A much stronger film than the previous Wolverine film, it's nice to have a summer film that doesn't forget to develop the characters and is willing to take the time to do so. Whilst essentially another standalone film from the X-Men films, it does pick up threads from that series and Famke Janssen makes a welcome cameo. The action is rather bloodless given all the blades flying around, but It does feel grounded, which is a welcome change from CGI destruction. Jackman can play this role in his sleep now, but he is great to watch and he has great support here from his largely Japanese cast. The final confrontation is a little anti-climactic and also predictable if the audience has been paying attention, but it doesn't spoil the film. A mid credits teaser is also sure to have the audience smiling in anticipation for the next X-Men film, already undoing some of the damage from The Last Stand in one fell swoop.
Extended Cut : doesn't really change the review but the additions are welcome as they make the fight sequences a little less bloodless. It is difficult to see why anything here was cut, except to maintain a lower rating.
If you are looking for a Blu Ray to test your home movie theatre this is as good as it gets. The Blu Ray shows as crisp a picture as I have ever seen, 4K UHD Blu Rays included. The 7.1 DTS -HD Master audio track gives your sound system a run for its money, especially during the train scene. No matter what you think of the movie itself, The Wolverine Blu Ray is the perfect disc if you want to show off your set up.
[7.8/10] (Note: this is a review of the Extended Edition of the film.) The blessing and curse of eternal life is a familiar one in fiction. What it means to be free from the specter of death, whether it would be liberating, or simply chain a person to this mortal coil, is a notion almost as old as storytelling itself. That’s because it’s a thematically fruitful one -- a tack that allows the creator to examine the value of a human life, fated to be finite, through the lens of the infinite.
The Wolverine is at its best when it takes this concept and applies it to the X-Men universe cigar-chomping, bad guy-clawing, brooder. Other movies have hinted at how Logan’s healing factor has led him to fight after fight, stretching back hundreds of years(most notably the execrable X-men Origins: Wolverine) but none has explored how that would leave him so empty and so in pain. This film treats Wolverine as a world-weary immortal, haunted by the things he’s seen, and the things he’s done, for so long.
The film’s premise is fairly straightforward for a superhero flick. After going into seclusion someplace cold and remote after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan is approached by Yukio, a sword-wielding badass whose mutant power is being able to foresee others’ deaths. She brings Logan to Tokyo to see Yashida, a dying old man whom Logan saved from the bomb at Nagasaki. Naturally, Wolverine gets lost in Yashida’s family drama, clashing with Yashida’s heir apparent son Shingen, and ends up protecting Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko from Yakuza thugs, black-clad ninjas, and other evil forces both natural and supernatural.
But what recommends The Wolverine is not its plot mechanics or the semi-convenient fashion in which Logan becomes embroiled in them. Instead, it’s the way these plot points all center around that same idea of whether eternal life is something to be grateful for, or something to lament. There’s some dimestore ruminations here and there, but the film gains strength from the way in which everything in its runtime lingers on this idea. From Japanese soldier who face the nuclear bomb and commit seppuku, to the symbolism of an unsavory hunter wounding and poisoning a bear without putting it out of his misery, to Yashida offering Logan death as a gift -- something to free him from the bonds of the living and the inescapable ghosts of his past.
It’s here that it becomes apparent what a boon it was for the original X-Men film to have cast Hugh Jackman as Logan. While Origins reduced him to spitting generic action movie one-liners (something that this film is admittedly not above), The Wolverine gives him more space to act, to show the damage the character is carrying with him, and the regret, memories, and hope that give his brooding weight. Jackman is excellent at conveying those conflicting sides of Wolverine -- the one that cannot help but step in to lend a hand to those in need, and the one that is so tired of having to fight, so beleaguered by all that he’s been through, that he just wants to leave it all behind and retreat into his own misery.
