The Wolverine (2013) User Reviews

What Might Have Been

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 26 June 2014]

This is basically a tale of two movies. I know Hugh Jackman wanted this movie to be an adaptation of the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller comic book mini-series. You can see bits of that story here. But then you have this other stuff, far removed from that story, that seems to be studio-imposed and ultimately hurts what could have been one of the best comic book movies to date. The good stuff, the stuff worth watching this for, are the slower, quieter parts of the story. The Wolverine and Mariko parts, basically. But all of the special effects-heavy parts and the loud, flashy action sequences suck and take away from the impact the movie would have otherwise had. There's probably no better example than the different climactic battle scenes. Wolverine vs Shingen is a much more powerful, emotional scene than the shallow, garish stuff with Viper and a guy in robot armor.

I don't really blame James Mangold. No doubt it was Fox's interference that caused the problems and also caused Darren Aronofsky to bail before filming. You can see a better movie underneath this one. But Fox didn't have the guts to make that movie. Probably felt it wasn't commercial enough. Needed more robots and CGI fights on top of a speeding train. Still, it's good enough to watch and enjoy most of it. It's certainly miles better than the last Wolverine movie. But I can't help but feel sad thinking about what might have been. They very well could have given Wolverine his own 'Batman Begins' but instead we get just another watchable popcorn movie with hints at something more substantial.

biased review of Wolverine fan

[sam_smithreview · 8/10 · 6 May 2016]

I've been a fair fan of the series of the whole. Even the weaker installments I thoroughly enjoyed, so my review is already weighed in favor of this film. I will say even from a critics point of view I thought it was really well done. It's not the standard comic book fairy tale, but more of an intrinsic study of the Wolverine character. He shows a lot of depth and vulnerability in this outing, far more than previous installments. It's a risky but necessary move to see him operate on a balance challenge where he really is prone to death at any moment. The humor is matched well with the drama for an interesting viewing all the way through. All the supporting roles I found interesting as well. I really enjoyed the presence of Yukio who provided invaluable aide despite Wolverine's incessant protests. I found it nice to see his character finally develop some closure after all the time we've get to see him in all his cinematic installments.

Worthy successor

[Vartiainen · 7/10 · 14 February 2014]

I didn't much care for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Hugh Jackman still was, and always will be, a brilliant Wolverine, but the other characters felt lackluster, the villain was weak and the storyline didn't fit well with the other X-Men movies. It didn't have the same feel.

For some time it seemed that the poor critical performances of both that and X-Men 3 would mean there would be no more movies with Wolverine in them, at least in a leading role. Luckily, the film makers decided to do one more and if this particular movie is going to be the last one, I for one can move on happy with what I got.

The Wolverine is a movie that works both as a continuation of the X-Men storyline, as well as a standalone movie. The focus is kept heavily on Hugh Jackman, which works for the movie's advantage. There are some callbacks to the events of the trilogy, but as a whole I think this film could have worked just as well without them, if not better, as they are a bit distracting from time to time. But most of the time the focus is on where it should be. In this movie Logan travels to Japan in order to meet an old acquaintance, who wants to settle old scores before his demise. In Japan we get some gorgeous scenery, nice atmosphere, intriguing settings, believable characters, all that good stuff.

I especially liked Tao Okamoto's character Mariko, the granddaughter of Wolverine's old friend. Jackman and Okamoto have brilliant chemistry together and when the movie slows down during the second act to give them time to simply interact with one another, it feels justified. Usually that kind of slowing down in an action movie feels boring and unneeded, even sappy, but here it works because the actors have the skills to pull it off. Which is a great thing, because it gives the movie more depth and we get a chance to know Wolverine in a new way that the Origins movie tried to reach, but never could because of its lack of emotional maturity.

Unfortunately this film has one major flaw and that is the unbelievably weak villain, known as Viper. Her actress, Svetlana Khodchenkova, just doesn't have the screen presence or acting skills to give the character any memorable attributes. She merely stands there, struts around in her skintight suit and spouts the dialogue. That's it. Sure part of that is poor writing, but it's still rather jarring because the two main protagonists are so damn good. If only the villain had been as good, this could easily have been one of the best Marvel movies yet made.

