THE WOLVERINE – The Review

One of the many concerns of actors (besides whether they’ll find work) is the fear of being typecast. That is being thought of for one kind of role. This may be why some actors don’t wish to reprise a role. The exception would be James Bond, with Sean Connery and Roger Moore each going on seven missions (and collecting some big paychecks). Well now the super hero roles are replacing that super spy for some actors ready to head into a string of big screen blockbusters. Hugh Jackman has now set a record for playing the same comic book based hero in the most feature films. Since 2000 Jackman has donned the claws of Logan AKA Wolverine in six movies (this includes the terrific cameo in 2011’s X MEN: FIRST CLASS), with next Summer’s X MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST still in production. But Robert Downey, Jr. is gaining with five appearances as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, including a cameo in 2008’s THE INCREDIBLE HULK and, of course, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS 2: THE AGE OF ULTRON scheduled for 2015. But this week’s new release is technically the second solo outing for Logan. Will THE WOLVERINE satisfy the fan’s more than the 2009 misfire WOLVERINE: X MEN ORIGINS?

The immortal Logan (Jackson) is haunted by the nightmares from his long past. We first see him as a P.O.W. at a Japanese camp during the last days of World War II as he saves a young frightened guard when the big bomb is dropped. As Logan wakes he is greeted by a recent love, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). But after the events of X MEN: THE LAST STAND, she is merely a ghostly memory. He wakes again in his tent in the Yukon wilderness. Logan is now a solitary mountain man. But when some irresponsible hunters cause havoc, he ventures into town to confront them. At their local pub, Logan meets the magenta-haired Yukio (Rila Fukushima) who has been tracking him. She convinces Logan to return with her to Japan per the request of her adopted grandfather, the electronics magnate Yashida. At the estate outside Tokyo, Logan meets the aged, dying man, who turns out to be that young guard he had saved nearly seventy years ago. Yashida wants to thank him for that act of kindness, and to give him a gift: mortality. His scientists have found a way to turn Logan into a normal man. But as he mulls over the offer, tragedy strikes and the Wolverine must go into action in order to protect Yashida’s beautiful young granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto). But can the now suddenly vulnerable X-man stand up to Yakusa gangsters, ninja assassins, and a deadly new mutant menace?

Jackman slips into Logan’s persona like throwing on a warm bathrobe. His assured performance has satisfied the most hard-core comix fans (in the books, Logan is an ill-tempered Canadian fireplug well under six feet tall unlike the lanky buffed Aussie actor). But our hero is not just a slicing, dicing, action machine. Logan is haunted by his past. You can almost feel his yearning for the life of a regular “Joe”. But his caring heart won’t let him stop coming to the aid of the innocents. Jackman’s comfortable giving us the big dramatic moments and the quick jokes as he leaps into battle against impossible odds. Luckily Janssen’s Jean appears several times during the film to explain more of Logan’s moral conflicts. Fukushima is a terrific action sidekick (almost a Robin to Jackson’s very Dark Knight), deadly with a sword and a great guide through Eastern customs (and her physic gifts come in handy). Okamoto is more than a standard damsel in distress as she challenges Logan and often joins him in the fight. Russian screen star Svetlana Khodchenkova also impresses as the sinister, slithery, sexy killer known as Viper.

James Mangold (3:10 TO YUMA) tries to balance the big action sequences with intimate character interplay against the dazzling Tokyo locations. Particularly a fight atop a speeding bullet train is just plain spectacular following hot on the heels of an all out assault at a memorial ceremony. Sure there’s a bit of damage done to towns and cities, but it was a relief to see a comic book-based flick end with flipping, crashing cars and tumbling, crumbling buildings. The script from Mark Bomback, Scott Frank, and Christopher McQuarrie gives us the tough action with the tender moments. This is a tense, taut, lean, well-paced action flick that’s an entertaining showcase for this fan favorite character. Oh, and be sure and stick around when the end credits begin to roll when we get a tease of Logan’s next big story. Get those claws sharpened. Looks like there’s little rest for the Wolverine.

4 Out of 5 Stars