[WARNING - This post contains SPOILERS. I recommend you only read on after having seen the film for yourself]
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| Image by Mondi via Flickr |
The Wolverine sees Hugh Jackman's sixth big-screen outing as the titular mutant. Unlike 2009's other X-spin-off, this one takes place chronologically as the most recent in the X-Men saga.
Following the events of The Last Stand, Logan has seemingly abandoned his fellow mutants and returned to the loner life in his home nation of Canada. We find him suffering from nightmares, reeling from the aforementioned film's climax in which he was forced to kill Jean, the woman he loved. It's not long before he's typically pulled into an unexpected adventure though as ghosts from his past summon him to Japan.
Said ghosts relate to the film's opening minutes, one of the single best scenes in the entire series. Logan, serving time in Japanese POW camp, observes the dropping of the bomb on Nagasaki and saves one if his young captors from certain death. It's beautifully shot and an example of the many squandered opportunities that could have been taken by FOX with Wolverine as a character. Imagine if the previous Wolverine movie had chosen to focus entirely on his war-torn journey through the course of a century instead of wasting all that narrative gold on an opening credits montage.
As he arrives in Tokyo to say a final goodbye to the now elderly dying man he saved so many years ago, he's faced with an intriguing offer. Would he give up his immortal gift if it were possible? (Apparently it is, but the film doesn't really go into the mechanics of that) Would he do that to end his suffering? As the film puts it, he's a ronin, a soldier without a master, with no further purpose. Surely he's been through enough to warrant an end.
Only the X-Men movies have never done a good job of showing that suffering. Logan's always been portrayed as an angry and confused guy but he's never felt like a man who'd lived through such a traumatic lifetime. If Jean's death is the mortal wound from which his pain derives, surely Logan of all people can get over that, people have gotten over far worse.
Past issues aside, this is the best Jackman has ever been. Bringing real gravitas to the character while maintaining the usual no-nonsense bitterness and wit we've come to expect of Logan. It's the most adult X-film and this is reflected in it's use of violence. The combat is simultaneously visceral and elegant, a mirror to the controlled and balletic martial arts of Japan. It remains largely bloodless (as is the norm with such Hollywood blockbusters) and yet certain scenes, particularly when Logan performs open-heart surgery on himself, are enough to make even the hardiest of gore-philes squirm. The sense of urgency and (for the first time) genuine palpable concern for Wolverine's life comes through during the period in which he loses his healing ability. I was skeptical at first but it adds to the film in a way that I wouldn't have imagined.
Action sequences are well choreographed and often see Logan using his head as much as brute force, but it's Wolverine's heart that always led him in these movies. As he takes it upon himself to protect Mariko, a young woman forced into a very dangerous position by the men of her powerful family. Through their interactions, we get a real feel for both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture as Logan comes to learn the value of honour and his place in the world.
Performances are strong throughout, particularly in the Japanese cast. Standouts include Tao Okamoto as the distrusting but pure Mariko, Rilo Fukushima as Yukio, the self-proclaimed bodyguard to Logan and the ever reliable Hiroyuki Sanada as Shingen. Other characters don't fair quite as well, more so for their lack of necessity to the plot. Particularly Svetlana Khodchenkova's Viper (the only new mutant addition to the cast) who seems to only be here in order for a half-reasonable way for Wolverine to get poisoned.
James Mangold's directing style shines through in a genre movie unlike his previous output. He revels in the landscape of his pictures and as such, both the coastal and forest locales are as vibrant and beautiful as the fluorescent towers of Tokyo. The Land of the Rising Sun serves as a stunning backdrop for Mangold's intense character drama, coming across as a character in it's own right.
The film falters slightly in it's third act, as the prerequisite final showdown creeps up. Some disjointed foreshadowing aside, the final scenes almost feel like they belong in another movie. There are a number of lapses in logic throughout given the canon already set within the franchise (though continuity has long since been cast asunder). His adamantium skeleton is not what makes Wolverine immortal, so why would the villain think that building an armoured suit out of it would help him in any way. Previously established (some loving) relationships seem to unravel at the drop of a hat during the final third and it's a less satisfying end to an otherwise admirable film.
What's most shocking however is the choice to fundamentally alter one of our hero's key features come the end credits. While his healing powers and metal skeleton remain, his claws, or at least the metal portion of them, do not. What this means for future releases remains to be seen. Particularly the sequential follow-up Days Of Future Past (which is teased to great effect in a mid-credits scene) next year.
The Wolverine is, in spite of a few relatively minor flaws, one of the better X-Men films. It sits right behind X-Men 2 in my eyes. The best interpretation of Logan and above all a coherent and genuinely entertaining piece. Logan may not live forever but if his trials and tribulations continue to be as stand-out as this, fans should look forward to seeing him right through to the bitter end.
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rilo Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova & Famke Janssen
4/5
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