As it is, it's still fine. The two main characters are very good, most of the side characters do a good job as well, the action works wonderfully, the Japanese setting gives the film a nice coating of majesty and even the story, while nothing that extraordinary, functions well enough for us to enjoy it. The villain is weak, very weak in fact, which keeps the film from being great, but you can overlook it and focus on the good stuff.

Tremendously Smart and Engaging. A Joy To Watch!

[StarkTech · 24 July 2013]

If there's one major element that truly sets this picture apart from any other standard "solid" comic book movie is the way through which the director communicates the experience of being Wolverine. His healing factor and the idea of out-living everyone you know is daunting and depressing. Finding purpose after facing true vulnerability adds so much to the character and FAR more than we've seen before. Tremendous visual and emotional imagery is presented throughout the movie and provides the viewer with greater insight into the hero and even the villains. This one screams quality from the opening through the amazing final act. I've seen it mentioned that the resolution deviates from the comic books but I honestly couldn't care less. What hits the screen more then works in movie form.

For those going into this flick expecting simple fun, prepare to enjoy but prepare to be surprised. Fun is not the only piece of this pie. In fact, I think movie fans of all kind will be stunned at how many levels this movie delivers upon. This is an action packed but surprisingly deep film that, for me, really delivers. The Wolverine will leave your movie-going senses on high and I honestly can't wait to see it again.

Back to Basics!

[sohansurag · 7/10 · 24 December 2013]

Wolverine is one of the iconic characters in both the Marvel Universe as well as the 20th Century Fox's movies; so is his Adamantium claws and healing factor. An immortal and living through ages he does have a lot of stories ready to be told through movies/comics. We did get an Origin movie, X-Men Origins Wolverine which was panned by critics and audiences alike. But I felt it was trashed more than it deserved to be. It had loads of action and bits from the original Wolverine Origin story arc but it did trash the character for the sake of being an action-heavy summer blockbuster. A weak script, irrelevant characters and a stupid take on 'the merc with a mouth' underwhelmed the audiences. Anyways The Wolverine salvages some of its lost prestige putting a lot of focus on the core character.

Rumors that Darren Aronofsky'd be helming the new Wolverine had me excited but the director's chair was handed over to James Mangold in the end. I am not skeptic at all regarding Mangold's directing prowess, as evident from gems like 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the line and Identity. But I was wondering how he'd handle a superhero flick. After watching it, its safe to say Mangold's direction is far better than what I'd expected it to be.

The Wolverine is undoubtedly based on Frank Miller's take on the superhero and I was already familiar with the names Mariko, Shingen and Yukio. It all came like a whiff of fresh air. The Wolverine is sort of a reboot for the series and a brilliant stepping stone for a new franchise which could tell a parallel story to the X-Men movies. Although it has its roots attached to the previous flicks, we are dropped into the midst of Wolverine's story. There ain't no origin, there ain't no 'Previously'; instead we are just dropped into a narrative which ploughs forward to the thick of Japan. The Wolverine could be compared to treatment our superheros been getting recently. He's been stripped off his healing factors and he is left like so almost the entire movie and it does bring out some tension. I mean when he had the healing power, we knew he wouldn't just die even if she's split into two (admit it!)

The Wolverine is directed well and so was it well written and the action sequences well choreographed but its not without its flaws though. As mentioned above The Wolverine still has the debris it's carried on from X-Men The Last Stand and I wasn't pleased with it. Wolverine has flashbacks of his lost love? Seriously? Isn't it time his healing factor took care of that already? I mean its the god-damn Wolvie we're talking about here. Jean Grey's flashbacks (more like boring nightmares and more than once) kept crawling into the plot disrupting the pace and I just didn't like it. Of course Wolverine is tormented from what he'd done in the past but that doesn't mean, we the audience need to be tormented from start to end. The Japan setting was a bit distracting as well and maybe thats a personal thing. I am not a big fan of Martial arts movies and there was an excess of martial arts settings and jargon here in the movie though it all did look good. Props were fantastic and the action sequences thick, especially the Bullet Train sequence is something to gape at.

