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Cinema Scoop  

Hugh Jackman shines in 'The Wolverine'

How would you feel if you were blessed with endless regenerative healing abilities to the point of being indestructible, essentially rendering you immortal? You would have to witness the sight of all of your loved ones dying around you over the years and you would be forced to wallow in misery potentially for all eternity. Would you still want that power? This is the central theme at the heart of the latest Marvel comic book adaptation The Wolverine. It's based on the superb 4 issue limited series from 1982 by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller that dealt with Logan's time in Japan and if you are a fan of that story then I think you will be really pleased with this film. This movie is a far cry better than the lousy X-Men Origins: Wolverine film that was released 4 years ago.

The story begins with a flashback to World War II where we witness Logan saving the life of a Japanese officer named Yashida during the bombing of Nagasaki. Logan is haunted by these memories of the past and he is continuously tormented by the memory of Jean Grey, whom he was forced to kill in X-Men 3: Last Stand. He is now holed up in the Canadian wilderness just wanting to be left alone. One night, after getting into a scuffle with some local hunters at a bar, he is assisted by a young Japanese woman named Yukio, who happens to have the ability to foresee people's deaths ahead of time. She informs Logan that she represents Yashida, the man Logan saved many years ago, and that he is dying of cancer and wants to see him one last time. Logan reluctantly travels to Tokyo to meet with Yashida, who offers Logan the chance to be a mortal man again. Yashida is the most powerful man in Tokyo and the head of a major technology corporation and he has developed a way to remove Logan's regenerative ability. Logan declines the offer and later that night he is attacked by Yashida's doctor, the mutant Viper, who injects a robotic parasite into Logan's system, which suppresses his healing powers.

The next day, while attending a ceremony, Logan is thrust into action to rescue Yashida's beautiful granddaughter, Mariko, from Yakuza assassins, and when he is subsequently shot, he realizes that he is not healing as quickly as before. This battle with the Yakuza which leads to a chase atop a speeding bullet train is one of the film's action highlights. It's frantically paced and viscerally thrilling. After escaping the assassins, Logan and Mariko hide out, eventually making their way to her grandfather's old home in Nagasaki. This is where they get to know each other and slowly start to fall in love. Unfortunately, Mariko is recaptured by the Yakuza which forces Wolverine to team with Yukio in order to get to the bottom of the plot against her. This basically sets up the third act of the film, which I won't describe since it contains some twists and turns that are better left for you to discover on your own.

Director James Mangold (Copland, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) does a really solid job of creating a superhero movie that's more about the characters than cartoonish CGI special effects. Despite a final act that does become a bit convoluted and somewhat outlandish, Mangold paces the film quite deliberately and really gets into the heart and personal journey of the Wolverine character. There are some spectacular action sequences and fight scenes, but the film isn't overloaded with them and there is actually time for the characters to breathe. I really appreciated the fact that I didn't feel like I was watching a mind-numbing video game for two hours and that the stakes actually mattered when the characters were thrust into danger.

What truly sold me on this film, however, was Hugh Jackman's excellent portrayal of the Wolverine character. This is the sixth time we've seen him on the big screen as Logan and he has never been better. This time he creates a far more nuanced performance, delving deeper into Wolverine's psyche and exhibiting the pain and anguish over his tortured past and memories of lost loved ones. He isn't just a wise cracking killing machine anymore. Don't get me wrong though, he still gets to kick an unholy amount of ass in this film; you just care more about his character while he's doing it this time. I also admire the way Jackman fully committed to this character, both physically and in terms of understanding the source material. He just seems to get it and I look forward to seeing him in this role in the future. Speaking of the future, be sure to stay in your seats when the credits start rolling because there is a post credits scene that is a teaser for the next X-Men film Days of Future Past.

Considering my dislike for the previous Wolverine film, I was really pleased that this was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese setting and story of this film as well as the sight of Wolverine battling ninjas and samurai warriors. This wasn't just a typical superhero movie, and that is refreshing in today's cinematic landscape where we are getting bombarded by them constantly. Even though I had a few issues with the final act, nevertheless I found The Wolverine to be a smartly written and engaging piece of entertainment. I think that action movie fans will enjoy the latest adventure of everyone's favourite adamantium clawed X-Man.

Go check out The Wolverine!

I give The Wolverine an 8 out of 10.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.



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About the Author

Just to give you a little background on my qualifications, I've been a film buff my whole life and I enjoy all different genres.

I especially have a passion for classic cinema.

I spent most of the past 17 years working for Rogers Video, so not only have I seen an immense amount of movies, but I've recommended many films to people over the years.



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The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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