Director: James Mangold
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hal Yamanouchi, Famke Janssen
Running Time: 126 minutes
Certificate: 12
There’s no denying that when most of us originally heard THE WOLVERINE was on its way that there was a little scepticism, especially after the dreadful X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE that tailed off after X-MEN:THE LAST STAND and then Darren Aronofsky abandoned the project, which left us in limbo regarding what might be coming up.
Nevertheless, when X-MEN: FIRST CLASS reignited the series with a slick, controlled and smart addition to the franchise and then James Mangold came on board to take the directorial reigns, there was a glimmer of hope and so I’m pleased to say that THE WOLVERINE is one of the best main character-focused X-MEN stories we’ve had so far.
THE WOLVERINE kicks off with the atomic bomb being dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 where he’s being held as a POW. Our sharp-clawed anti-hero has the advantage of being kept in a rather deep hole in the ground but finds time to save a young Japanese soldier called Yashidi who Wolverine then saves as he soaks up the radiation instead. Leaping forward to the present day, we find him going full-beard and hiding in the Canadian mountains, seemingly from his past. When he heads into town to find vengeance for the death of a Grizzly Bear friend, he instead gets taken away by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), a Japanese redheaded girl who’s pretty sharp with a blade herself and keen to take him back to her master.
Once we’re back in Japan after a flight and an amusing rough-wash sequence, there are touches of cliché but the action on-screen outweigh the momentary lulls with sharp, cut-throat fight scenes that are entwined with a very intriguing personal development of Wolverine’s character. We undoubtedly get to see and understand the dilemma with his existence but thankfully it’s also merged sufficiently into the dark humour that we come to expect from Jackman’s tortured character. There’s a bullet-train sequence that’s very undersold in the original trailers and is, in fact, brilliantly done to hold and increase the dramatic tension with perfect pace.
James Mangold had quite the task on his hands here and although we don’t really understand why we should care for Yashidi and his family in the long term, it doesn’t take away from the pure entertainment value that’s here in abundance. Although saying this, the finale, with a Robotic Samurai taking on the angry Wolverine, does feel a little overblown and, sadly, unnecessary. We also see moments of the power of Svetlana Khodchenkova’s Viper, who is equally stunning and deadly, but it’s another underdeveloped character despite a lot of promise.
Overall though, if you’re out there looking for something much stronger and substantial than previous offerings, then you’re in the right place with THE WOLVERINE. The Blu-ray also comes with a brilliant ‘Second Screen’ app (Scroll down for more info and screenshots!) that you can either sync to the film as you’re watching it or vice versa. I tried it out and it’s impressively inventive. You’ve got screen-test style shots, behind-the-scenes artwork and the easy opportunity to share what you’ve discovered across social networks. What this does is increase the chance of a re-watch and really enhances the experience which is, of course, what this kind of app and any extras should be about.
Also included is a little teaser for DAYS OF FUTURE PAST with a classic Marvel move and also Bryan Singer taking you on a tour of the set and filming. There are numerous other extras and can be found by clicking here.
THE WOLVERINE is out now on Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray and DVD. You can pick up a copy here: http://amzn.to/19kjzE3
The Wolverine Second Screen app allows viewers to immerse themselves in the Wolverine world, unlocks exclusive videos and enhanced bonus materials and more.
iOS – http://bit.ly/1aOP4H5
Amazon – http://amzn.to/I2zO3t
Google play: http://bit.ly/1bACXP2
