Movie Review Repost -- The Wolverine (2013)

Logan, the last Wolverine movie to star the outstanding Hugh Jackman, is in theatres and I've heard great things. I can't wait to watch it! You can expect to see a review of it here shortly. In the meantime I thought it'd be cool to look back on my thoughts on the previous standalone Wolverine movie, 2013's The Wolverine. I thought it was pretty good; it had cool action and a unique setting for a Western superhero film. My opinions on it haven't changed much, though it is a shame that the films seems to have been forgotten with the passage of time. Maybe it's time to give this one another viewing, methinks. (Though I've now come to see why X-Men Origins: Wolverine sucks. So please ignore what I said in the first paragraph.)

   You know, I don't think X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) was as bad as everyone says. Sure, it had an unoriginal story, a confusing timeline (seriously, was anyone able to figure out what year that movie took place in?), and was rather forgettable overall. But it did have good performances and gripping fight/action scenes. And it is those two qualities that are largely inherited by The Wolverine (and every Logan movie for that matter).

   Set after the events of X-Men 3: The Last Stand, The Wolverine actually does not follow the four-issue 1982 miniseries as I expected, though it does use the same characters in the same setting. Our plot follows Logan, a loner once again, haunted by Jean Grey's death. Summoned to Japan by an old dying friend, Logan soon finds himself out of his element: having to battle mobsters, mutants, and ninjas in a setting he is unfamiliar with and without the aid of one of his most precious powers. There's also a mid-credits scene that will blow your mind. Don't miss it! (Yeah, mid-credits. We don't have to sit through ten minutes to see stuff now. So thoughtful.) I've gotta say, the Japanese setting was a cool thing to see, especially since it gives us that insane fight on top of the bullet train.

   As stated above, this film has good casting (except for maybe that Viper chick, she was kind of boring) and action. By now I'm convinced that Hugh Jackman isn't just portraying Wolverine, he is Wolverine. His is a fully realized and somewhat darker performance, as Logan has to come to terms with his own immortality. Additionally, the fight scenes are amazingly intense and kick miles of ass. It's what makes a Wolverine movie, and the action in The Wolverine is superbly entertaining. Also, the special effects were well done, though I guess we're now at the point where serviceable CGI is no longer impressive.

   But it's too bad that the final action scene sort of degenerates into cartoony weirdness. Also, those Jean Grey hallucinations are pretty jarring in that they repeatedly pull you out of the story. She's dead, Logan. Get over her!

   In conclusion, The Wolverine gives audiences an exciting new look at the X-movies' best character. It has a far better story and more gripping action than that other Logan film. Action movie fans will enjoy it regardless of their familiarity with the source material.

Rating: three and a half stars out of five.