Remember when X-Men came out and Jackman was able to make most of us “forgive” Fox for casting his six foot plus frame as arguably the most bad ass comic character in the history of comics? He had the look (sans height issue). He had the demeanor. He had the threatening stare. But when the movie was over, we all felt there was something missing. Yeah, he took on Sabretooth, and that was a pretty good fight, but where was the full on berserker mode thing? And then came X-Men United…
We’re all sitting in theaters, watching the movie unfold, wondering where it’s going, and then all of a sudden those military guys drop in on Xavier’s School, one of them barges into that kitchenette area where Wolverine is having a conversation with Ice Man, and then BAM! We get our full on berserker rage thing going, all hands on deck!
Remember how you felt when that moment went down, when Wolverine popped his claws into that intruder’s chest, guttural scream and all? And then he goes into the rest of the mansion and starts cutting through those guys like they’re made of butter. Butter on a sidewalk in Texas. In July. Yeah, you remember how you felt when that scene went down…and you loved it!
Don’t deny your feral instincts. You loved it. Get over it.
Well, that’s what “The Wolverine” brings to the table—unequivocally. When Hugh Jackman pops those bad ass claws, he swings them and jabs them to kill. Are there arcs of arterial blood shooting through the air? No. Do we see limbs flying through the air as he cuts an opponent’s leg(s) out from under him? No. What are you, twisted? But make no mistake, when Wolverine jumps into action, people are dying all around him. And those that don’t will probably have a serious limp or wince in pain every time they pick up a cup of coffee for the rest of their lives.
And that’s the Wolverine we’ve wanted, since X-Men United, right? Well, that’s the Wolverine we got.
Now, the thing about this movie is, unlike X-Men Origins, the story is character driven, as it follows Logan’s journey from low life don’t-wanna-be-a-superhero-no-more to a guy that finally accepts what he is, how things are going to be, and is ready to move on with his life. And it’s an interesting journey, an engrossing journey, and certainly not one to miss. I’m pointing this out because it needs to be understood…if you want a good story about Wolverine, you’re gonna have to take the slow parts with the action parts, and trust me, there are some slow parts. But the wait is worth it.
From an action junkie’s perspective, we get two excellent action sequences up front; the funeral scene and the train scene. But make no mistake; the train sequence takes the cake. Bravo, James Mangold. Brav-freakin’-oh. Things settle down a bit after that, until we get to the third act, when all the who’s who and who’s doing what are revealed, and that’s when the Silver Samurai comes into play. Is he the Silver Samurai from the comics? Spoiler alert: No. Is he a formidable opponent for our favorite berserker mutant? Oh, hell yes!
If I have one problem with the ending of “The Wolverine,” it’s that one aspect of it reminded me of the ending to “Fast Six.” Both endings are pretty spectacular, but both are weighted down by a glaring reality that makes you wonder “Wait…how many floors are in this building?” or “Wait…how long is this runway?” If you’ve seen “Fast Six,” you know what I’m talking about.
As for the characters in “The Wolverine,” everyone does a great job. You really get invested in just about everyone that matters to the story, and that’s not an automatic given in CBMs. Tao Okamoto, as Mariko is simply mesmerizing. It’s no wonder Logan falls for her. And Rila Fukushima, as Yukio is a pleasure to watch, especially when she’s got a sword or bo staff in her hands. Seriously, everybody in this flick understood their part and played it well. But it’s all about Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and he delivers, thanks to a solid script.
Before I close, I’ve got a story for ya. I actually saw this movie twice today, but not by design. Since Wolverine is my hands down, no quarter given or apologies made favorite comic book character of all time, I made up my mind yesterday (Thursday) that I was going to be at the first showing today (Friday). Being a family man, there were others to consider, but they all have their own time schedules and agendas and I wasn’t going to let them deter me from my quest. Well, my daughter sends me a text, asking if we’re going to see “The Wolverine” this weekend, to which I replied, “Yep!” And at that moment, I thought maybe I should reconsider seeing it today. But then she sends a text saying Saturday is no good, so I was back on for a first show Friday viewing, thinking I don’t have a problem seeing it twice this weekend, which now looks like Friday and Sunday. But THEN, my wife texted me and said she wanted a date, and wanted to go see “The Wolverine” with me late Friday afternoon. Understand, my daughter is 19 and as we speak, both women can’t be in the same room without some kind of drama breaking out, so I thought my wife was just yanking my daughter’s chain. So, thinking my wife is just kidding, because she hasn’t seen an action movie with me in over a year (she actually passed on “The Avengers”…wait, what?), I’m at the movie complex at 11:00am, watching “The Wolverine.” At around 3:15pm, my wife calls me; she’s off work and heading home, and wants to know what the show times are. “I’m sorry, do what? I thought you were kidding?” She said: “What, you’re daughter’s timetable is more important than mine? I want to go see “The Wolverine” with you today!”
And that’s how I ended up seeing the best portrayal of Wolverine on film twice in one day, three hours apart.
And the answer is no…I didn’t tell my wife I’d already seen it. After twenty years of marriage you figure things out or you die. It’s that simple.
I give “The Wolverine” 4 out of 5 stars as a CBM, and 5 out of 5 as a Wolverine movie. Is it the best summer movie to come out this year? No, it’s the second best, right behind “Pacific Rim,” regardless of what Josh Wilding thinks about Pacific Rim. It is, however, the best CBM to come out this summer, but I’m biased, so you might want some salt with that opinion.
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