Hugh Jackman effortlessly steps into his Wolverine shoes for the 6th time and having worked with Mangold in Kate & Leopold did wonders for The Wolverine. This is the Logan we've all praised and been used to and Hugh easily slides into the role and storyline straight from X-Men The Last Stand albeit forgetting X-Men Origins Wolverine. But then again playing Wolverine would have become second instinct for Hugh by now. Supporting cast couldn't be praised for the same, most of them being just bait for the plot. Especially Wolverine love interest in the movies, I felt they had absolutely no chemistry. Rila Fukushima did an absolutely splendid job playing Yukio. I had huge expectations for Svetlana Khodchenkova who played the only other mutant in the movie, Viper but she just served for some eyecandy and wasn't even fleshed up to be a proper antagonist.

For what its worth, The Wolverine is a splendid action movie which concentrates more on the character and the plot than heavy heavy action sequences. If you are an X-Men/Wolverine fan you are gonna love it and please do stay back after the credits coz there is a monumental end- credit to be seen there.

Incredible spin-off

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 22 November 2019]

Despite the third act being drastically different in tone to the previous two acts (but it's still fun and enjoyable), The Wolverine is an incredible spin-off that's thrilling and emotional, showing the effects of the events of X-Men 3 on Wolverine/Logan. Hugh Jackman gives a reliably incredible performance as Wolverine once again. Hiroyuki Sanada and Rila Fukushima both give great supporting performances. James Mangold's direction is great and the action sequences are fantastic. The music by Marco Beltrami is really good.

Enjoyment will depend on familiarity.

[tdub154420 · 9/10 · 26 July 2013]

First and foremost I must say that I absolutely loved this movie. But as I will cover in my review it may largely be due to the fact that I have always held the source material of this film in very high regard. Having said that, I do recognize that their may be a sliding scale of enjoyability for this film. If you are a fan of the 1983 Claremont/Miller miniseries of Wolverine then this is the movie you have been waiting for. If you are fond of the character Wolverine and interested into delving deeper into his chronology and exploring his inner conflicts, you will certainly enjoy this movie. If however, you have no familiarity, or no desire to familiarize with the character of Wolverine, you may find yourself not caring about many of the slower moments and longing for a more evenly paced action film.

Fans of Claremont's Wolverine rejoice, this Wolverine does it right. The film does its best keeping characters intact while deviating from the comics in the sake of a self contained story and grander character development. There are several of the shots in this film that are near recreations of the comic's original panels, and although story lines have been shifted and shuffled in some places, its all there. Mariko, Yukio, Harada, Shingen and Viper may develop differently than in the comic series, but their relation to each other and contextual significance is intact. As a Wolverine fan it was also nice to see a meaningful relationship blossom between Wolverine and Mariko, unlike the comics where it really is love at first sight. Instead here Wolverine falls in love not entirely with the character of Mariko, but rather with the idea of being a protector, a take that is a welcome addition to the Claremont storyline. The characters of Silver Samurai and Viper undergo the largest facelift in this film, but it isn't entirely out of place. Let us not forget they were involved in the X Men issues directly connecting to the Wolverine miniseries. Although their characters have undertaken slight adjustments in order to incorporate ideas from the Fatal Attractions storyline, the plot does well to take from Wolverine's side of this storyline because it was one of the few times in the series where Logan did feel vulnerable. Many fans will recognize that the plot device and character of Master Yashida cannot be found in any of the original comics, but one must keep in mind it serves as a useful device to connect all the developments of Logan's journey. All in all I think its the best character study of Wolverine that any fan could ask for. Wolverine struggles with his animalistic urges and his commitment to reform, he grapples to find meaning in his endless immortality, and he ultimately finds purpose and resolution that he had not before. None of these developments are significantly or profoundly discovered, rather they are slowly revealed, which may turn casual movie goers off from enjoying this film. As a thoughtful exploration of Wolverine's character and a grand homage to incredible source material though, how can any Wolverine fan say no to this movie? It is the best X-Men movie and one of the best comic based movies.

