The Wolverine

THE WOLVERINE

Director : James Mangold

Year : 2013

Genre : Superhero

Rating : ***

 

Hugh Jackman once again dons the sideburns and Adamantium claws in James Mangold's muddled but fun 'The Wolverine', which serves as a sequel to 2006's 'X - Men : The Last Stand' and continues to explore the mystery of the reclusive antihero. Set in Japan, the movie is part superhero fare, part martial arts and this combination makes for some truly exhilarating action scenes that are well choreographed and beautifully shot by cinematographer Amir Mokri. However, the screenplay fails to match up to the high quality of the fight scenes and story arcs and this does seem to drag the film down to a snails pace at various points throughout. But thanks to a good central performance by Jackman as well as a strong supporting cast and a story which is involving and diverting, 'The Wolverine' is the true spin off that fans deserve, not the train wreck that was 2009's 'X - Men Origins : Wolverine' that failed to impress even the softest hearted critics.

The movie begins in 1945 when the moment the atomic bomb lands on the Japanese town of Nagasaki. During the chaos, Logan (who we all know as Wolverine) saves the life of a young police officer who pledges an ancient sword to him in gratitude. Promising to return to collect the rare artefact, Logan leaves Japan behind and turns into the hero we all know and love; becoming an X - Men and thwarting the evil Magneto. However, he is haunted by the death of his love Jean Grey and is troubled by the gift that he has been forced upon him. Due to the Adamantium skeleton he was given by general Stryker years before, Logan is indestructible and therefore, immortal. But he wants nothing more than to remove the metal from his body and die a contented man, rather than seeing those he loves die one by one. After Jean's death. Logan becomes a recluse living in the mountains of Canada but his life takes a turn when a young Japanese girl tells him that the young man whose life he saved in Nagasaki is now dying and wishes to say goodbye to him in person. Reluctantly he returns to Japan to say farewell to his long lost friend. However, as they speak for what is meant to be the final time, the now old man reveals a secret plan that could not only destroy Logan's life but also the lives of those around him.

Best known for his Johnny Cash biopic 'Walk The Line', James Mangold may not be the most obvious choice to direct an 'X - Men' spin off, but to his credit, he does a pretty good job in conveying the frustration and inward terror felt by the titular Wolverine. Combining elements of film noir with the traditional superhero conventions, Mangold creates a hypnotic world which is filled with mystery, depth and a real sense of threat. Unlike the other 'X - Men' films, 'The Wolverine' really delves deep into the psyche of Logan and we are given a much bigger portrait of a man who just wants to die and this direction really pushes the film out of the superhero genre and into the subgenre created by Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' trilogy; the cerebral psychological study posing as a popcorn blockbuster. As mentioned earlier, the screenplay fails to evoke much in the audience and to me, it is by far the weakest element of the film. However, the imagery and the acting overcomes this and surrounds us in a dark, strange and sometimes bloody world. This may be a good thing, but it is also the film's shortcoming. Relying too much on the admittedly beautiful noir sheen, Mangold unintentionally separates 'The Wolverine' from any of the previous 'X - Men' movies and this does alienate and push us away from the universe created by the five films that came before it. Watching the film, I was really hoping for the regular mutants to appear, but instead we are left to watch Logan deal with his internal struggles for over two hours and this does become tiresome at some points.

Hugh Jackman is as charismatic as always as the ferocious Wolverine and manages to make the character seem genuine and real, despite the farce and ridiculousness of it's initial concept. In 'X - Men Origins : Wolverine', his claws became the central focus rather than concentrating on the man behind the blades. Here, Jackman is allowed to explore his character and also deliver a brilliant performance. At the beginning of the movie, we see a man unshaven, bedraggled and on the verge of suicide;  a grim shadow of his glorious and triumphant self. The events of his turbulent life have taken a heavy toll on him and all he wants is his life to end. In fact, Jackman's costume is not too dissimilar as his look at the beginning of the magisterial 'Les Miserables' and I was just waiting for him to unsheathe his claws and sing 'What Have I Done?'  Alas he doesn't, but what he does do is find a beating heart behind the Adamantium ribcage of Wolverine, a character who could be so easily played as a campy, fun, boring antihero.

The special effects in 'The Wolverine' are actually pretty impressive and to me, a filmmaker has finally been able to make the Adamantium blades look realistic. In every other 'X - Men' film, they looked incredibly fake and sometimes created inadvertent laughter, even during a tense action scene or a tender emotional moment. Due to the somewhat restrained use of Wolverine's powers, Mangold successfully manages to generate the fear and tension that should be felt whenever Logan unveils his deadly weapons. Even though very little blood is shown, the illusion of stabbing, evisceration and impaling is very well realised and this makes the movie much darker and edgier than most other superhero films. Don't worry, the film isn't bloody at all and is completely suitable for children and teenagers. Just be wary of the slow tone and the sometimes grim character arcs that nay unsettle younger viewers,

For fans of 'X - Men', 'The Wolverine' is the spin off movie you have been waiting for. It is full of backstory, emotion and explanation and should help you to forget the abomination that is 'X - Men Origins : Wolverine'. Unfortunately, the film lacks any distinctive or memorable antagonists so it is quite difficult to engage or become emotionally invested in the loud but predictable climax. However, Hugh Jackman was clearly put on this earth to play Wolverine and does so with gusto, verve and heart and thanks to the brilliant direction by Mangold, the film is one of the most entertaining films of the Summer. It may not be as good as 'X2' or 'X - Men : First Class' but it is certainly better than a large majority of it's predecessors.

FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE PUNK/ALTERNATIVE MUSIC SCENE, THE UPCOMING BIRMINGHAM BAND 'DRAG' IS IN NEED OF SUPPORT TO HELP FUND THE RELEASE OF THEIR BRILLIANT DEBUT ALBUM 'NEUROTICA : A COMPENDIUM OF TALES REGARDING BODY AND SOUL'. GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO :

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragbirmingham/drag-neurotica-a-compendium-of-tales-regarding-bod