That misery is founded, at least in part, on director James Mangold and writers Mark Bomback and Scott Frank taking the endgame and aftermath of the regrettable X-Men: The Last Stand seriously. Many of the most affecting scenes in the film are those in which Logan sees apparitions of Jean Grey. In those moments, he is forced not only to relive the act of killing someone he loves dearly, but he is forced to confront the separation of that, the fact that he is destined to walk the earth, never to be able to join her in whatever comes next. Whether intended as literal or not, Jean represents the way in which such an end would be a release for Logan, a way for him not to have to carry the weight of catastrophic weapons and lost friends and blood on his hands any longer.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a mainstream superhero movie if there were not more blood to come. In that, Mangold stages some incredible and inventive action set pieces for the film, albeit ones that occasionally feel deposited into the narrative by fiat rather than natural developments. A scuffle with the Yakuza on a bullet train seems to defy the laws of physics, but creates a novel setting in which to set Wolverine to his bloody task. The way he and his foes leap and dodge support beams and each other creates a high-stakes bit of combat Similarly, a claustrophobic sword fight set in what amounts to a hospital room, with a prone patient lying in the bed, makes creative use of the space and the need for defense livens the scuffle with an object to the fight beyond “beat the bad guy.” If every comic book film needs to meet a certain action quota, Mangold does well to make it visually interesting.
To that end, The Wolverine is also a surprisingly beautiful film. Director of photography Ross Emery fills the frame with rich colors and scenes of natural beauty. Though the film does indulge in bits of seemingly questionable Eastern exoticism that I am not qualified to judge, it also serves as something of a tourist board video for Japan, showing the scenic beauty of the country in both its modern and classic guises.
The Wolverine works best when it moves like an art film, full of quiet ruminations on life and death, sumptuous visions of its main characters put into relief by their surroundings, and slow images of its protagonist moving with and against those around him. That’s why it mostly falls apart in the third act, when the film ceases to be this arty meditation with the occasional well-done fight scene, and becomes a bond movie, replete with a bunker and a sexy bad girl adversary named Viper to confront. It’s there that Wolverine fights an unconvincing transformer, and the film devolves into cliches and paint by numbers action movie tropes.
Still, while the last part of the film drags it down, up to that point it is a surprisingly sensitive portrait of a man contending with all that he’s been through, and whether it’s worth it to continue, knowing that those he love will die, more blood will be shed, and he may not be able to escape from that cycle. Mangold and especially Jackman find the meaning in that struggle, meaning that occasionally gets bogged down in plot twists and fist-fights, but which stands out for exploring how a man who cannot die would envy the one thing we all cannot help but fear.
When you forget that atrocity that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has been one of the better written characters in the Marvel Universe. The Wolverine is no exception.
Poor old Logan!! Getting beaten up more than most characters in these types of movies, and still retains his sunny disposition. Or was that a dark disposition?
Anyway...The Wolverine is one of the absolute best outings for Jackman and his Wolverine. Dark, moody, and gritty scenes one after another. Perfectly suited for the depressingly moody character that Wolverine is.
Many very nicely choreographed action sequences intermingled with some softer scenes that actually manages to deal with feelings, like love, loss, and regret, without begin cheesy. Very nicely done...
One of the other things that make this movie so good is that people that have no time invested in the superhero genre can still enjoy it. Very little to get confused about.
In a few words...
Highly entertaining!!
Recommended!!
After the very shit X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Marvel has another shake of the stick at giving our clawed friend a solo outing. Fortunately it’s not bad.
Back in World War II, Logan (aka Wolverine) saves a man from the bomb blast at Nagasaki. Years later it turns out the man has built a whole business empire, and on his death bed wants to see Logan again. During the visit, it comes to light that the man wants to leave the empire to his grand-daughter instead of his son. This angers the son, prompting him to arrange the murder of his daughter. Wolverine must protect her.
This is a remarkably coherent and simple film. It’s a tale of jealousy, covering the dark side of humanity that resides in the world outside of fiction. Not something to be expected in an X-Men spin-off superhero movie. The location barely shifts; we have a brief glimpse of the US before Logan goes back to Japan, then the rest is all set over there. This gives us a great sense of place, again a rare trait for a Marvel picture.