For those who would not consider themselves fans, but are rather moviegoers intent on enjoying a superhero epic, be warned. This film is a character study, it does not grapple with any conflicts outside of Wolverine's internal struggles. The world is not being threatened, and not many lives outside of Logan's are even being threatened, so the storyline does not crescendo in epic suspense like the Avengers or the Dark Knight. So for those not invested in Wolverine's personal self discovery, some of the action can seem unmotivated and the pacing an obstacle to satisfaction. The film does its job in providing action sequences, but it intersperses several moments of symbolic soul searching, cryptic metaphors and relationship building that serve as pavement for Wolverine's self discovery. This movie can still be enjoyable without interest in Wolverine's inner conflicts however. With an outstanding supporting cast, a beautiful setting, and gripping and intense action sequences, it plays a lot like a token Bond film for those unfamiliar with Wolverine.

Whether you are familiar with the original comics or not, this movie will certainly provide entertaining thrills and intriguing themes. If, however, you are a fan of the original comic books, this film is a wonderful achievement.

Logan finally gets a stand-alone film to do him justice

[hbk_nwo33 · 7/10 · 25 August 2013]

Logan's latest adventure is undeniably a step-up from X-Men Origins: Wolverine but it falls short of the standard set by X-Men: First Class.

It was great to see Logan out of his usual environment, and it was a fresh location for superhero films in general from their usual US base but for the most part, especially the action scenes, they could have been anywhere. The Japanese location felt underutilised in setting this film apart from others in its genre. The action scenes are good, even if they do raise a few continuity questions, and the last third of the film is certainly filled with action, twists and turns. James Mangold managed to succeed where Origins did not, he managed to introduce a whole cast of characters but they generally all felt developed and not just crammed in for the sake of it.

The film's biggest disappointment though was that it felt like it slipped back into the comfort of it's western formula, taking it from achieving the potential the story had, especially when Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct. The source material presented an opportunity for Logan's darkest and edgiest movie yet, but what we gets feels familiar but in a new location. Where it does set itself apart from previous entries with its dream sequences, which vary from good to distracting, but at least they tried something new.

Make sure you don't leave the cinema when the credits hit though, if you've not learnt the Marvel formula yet then you might want to consider doing so.

Overall, The Wolverine is a fun film but one that falls short of its potential. Hugh Jackman is still a perfect fit for Logan, and it was a nice change to see the character in a new environment and in his own story (Origins was not really a solo outing).

The Wolverine

[0U · 12 February 2020]

Wolverine plus Samurai makes a pretty good combination for me. A great film that is based on the X-Men comic books and movie series.

Simple but good

[Movie_Rating_n_Ranking · 7/10 · 24 January 2023]

I like the fact that this movie feels like an anthology story, separated from the X-Men canon to show a standalone story with its own ups and downs.

The film manages to eschew superhero clichés to some extent, staying for the most part in its first two acts as a pure action film, though finally falling into its rightful niche in the last act.

Regarding the characters, Viper is a cartoonish villain who feels unnecessary and out of place in the story. If we took her out of the movie, we would have a better final product.

Despite having flaws, it has good decisions in the direction. Also, it shows that there is a good budget behind it, because many technical aspects are of good quality.

I don't know how faithful the movie is to the comics, but I was quite entertained. Simple, but good.

Quite good superhero fare, but never great

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 2 December 2015]

THE WOLVERINE is a second spin off from the X-MEN franchise centred around Hugh Jackman's titular character. The first, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE was a distinctly average viewing experience, although this one's a little better. It's not the stuff of greatness, but it has novelty value which makes it more entertaining than others I've seen.

The story in a nutshell is Wolverine in Japan. The good news is that this allows a cast of Japanese supporting actors to shine, although most of them have very thin characters that seem based on cliché rather than experience. There's the damsel-in-distress, the evil black sheep family member, the old man obsessed with immortality. However, I was delighted to see Hiroyuki Sanada in a Hollywood film again (even though he's once more given a one-dimensional role, just like in RUSH HOUR 3) and surprised to notice Hal Yamanouchi (star of ENDGAME and a dozen other trashy Italian sci-fi flicks of the 1980s) in a pivotal role.

