Wolverine - L'immortale

2009's X-men Origins: Wolverine was received negatively by both critics and the majority of the fans of the character. Now the character has a chance to redeem himself with this year's the Wolverine and for the most part he does. This film has really tried to please the fans as it was loosely based on the beloved Japan story line from the comics and it is clear that the film has tried to fix the problems that were complained about in the previous solo Wolverine film. Despite taking place after the events of X-men: The Last Stand this film attempts to distance itself from the rest of the X-men characters and story and focuses solely on the Wolverine character and as a result this film feels very different to all previous X-men films. This allows for the best portrayal of Wolverine's character that we have seen so far and Hugh Jackman also delivers his best performance of the character to date. I really enjoyed the pacing of the film as well because although it was a face paced action film it wasn't afraid to slow things down and develop the characters and the relationships between them. However it never slows down for too long before it picks up the pace with another action scene. The action in this film is also very well done because every sequence is creative and has a purpose so it never feels like the mindless action we've come to expect in big budget summer films. Humour is also used effectively in this film as the writers take advantage of Wolverine's IDGAF attitude. However the film isn't perfect as there is one other mutant character that occasionally seems slightly out of place and some people might find her character a bit too over the top. Also from time to time it does feel like they are playing it too safe to insure that they don't make any of the same mistakes as the last Wolverine film. Overall The Wolverine, although not perfect, is a fun superhero film that gets a lot of things right about what makes the Wolverine character so popular.

Wolverine is one of the iconic characters in both the Marvel Universe as well as the 20th Century Fox's movies; so is his Adamantium claws and healing factor. An immortal and living through ages he does have a lot of stories ready to be told through movies/comics. We did get an Origin movie, X-Men Origins Wolverine which was panned by critics and audiences alike. But I felt it was trashed more than it deserved to be. It had loads of action and bits from the original Wolverine Origin story arc but it did trash the character for the sake of being an action-heavy summer blockbuster. A weak script, irrelevant characters and a stupid take on 'the merc with a mouth' underwhelmed the audiences. Anyways The Wolverine salvages some of its lost prestige putting a lot of focus on the core character.

Rumors that Darren Aronofsky'd be helming the new Wolverine had me excited but the director's chair was handed over to James Mangold in the end. I am not skeptic at all regarding Mangold's directing prowess, as evident from gems like 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the line and Identity. But I was wondering how he'd handle a superhero flick. After watching it, its safe to say Mangold's direction is far better than what I'd expected it to be.

The Wolverine is undoubtedly based on Frank Miller's take on the superhero and I was already familiar with the names Mariko, Shingen and Yukio. It all came like a whiff of fresh air. The Wolverine is sort of a reboot for the series and a brilliant stepping stone for a new franchise which could tell a parallel story to the X-Men movies. Although it has its roots attached to the previous flicks, we are dropped into the midst of Wolverine's story. There ain't no origin, there ain't no 'Previously'; instead we are just dropped into a narrative which ploughs forward to the thick of Japan. The Wolverine could be compared to treatment our superheros been getting recently. He's been stripped off his healing factors and he is left like so almost the entire movie and it does bring out some tension. I mean when he had the healing power, we knew he wouldn't just die even if she's split into two (admit it!)

The Wolverine is directed well and so was it well written and the action sequences well choreographed but its not without its flaws though. As mentioned above The Wolverine still has the debris it's carried on from X-Men The Last Stand and I wasn't pleased with it. Wolverine has flashbacks of his lost love? Seriously? Isn't it time his healing factor took care of that already? I mean its the god-damn Wolvie we're talking about here. Jean Grey's flashbacks (more like boring nightmares and more than once) kept crawling into the plot disrupting the pace and I just didn't like it. Of course Wolverine is tormented from what he'd done in the past but that doesn't mean, we the audience need to be tormented from start to end. The Japan setting was a bit distracting as well and maybe thats a personal thing. I am not a big fan of Martial arts movies and there was an excess of martial arts settings and jargon here in the movie though it all did look good. Props were fantastic and the action sequences thick, especially the Bullet Train sequence is something to gape at.

Hugh Jackman effortlessly steps into his Wolverine shoes for the 6th time and having worked with Mangold in Kate & Leopold did wonders for The Wolverine. This is the Logan we've all praised and been used to and Hugh easily slides into the role and storyline straight from X-Men The Last Stand albeit forgetting X-Men Origins Wolverine. But then again playing Wolverine would have become second instinct for Hugh by now. Supporting cast couldn't be praised for the same, most of them being just bait for the plot. Especially Wolverine love interest in the movies, I felt they had absolutely no chemistry. Rila Fukushima did an absolutely splendid job playing Yukio. I had huge expectations for Svetlana Khodchenkova who played the only other mutant in the movie, Viper but she just served for some eyecandy and wasn't even fleshed up to be a proper antagonist.

For what its worth, The Wolverine is a splendid action movie which concentrates more on the character and the plot than heavy heavy action sequences. If you are an X-Men/Wolverine fan you are gonna love it and please do stay back after the credits coz there is a monumental end- credit to be seen there.

Saw The Wolverine. Masterfully choreographed action and best train fight scene ever. The best Wolverine yet and Hugh Jackman delivers. Thoughtfully paced with a perfect blend of action and story. You don't need to know anything about the previous movies since this one can stand alone. The story may get in the way at times for those who only enjoy mindless action. I will go see it again without the 3D effect to see if that made any difference. The only drawback for me was the glare from theater stair's runner lights on my 3D glasses but that had nothing to do with the movie. They threw in a nice little surprise for the true fans just after the end credits started to roll.

I've been a fair fan of the series of the whole. Even the weaker installments I thoroughly enjoyed, so my review is already weighed in favor of this film. I will say even from a critics point of view I thought it was really well done. It's not the standard comic book fairy tale, but more of an intrinsic study of the Wolverine character. He shows a lot of depth and vulnerability in this outing, far more than previous installments. It's a risky but necessary move to see him operate on a balance challenge where he really is prone to death at any moment. The humor is matched well with the drama for an interesting viewing all the way through. All the supporting roles I found interesting as well. I really enjoyed the presence of Yukio who provided invaluable aide despite Wolverine's incessant protests. I found it nice to see his character finally develop some closure after all the time we've get to see him in all his cinematic installments.

Wolverine plus Samurai makes a pretty good combination for me. A great film that is based on the X-Men comic books and movie series.