

The Wolverine

Release Date: July 26th 2013 (USA)
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Marvel Entertainment
Director: James Mangold
Main Cast: Hugh Jackman (Logan-Wolverine), Tao Okamoto (Mariko), Rila Fukushima (Yukio), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shingen), Svetlana Khodchenkova (Viper), Brain Tee (Noburo)
Screenwriter: Mark Bomback, Scott Frank
Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language
Official Website: The Wolverine Movie

Storyline: In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis 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. Written by Twentieth Century Fox

Was it necessary to make a sequel or second spin-off for the Wolverine character? I could have done without and just be content with the success of the X-Men films. I personally prefer when all the X-Men characters are all together because that creates movie magic. That being said was ‘The Wolverine’ entertaining, sure it was but never at the level of the X-Men films. I took my 11-year-old son with me to screen the film and he was bored at times just like I was during the film. When the action was in full effect, we could not take our eyes of the screen but when it died down to just the story, there might have been a few times we yawned. It sort of pains me to write that because one of my favorites X-Men characters is Wolverine and Hugh Jackman plays him well.

The story told in the film was very deep for a character that came from a comic book. The Wolverine is about Logan and his interior battle with himself about being immortal and everyone that he has lost. He blames himself for so much and would rather end his immortality than live with it and do good-by it. Between the nightmares and dreams he suffers that he keeps seeing Jane and her asking for Logan to come to her and pretty much give up so they can be together again to him deciding to live in the Yukon mountain and seclude himself from the world, was depressing. These are the scenes that my son was bored with. As a grown up I can understand what they wanted to show but this is a Marvel Comic character and everyone expects to see superhero events and those characters doing crazy stuff saving others or the world, not getting all angst and wanting to end their life. The movie does pick up finally when he is summoned and things just start to go south where he is. Logan turns on his superhero side and starts protecting the grand-daughter of a Japanese solider he saved during his imprisonment at a Japanese POW camp when the atomic bomb was delivered. This same man now dying offers him a solution to his immortality but Logan refuses. Now the man passes away at his funeral chaos erupts when the Yakuza attack at the funeral. Logan realizes while he is fighting something is off, he isn’t healing like he does. He still continues on to save and hide out with Mariko, the granddaughter of Yashida. She just inherited everything from her grandfather and has become a big target. Now you have the Yakuza, Samurai’s and the Viper femme fatale nurse after her and Logan.

On the run Wolverine is facing for the first time something he has never had to before, the fear of dying. He is no longer healing and has become human. This is just the beginning of the crazy events that connect one to the other. Logan or Wolverine have never been this vulnerable and when Ninjas and a Viper attack, will it be enough to survive and protect Mariko.

Marvel knows one thing and its fight scenes or action pack scenes. The Wolverine has plenty of those including one done on top on a bullet train that was fantastic. Hugh also does his part of Logan and Wolverine exceptional when he isn’t wanting to end his life. As a mom watching the movie with her on, that just doesn’t make sense when all kids or teens look up to these characters. So to summon this all up, I recommend going to see The Wolverine is you are a true die-hard fan of the X-Men franchise, you will overlook the lagging parts and enjoy the fantastic one. The will compensate one another. It was enjoyable to watch and I’ll probably buy it on DVD when it comes out to see again. We did see it in 3-D and I didn’t really see a need for it as far as 3-D. Nothing really jump at me, I’m sure in 2-D it would have looked just as good.

Now what I am about to tell you will actually make up for the whole movie. The end credits were EPIC. I will not spoil this exciting future development in the X-Men world but O M G was it Epic! My jaw fell to the ground once it began. What was revealed will seriously make you go bat-crazy wanting more NOW. So if you ask me about seeing in theaters I say Yes and DON'T MISS THE END CREDITS!!!