The film's execution is fine, although the story is never quite as thrilling or expertly-made as I'd been led to believe. It's Jackman and his love interest against various competing bad guys. Jackman is bulked up but his acting is on autopilot. There's a ton of bloodless action scenes, and they do feel a little grittier than in the usual superhero outing, although the train set-piece has the same about of cheesy CGI as in the Thai flick VENGEANCE OF AN ASSASSIN. THE WOLVERINE does the job, and if you're a huge X-Men fan you might like it more. Me, I lightly enjoyed it, but it's not something I'd be in a hurry to watch again.

This could be the Wolverine movie fans always wanted.

[adam-moore1308 · 8/10 · 23 July 2013]

2009's X-men Origins: Wolverine was received negatively by both critics and the majority of the fans of the character. Now the character has a chance to redeem himself with this year's the Wolverine and for the most part he does. This film has really tried to please the fans as it was loosely based on the beloved Japan story line from the comics and it is clear that the film has tried to fix the problems that were complained about in the previous solo Wolverine film. Despite taking place after the events of X-men: The Last Stand this film attempts to distance itself from the rest of the X-men characters and story and focuses solely on the Wolverine character and as a result this film feels very different to all previous X-men films. This allows for the best portrayal of Wolverine's character that we have seen so far and Hugh Jackman also delivers his best performance of the character to date. I really enjoyed the pacing of the film as well because although it was a face paced action film it wasn't afraid to slow things down and develop the characters and the relationships between them. However it never slows down for too long before it picks up the pace with another action scene. The action in this film is also very well done because every sequence is creative and has a purpose so it never feels like the mindless action we've come to expect in big budget summer films. Humour is also used effectively in this film as the writers take advantage of Wolverine's IDGAF attitude. However the film isn't perfect as there is one other mutant character that occasionally seems slightly out of place and some people might find her character a bit too over the top. Also from time to time it does feel like they are playing it too safe to insure that they don't make any of the same mistakes as the last Wolverine film. 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.

Wolverine becomes involved a twisted intrigue in which takes on Japanese Yakuza and protecting a damsel in distress

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 29 June 2014]

In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. When Wolverine is summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, he is embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons . Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before. But when wolverine is most vulnerable, he's most dangerous . In Japan young Yashida gives Wolverine a samurai sword with 6 Kanji letters engraved on it. These Kanji read: "Never Died, Never Aged, Never Destroyed". This is apt for Wolverine.

The story is more complex and thoughtful to follow than previous entries for newbies and takes itself seriously and displays interesting characters involving through the movie and some new mutant . The screenplay provides a well-executed and exciting final and tied the threads were leaving along the film . Based on Chris Claremont-Frank Miller "Wolverine" comic (1982), especially the Japanese saga, where anarchic character, the outsider Wolverine , being in this world full of honor , Samurais , tradition and customs; someone who's really anti-all of that, and trying to negotiate his own way . According to James Mangold, this film is influenced by the Japanese samurai films 13 assassins (2010) and Hiroshi Inagaki's Musashi Miyamoto Samurai trilogy; the Western Shane 1953) and The outlaw Josdey Wales (1976); the crime films French connection (1971) and Chinatown (1974); and the dramas Black narcissus (1947) , Chungking Express (1994) and Happy Together (1997). Nice acting by Hugh Jackman , he said that with this picture , he finally achieved the physique that he always envisioned in his mind that Wolverine should have. He said that for some reason, on each of his 5 prior takes at the character, he felt that he never had enough time to get in shape; for this film he finally had enough time, and got his body exactly the way he wanted it to look. Famke Janssen filmed her Jean Gray cameo in three days , this role is vital to the movie, particularly for him confronting the most difficult thing within himself . Special effects by Weta Digital are fantastic but they don't overshadow the story . The film contains an impressive, breathtaking ending battle plenty of computer generator effects . For the bullet train fight, the actors and stunt performers filmed on wires above a set piece surrounded by a green-screen. The moving background came from filming on an elevated freeway in Tokyo. The visual effects artists got the background from filming with a rig and eight Red Epic cameras angled at 45 degrees. Filming at 60 km/h, the footage was then sped up to 300 km/h.