Mangold builds the film in such a way that it feels like more than just a vehicle for some cool action scenes. The story actually makes sense, which can’t be easy when your central character is a self-healing wolf man with metal claws. He tackles the implications of living forever head-on, suggesting that perhaps life has no meaning without death. Things only exist because they end. It’s not world-shattering stuff but it does at least give the film a sense of purpose.
That’s not to say the film is devoid of action. We spend plenty of time watching Logan smash through his enemies as creatively as possible. It’s just nice to see it all fit into a narrative for once.
There are lots of things that are a little off with The Wolverine, notably the ending, but as far as superhero films go this is definitely one of the more watchable titles produced to date.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2015/11/28/thewolverine/
Anyone watched this in 3D? Just wondering what the effects were like.
The X-Men spin-off film The Wolverine is a dark, character driven adventure. Unable to deal with the death of Jean Grey, Logan retreats to the isolation of the North American wilderness; until he's tracked down by someone from his past who's seeking to repay a life debt. The writing is quite good, particularly at exploring Logan's grief and at showing how immortality has worn on him. The stunt work is also especially well-done, with dynamic and fast-paced action sequences. Additionally, the cinematography and score do an impressive job at creating a mysterious, noir-like atmosphere. One of the better films in the X-Men franchise, The Wolverine delivers a riveting thriller.
Marvel Comics, Robots, Ninjas, Wolverine...this should be the greatest movie ever. But it's definitely not - to me, this was one of the most disappointing X-Men movies around.
And add to that the slightly creepy sub-story of Wolverine sleeping with his old friends grand-daughter.
How could they do this???
"I saw you die."
"When? Just now?"
"A while ago. But it's not like I get a complete picture, more like looking through a keyhole. But I'm always right. All I can see is one part of a person's life: their death. And I saw yours."
"What did you see?"
"I see you on your back, there's blood everywhere. You're holding your own heart in your hand."
I know this wasn't an intentional allusion to the 2017 Logan's ending in 2013, but goddamn if that line doesn't really sound prophetic after rewatching Logan a bunch of times.
"You wanted the truth, I told you the truth!"
"I didn't like it."
"Wow. How'd you know there was a pool down there?"
"I didn't."
--
"What kind of monster are you?"
"The Wolverine."
Fuckin' mic drop right there.
Well, it wouldn't be a movie discussing monsters set in Japan without a mecha-version of said monster.
Man, the building codes in Japan must be fucking strict to handle Travis Pastrana and the entire 2000 X-Games Moto X Freestyle team riding on those roofs without damage.
"My waifu snow-chips all the boys in the road, and Logan's like 'Damn, that's fucked up even for me!'"
Oh, good, Natasha Henstridge has shed her Species skin.
"Logan-san. Reports of my death have been intentionally exaggerated."
"I got conned by a cancerous old man who offered me death in exchange for my healing powers, and I didn't even see it coming!"
"You asked me to come say goodbye. Sayonara!"
Man, at least this Logan got to have a few of his comic-appropriate mic drops.
Welp, onward toward the emotionally devastating Logan to finish my FoX-Men franchise rewatch.
This is why Wolverine is my number 1 character ever. Well, not because of this very movie but I was fairly satisfied with what I was given. His development was displayed really well. I cant help feeling though, it could have been so much better. I love Wolverine but not this movie.
Run of the mill marvel movie action scenes were well crafted and rather good looking
Boys and girls, pay attention! Choose Yukio over Mariko. Choose the one who would give up her life for you, instead of the one you have to repeatedly give up your life for.
Also, I saw the final reveal from a mile away.
To be specific, 6.9
The quality jump from the previous Wolverine film to this one is just incredible and I think it is fair to say that all credit needs to go to the masterful direction from James Mangold who just knows how to do Wolverine and superhero films correctly. I find the story very interesting in this film as Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) is asked to see an old friend in Japan before he dies and ends up having to protect the granddaughter from her own family but also the yakuza.
