The Wolverine – A Film Review by Mike D

The question was once asked,” I know you can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?”  Well, thanks to Marvel Entertainment/20^th Century Fox’s recent film, The Wolverine, I can finally answer that question with an emphatic yes.

Director James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) delivers a fine film.  The amount of action is fine, the plot is fine, and the acting is fine…..  The problem is, fine is not a word you want to be describing a movie about a Super Hero (although anti-hero is really more accurate).

I think that is part of the problem though, this really isn’t a super hero movie.  It is a movie about a man trying to find himself, trying to come to terms with who and what he is.  It is a story about a man who seemingly wants to die (because he can’t) but learns the value of life and wants to live.  That would be great if the subject of the film isn’t a super (anti-) hero.  That would be great if recent films like Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises and Marlvel’s: The Avengers among others haven’t whipped up the super hero loving community into a frenzy.  That would be great if we weren’t coming off of the biggest comic event of the year (San Diego Comic Con) and it would be great if it wasn’t sandwiched with Thor: The Dark World coming this fall.

We begin with the bombing of Nagasaki during WW II, 1945.  Logan (Wolverine) saves the life of Yashida, a young Japanese soldier be shielding him from the blast.  In doing so he reveals to the young man what he is.  The young man tries to repay him with a beautiful katana sword but Logan refuses to accept it and asks the man to hold on to it for him.

We return to modern day where Logan is living in the woods outside of some hick town filled with hicks and hunters.  He is unshaven, dressing like a mountain man and keeps to himself.  He seems to have a fondness for a Grizzly bear living in the woods as well.

When the Grizzly turns up dying, Logan is forced to put it out of its misery which results in him being in a punitive mood.  He tracks the bear killer to a local bar where he proceeds to teach the guy a lesson.

This is where we are introduced to Yukio (Rila Fukushima), an assassin sent to deliver a message to Logan.  She informs him that the Japanese man he saved back in Nagasaki was dying and wished to say good bye to Logan.  She produces the sword (known as the separator) that Logan had once refused as proof that her mission was legit and off they go.

Logan gets to Japan and is brought to Yashida’s compound.  Yashida has built a commercial empire and is one of the wealthiest men in all of Japan.  Logan is bathed and shaved (down to the mutton chops that is) in order to be honorably presentable to a man of Yashida’s stature.  Yes, you do get a small glimpse of Hugh Jackman man butt while in the tub.

Logan meets with the dying man and learns that his trip was not just so the old man could say good bye.  The old man offers something he feels Logan wants, a warrior’s death.  He can offer the thing he feels Logan wants most: mortality.  He, along with his oncologist Dr. Green, says it is possible.  Ruh-Roh, shit just got real huh?  More on that later.

Logan refuses and proceeds to go to sleep where he has one of several dreams involving Jean Grey.  He is used in the film as a vehicle to promote Logan’s desire, at least subconscious desire to seek or accept mortality.  She goes to kiss him but turns out it is really Doctor Green who does something funky to Logan but then he wakes up feeling strange.

So Logan Attends Yashida’s funeral with Yukio, Yashida’s son Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada, Rush hour 3, 47 Ronin), granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto, debut film, model), her soon to be husband (arranged marriage) corrupt Minister of Justice Noburo Mori and the Yakuza (Japanese mafia).  What?  Yep, crashing a funeral to kidnap Mariko who will be named Yashida’s heir to his empire fits the m.o. of a notorious mob gang. 

Logan senses what is about to happen and starts to try and get Mariko out of there.  As he attempts to do so he gets attacked numerous times by the Yakuza and something strange happens, he actually gets hurt.  He manages to get Mariko out of there with the help of a mysterious figure killing bad guys with a bow and arrow while running along the rooftops.

Logan and Mariko are forced to hole up in a “love hotel” for the night where Logan gets stitched up by a vet student.  These scenes to help highlight the humor of the film which is fitting for a character like Logan who is full of quips and one-liners.

Logan manages to get Mariko on a bullet train and they head to one of the hidden Yashida family homes for some rest and regrouping and bonding time (wink wink).  Seriously though, they do form a nice bond as they talk about Logan’s history with her grandfather and as a warrior.  Turns out the home is right by the place where Logan saved her grandfather.  Their time together kind of reminded me of Daniel and Kumiko in the little Okinawan village in The Karate Kid Part II.

After one night where Logan and Mariko, umm, bond, Logan has another Jean Grey dream.  Through his discussions with her we see Logan transforming from someone who wants to die into someone who wants to live.  This sets up the final act nicely.

So Logan of course has to figure out how to cure himself.  He gets back to Yashida’s medical equipment and realizes that Doctor Green had somehow implanted a creepy crawly creature into his heart to suppress his powers.  He has to remove this creature in order to restore his regenerating powers but Yukio, along with being an assassin also gets visions and she saw him dying on the medical table with his own heart in his hand.  Good thing visions don’t always come true eh?

Logan is back to normal and realizes he wants to be a warrior again just in time to fight a giant ninja built out of Adamantium.  There will be no (further) spoilers here, however there is a fantastic action packed end sequence and someone who shall remain nameless decides to take his rightful place as a warrior, THE warrior (that’s the only clue you are going to get, LOL.

Seriously though, the story was pretty paint-by numbers.  There weren't too many surprises or reveals.  The plot was pretty simple and straight forward.  Logan wanted peaces, to shed his warrior past but he meets some people, falls in love and embraces his destiny as The Wolverine, as illustrated by his ability to say good bye to Jean.  There was action, humor and his claws came out, a lot!  The 3D was not utilized to its fullest by any means so don’t waste your money on that.

The best part of the film, honestly, was the post credit sequence that set up XMEN: Days of Future Past.  The film itself was like eating a good Chinese food dinner, you enjoy the meal but aren't really satiated.  This film was entertaining but not fulfilling and you certainly leave it at the theater.

Based on the rating system of Full Price, Matinee, Cheap Show, Rental or Wait for Cable, I would put it halfway between Cheap Show and Matinee (3.5/5).  If you are a Comic person or a super hero person or general all around geek, this movie will be more of a must see simply because of who it is about.  For the general public, there are better and worse films to see and you can probably wait until Thor in November.

check out the review at http://filmobsession.com/movie/review-the-wolverine/ for a different rating system and other content as well.