Thrilling and rousing musical score by Marco Beltrani . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Ross Emery . The motion picture was professionally directed by James Mangold , though Guillermo Del Toro and Darren Aronofsky were originally set to direct and the latter worked on the project for six months before departing . According to James Mangold, the film had started out as a prequel to X-Men (2000), but later he decided to make it a sequel to X-Men , the last stand (2006) : "I wanted to tell the story without the burden of handing it off to a film that already exists and having to conform to it. The ideas of immortality reign very heavily in this story, and the burden of immortality weighs heavily on Logan. For me that's such an interesting part of Logan's character that it is nearly impossible to explore in a prequel" .

Entertaining with some great action scenes but far from perfect

[juneebuggy · 7/10 · 1 October 2015]

Decent enough movie although far from perfect showcasing (an often) shirtless Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine in an X-Men spin off. This opens with Logan living as an Alaskan bush man (bearded, drinking lots, camping in the open woods) as he's still mourning the death of Jean Grey. He then travels to Japan to visit a dying old friend and learns that there's a way he can remove his immortality, but soon gets caught up in a conspiracy involving his friends devious family and the Yakuza.

This was a bit all over the place as parts of it were very good and others were long, drawn out (even a bit dull at times) It is filled with some great action scenes though (the train sequence was cool, the funeral/Yakuza kidnapping, the final battle with the Samari 'Real Steel' robot -exciting) and Hugh Jackman looks amazing, wow he must have spent some hours in the gym.

I liked the flashback sequences to WWll in Nagasaki. I didn't really understand the propose of the Jean Grey dream (fantasies?) especially when Logan is sleeping with other women. I liked that this took place almost exclusively in Japan -refreshing. There were some things that didn't make sense (like Logan's claws) and just assorted other plot holes I chose to ignore. The motivation from the bad guys was also a bit vague but whatever.

As a whole, an entertaining movie though, make sure to watch past the closing credits for a bonus scene. 9/19/15

Best Wolverine to date

[mikechinea · 24 July 2013]

Saw The Wolverine. Masterfully choreographed action and best train fight scene ever. The best Wolverine yet and Hugh Jackman delivers. Thoughtfully paced with a perfect blend of action and story. You don't need to know anything about the previous movies since this one can stand alone. The story may get in the way at times for those who only enjoy mindless action. I will go see it again without the 3D effect to see if that made any difference. The only drawback for me was the glare from theater stair's runner lights on my 3D glasses but that had nothing to do with the movie. They threw in a nice little surprise for the true fans just after the end credits started to roll.

It's an improvement on X-Men Origins: Wolverine but it could still be better

[GrassCrown · 6/10 · 1 August 2013]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was such a horrible movie that I was a bit suspicious going into this. Now, luckily it's a lot better than that in that it's actually watchable and I enjoyed it at times. I watched it in 2D (I hate 3D) so I can't say whether the 3D effects were done well or not.

Hugh Jackman is most definitely the Wolverine. He nails the role and he's really never at fault with these movies. The problems are in other areas of the movie. Rila Fukushima does a pretty good job as Yukio for a first performance. Other performances weren't anything special but not bad either.

There were some quite funny bits in the movie. Loved the hotel part especially and the bar scene in the beginning. Wolverine's grumpiness worked really well in these scenes. Japan was a cool setting for the movie and offered some good possibilities for misunderstandings and so on. The bullet train action scene was also quite intense. It was maybe the highlight of the movie which was surprising as it looked a bit goofy in the trailer.

The pacing of the movie was a bit off as I was wondering a couple of times about how much there was still to go in the movie. Cinematography was so-so. There was some really annoying shaky cam in the action sequences that almost made me ill. Look to the Bourne movies if you want a model on how to use shaky cam in your movie. The use of shaky cam was especially puzzling because Wolverine was fighting ninjas a lot of the time. Why wouldn't you want us to have a clearer look of that? Shouldn't it be nicely choreographed and so on?

The theme of the movie was immortality and how you can have meaning despite of that. I think it's an interesting theme and I hoped they would've explored that a bit more. Then again this movie was PG-13 so maybe they couldn't do that because they didn't want to alienate the younger viewers. You could really see that they tried to keep the age rating as low as possible in the amount of blood that's in the movie. Never have so many died with so little blood being spilled. A bit of an exaggeration maybe but you get the point.