I think the casting is great in this film as Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) straight up kills it and gets to stretch more of his dramatic jobs with this one, Rila Fukushima (Yukio) is great playing opposite and I think Hiroyuki Sanada (Shingen Harada) is extremely underrated/underused in this film. Also, the action sequences in this film are nearly all flawless and the bullet train scene just feels like a comic book come to life and though the ending feels a tad tacked on it is pretty badass watching wolverine just be him. Another massive plus is the setting of this film as it uses the stage of Japan perfectly as it sets the tone within the first few minutes (the opening is just amazing) and modern-day Japan is used so well.
The main drawbacks of this film are it lacks a solid villain as it feels tacked on and also I really didn't like the flashbacks with Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) as I always felt that romance was forced. Also, I feel like fox may have nuked the film to a PG13 as this film feels like it might have been shot like an r-rated film.
Otherwise, this film just proves that in the right hands you can make a really good Wolverine movie that I feel stays true to the comic but also to the character while building the world around him better.
I just rewatched this whole movie just for the end credits. It gives me chills.
Starts out good with Logan dealing with the loss of Jean. If the whole point of this movie was to bring him back from his agony I wonder why they choose the Japan angle. No, I don't read the comics. What I mean is that the whole story seemed to generic. You could have substituted him for any character and it would have worked as well.
Robbing Wolverine of his healing abilities was a nice idea but you know it wouldn't last. Unfortunately the story went a bit of the rails. The romance with Mariko, telegraphed from afar, makes no sense. I know that years have past since Jean's death but he's still madly in love with her. It feels so Hollywood to bring in someone new for him to fall in love with, too.
And the final fight is like something out of the computergame genre where you fight the big boss at the end of the level. An adamantium samurai with glowing swords is a bit too much for me. And the reveal was obvious as well.
Oh, I almost forgot Viper. That's because she's just that: forgettable.
So, first half great, second half meh. That's a rounded seven.
This has to be my favorite Wolverine movie, watched it a few times and i love the scene where they are fighting:
What kind of monster are you? , The wolverine
Wolverine is just so badass in this movie as he should be.
A good story line and an awesome beginning to this series.
Japan is a cool setting but the story isn't the best, especially the end. The action is great.
Otro (mal) capítulo de “Wolverine y sus amigos”.
La veía y decía para mis adentros -…y pensar que la pudo haber dirigido Aronofsky-.
¿Saben que fue lo mejor de la película? La escena después de créditos. A pesar de que ya sabía de qué iba, me emocionó. Creo que no fui el único, hubo exclamaciones de júbilo en la sala del cine que durante la película estaba medio muerta.
Moderate spin-off with samurai. So much action, so little addition to the general uniwersum plot.
Yes, it's better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine but it's a crap too like that film. I cannot endure the idea that Logan is always in the sights of a villain who wants to take advantage of his powers for another reason, always always!!! And I never understood that stupid thing that FOX did it with Charles Xavier, returning it to life for art of magic, no reason or story for this. I give him a 5 stars rate just because of the special effects (much better that the Origins movie).
Wolverine's adventures in the land of weebs
I HATE the fact that Viper is constantly called bitch GOD
The Wolverine Adventures in Japan
It was better than Wolverine: Origins.
Overall The Wolverine, although not perfect, is a fun superhero film that gets a lot of things right about what makes the Wolverine character so popular.
One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Weak sauce doesn't even begin to describe this.
The other X-Men flicks are better than the Wolverine, since the second part of the movie is not that great: IMHO it is over the top (e.g. all those Black Clan ninjas needed to stopping Wolverine or the robot made out of adamantium) and uninspired (oooh, Yashida does not want to die and tries to force Wolverine to give up his healing powers, how original). Therefore I disagree with most people here because they say that Wolverine Origin was worse, some even say the worst movie of the whole franchise: for me it is the other way around! But it is still enjoyable, especially the first half and I'm looking forward to watching "Days of Future Past" soon.
Good action , bad acting from Yukio
The Wolverine was really mediocre but I guess I went in expecting that so no real surprise there.
