The Wolverine Review

21st Jul 2013

Hugh Jackman gets his claws out for a sixth time in this trip to Japan as we follow a post X-men: The Last Stand Logan as he throws himself back on the road to deal with the loneliness of his being after the loss of Jean Grey (as represented in various dreams here by a returning Famke Janssen). There is, however, a precursor to this tale set in WWII where we find a captive Logan saving the life of a kindly and young Japanese soldier, Yashida, who was all set to die the honourable death in the face of the bomb going off. Of course rescuing the young man come at the expense of Logan’s secret getting out and so many decades later the Wolverine is tracked down by Yashida’s associates and he is invited to Japan to say goodbye to his old friend who is on the verge of death.

Of course not is all it seems, and before we know it Logan is falling getting caught up in attempted kidnappings/murders, family politics all the while finding himself drawn to the Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko.

Part journey, part discovery, part healing – the film never forgets to add in the action at regular intervals. The action is a real mixture though, and may divide fans, especially with a rather overblown climax that could have been better written and executed a smaller and more intimate scale.

The plot contrivances surrounding, actions and events surrounding Mariko are questionable after you have seen the film. On reflection it is largely all there to let our hero have a relationship with her and to have someone to rescue throughout the film. But it certainly makes a change from having too many mutants on the roll call. Logan’s adopted sidekick here Yukio is perhaps the highlight, whilst the villainess Viper is clearly one they should have rethought.

The film is less a focus on love and more dealing with loss. The Wolverine succeeds in picking up various themes throughout that the previous film involving the rogue hero didn’t. Honour, love, death and loss are all bandied about here, and not willy-nilly. Some, though, may see this as just another action flick with familiar beats – (hero being stripped of his power, but given back his humanity etc.) and there are some heavy signposting of events and turns to come – but ultimately it says what it is on the tin. This is about the Wolverine and it’s a very romanticised and beautiful story that lets our hero unleash, but also let go.

We won’t spoil – but do stay as the credits start at the end – this year’s best end credits sequence could well be here. It’s a real primer for what is to come.