7/10
July 28, 2013
Here we are again with another solo Wolverine outing, but being one of the coolest comic book characters out there that is fine by me. I can also gladly say it is much better than the cheesy and generic previous outing, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It also (mostly) steers away from the conventional comic book movie, which is refreshing.
The movie takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand and Wolverine is living in Yukon, near Alaska, because he has sworn off fighting. A girl named Yukio finds him there hoping to convince him to come to Tokyo, Japan, to see her employer, Yashida. Wolverine saved Yashida during World War II when the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Yashida now owns the most powerful corporation in Japan and wants to say his goodbyes to Wolverine because he is dying. After some bickering, he agrees to go, but the goodbye visit is far from what he was expecting.
Most of the film plays out more like an action thriller, which is a nice change from most comic movies. Hugh Jackman is in top form here, who always does an excellent job as Wolverine. It also features two strong performances from the female lead characters, Yukio and Mariko, both granddaughters of Yashida, who are played by unknown actors. The backdrops of various areas of Japan are oftentimes beautiful and serene. The movie also has a strong script, an excellent musical score, and strong direction.
My only real gripe with the movie is that it switches to cheesy, generic territory towards the very end. It really comes out of nowhere and why the sudden change I don’t really get.
It might not be quite the film Wolverine and Hugh Jackman deserve, but it is an admirable effort. It is one of the better X-Men films, and I think it is worth a gander.