Wolverine v Japonsku? Proč ne… Hugh Jackman si zahraje na Liama Neesona z Taken a chrání mladou Asiatku. O filmu jsem četl dosti kritické hodnocení a po zhlédnutí filmu netuším proč. Já se totiž vážně bavil. Zpracování rvaček a soubojů mi připomínalo filmy z 80. A 90. let a hrozně se mi to líbilo. Nebáli se použít jisté asijské rysi a dodat zajímavé souboje s japonskými meči. Do toho několik působivých zvratů a temnější/drsnější atmosféra a byl jsem opravdu velice spokojen. Rozhodně třeba zmínit poslední část filmu, která je opravdu nabitá velkými souboji a dochází i na boss fight. Wolverine má všechno, co by měl klasický akční thriller s Liam Neesonem mít a dodává to, co by měl japonský béčkový snímek mít. Pokud neočekáváte obrovský blockbuster, budete stejně nadšeni jako já a vaše nadšení může zkazit akorát neustále objevující se Jean, která je po chvíli vážně otravná a kazí celý dojem z filmu. Soundtrack je nevýrazný a z hereckého obsazení poznáte jedině Jackmana, ale to ve výsledku nic neznamená, když je to tak super film. 90%
Horrible!!!
Wasted time....
Finales escondidos... salvando peliculas desde su creacion
This movie is incredibly bad.
As geeks are probably its primary audience you get kinda cute japanese girl wearing cute japanese styles outfites, tough no panty shots. Also some scene in akiba for fanservice.
bleeh, what a bad movie. very stupid scène ontop of the train. everybody with a brsin knows that you do not have to struggle agsints the speed of a train when it is not accelerating or slowing down.
If you can't work out that the old guy isn't dead you need to switch your brain back on. Very predictable and formulaic.
As a few people are saying the best thing about this one is the stinger after the credits.
Overal I liked it but the ending made it an 8 en not a 9.
Based on miller/claremonts wolverine. Reread the comic and it's very loosesly based on it
It misses some critcal elements of the comic but nevertheless I liked it.
More creative and stylish than most Marvel films. Final fight got fairly lame though.
It was fun to watch but a little bit predictable.
final fight killed the movie :/
The last twenty minutes just killed it for me.
So predictable. I was disappointed.
i didnt know about the teaser so i left before the end of the credits! do you guys know where i can find the teaser?? i've looked all over the internet!!
Logan is the one and only!
predictable and 1 funny joke - a waste of time and money
Never dissapoints.
fuckin amazing man. cant wait for the next X-Men movie...
Oh man, I totally just left one of the night showings and didn't stay for the after-credits teaser :( Anyway, this was a great Wolverine movie, perhaps the best one, and one of the few movies lately that haven't made me yawn during.
Loved the Japanese setting and loved the new characters, I hope we can revisit them at a later movie... The ending definitely left open a possibility for a new adventure with Logan and Yukio!
Slow burner but needed to be an 18
After the movie, there's a teaser! Donot leave before watching it!
Awesome movie Hugh Jackman is just quality as The Wolverine no one better than him ^.^
Just came back from one of the night showings of this movie only a few hours ago...
I've always been a huge fan of the X-Men, and an even bigger fan of the Wolverine separately. I was delighted to see that this movie definitely lived up to my expectations. It was exciting, action packed, an overall fun experience to watch and, of course, Hugh Jackman plays a fantastic Wolverine.
There is also a really neat spoiler after the credits hinting to a new X-Men movie. It definitely made it worthwhile to go see in theater.
I'd recommend that anyone goes to see it, especially those of you who are huge Marvel (or X-Men) fans. Its brilliant!
There is a scene after the credits, a pretty good one too!
Hopefully after this we can forget about X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Fuck that movie sucked.
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2013-12-20T15:28:08Z
I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would be.
The Wolverine is a dark and deep film more concentrated in Logan's curse of life. He is imortal and he is constantly aware of the fact that he will live forever while the ones who he love and care about will die. He don't feel pain but he lives in constant pain inside. So, I what I really appreciated more in the film was the study of the character.
There are a little bit of clichès in the story but a lot of pretty cool action scenes, beautiful japanese sceneries and Hugh Jackman is great in the role of Wolverine. I can't imagine another actor doing it.