The Wolverine is a welcomed departure from the terrible X-Men Origins film and offers one of the best comic book movies ever transposed to film. It's a slick, brooding, and highly colorful take on Logan's venture to Japan while Hugh Jackman finds new footing as the character he's played for the last thirteen years. Expectations were low after the first solo excursion for Wolverine. This is the action packed, pissed off version we've all been holding out for.
Being that I'm not too familiar with the source material that this was based on, I can honestly say that X-Men/Wolverine fans will be rabid about this movie. It's the exact action packed movie people were expecting with the first but were so absolutely disappointed with. James Mangold takes the franchise in a whole new direction and makes it his own, leaving a distinct mark that will hopefully be back for a sequel.
The Wolverine doesn't waste any time introducing needless characters like the last Wolverine movie and has a great plot with just enough twists to keep viewers thinking. The film has a foundation built on three solid elements: back story, character development and some of the most well crafted fight scenes of the summer. In fact, The Wolverine features a unique train top sequence that is perfectly executed in length and choreography. And it doesn't stop there. We get ninjas, the Yakuza and a reptilian mutant all with the intention of destroying The Wolverine. As the film begins to veer off track in to romantic territory, it ultimately shifts focus back to the task at hand: keeping the audience glued to their seats as Wolverine dispenses a heap of flesh shredding violence on those meaning to harm him.
Rating a movie is sometimes a tough decision. But in the case of The Wolverine, it's getting the highest mark of the summer so far. Going in with low expectations, this was a pleasant surprise. It's been the best comic book movie this year and probably the best X-Men franchise film we've seen yet. Despite a mid-section that was a little slow, the film picks up the pace and delivers the mutant movie we've been waiting for.
- Review by Chris George