The plot was only serviceable but the movie really focused more on the characters anyway. The whole world isn't at stake here and the movie takes a more intimate approach. Wolverine's arc during the movie was quite interesting as he tried to deal with his past and find new meaning for his life. The ending was a bit too cartoonish and predictable for my taste. It also deviated too much from the tone of the rest of the movie.

The Wolverine is definitely in the right direction but there's still much that could be improved. The movie needs more focus and it needs to do a better job at creating an emotional connection with the characters. A higher than PG-13 rating would also be nice to see to really allow for a more interesting movie. Still, I wouldn't say I wasted two hours watching this movie.

The Wolverine - a more deep side of Logan(much better than the last one)

[shashank-mishra2008 · 7/10 · 1 October 2013]

The Wolverine - a more deep side of Logan(much better than the last one)

So this was actually the sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand which continued the story of Logan in Japan.. This one was much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine as there was much of script and soul about Logan than just an action flick. There were not much of 3D scenes but the action sequences were clean and natural and fast paced..specially the "BULLET TRAIN" sequence was mind blowing..........well acc. to me this movie was just as lovable as all other X-Men movies.

Although there was too much Japanese, other than that it was a great film. Even if you are not X-men movies fan then also you will enjoy it..

Dares to go small... and loses

[Fluke_Skywalker · 6/10 · 27 July 2013]

Epic scale, wide scope and large scale destruction have become par for the course in the genre of big budget Summer comic book movies, with each new film seemingly trying to top the previous one. But this Summer we've seen two of these so-called popcorn movies take a very non-traditional approach to blockbuster entertainment.

The first was 'Iron Man 3'. Yes the final act had its share of 'Things go boom!' carnage, but for most of its running time it was a smaller and more personal story than its predecessors (It also wasn't very good). And now we can add 'The Wolverine', another character-centric comic book movie where its not the entire world in the balance, but instead one man's world. That man—or mutant—is Logan, AKA Wolverine. Hugh Jackman returns to the role for the sixth time (if you count his memorable cameo in 'X-Men: First Class'), and he's in fine form. By now he has this character down cold, and his barely contained rage and intensity help to carry this film just above the slog that it otherwise is.

It's beautifully shot and often very thoughtful, but neither the action nor the half-baked story are propulsive enough to make us care. The Wolverine is yet another dud in the "Summer of disappointment".

Character-focused 'The Wolverine' gives Wolvie the story he needed, not the dazzling blockbuster

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 8/10 · 26 July 2013]

Throughout the course of the modern superhero era, one thing has stayed true: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. After being a successful piece of the "X-Men" franchise for three films, Wolverine got his own solo gig in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which turned out to be a chaotic smear of superhero film with a cliché-ridden script. Jackman, who has become synonymous with the part in a way that would make even Robert Downey Jr. jealous, deserved better.

Thankfully, "The Wolverine" is better. In fact, it bounces back from the very worst failings of "Origins," telling a character-oriented story that borrows from the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller comic featuring Wolverine's Japanese saga.

The story takes place post-"X-Men: The Last Stand," as Logan is haunted in his dreams by Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), whom he killed in that film in order to essentially save the world. Hiding out and looking like an imprisoned Jean Valjean somewhere in Alaska (he tends to do that), a Japanese woman named Yukio (Rila Fukushima) finds him and convinces him to travel back with her to Japan to meet her master, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), whom Wolverine saved during the bombing of Nagasaki in World War II. Yashida is one of Japan's wealthiest men, a technology entrepreneur, and he wants to offer Wolverine the one thing he's never had – mortality. For someone who feels as though their gift has been a curse lately, it's an appealing offer.

Of course there has to be a catch, and Wolverine soon finds himself dealing with the venomous Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) and going on the run and protecting Yashida's granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto), who is being sought after by the Yakuza (Japanese mob).

The film almost never leaves Wolverine's side, and provides more than adequate motivational fuel for us to become invested in the story. Wolverine's consideration of his own inner pain and immortality finally gives Jackman something to work with, despite how good he is with all the more exterior elements of the character.

Director James Mangold ("Walk the Line" and the underrated remake of "3:10 to Yuma") excels at finding these character moments, while also taking the opportunity to make a Marvel samurai movie. The film's fight sequences take a visceral yet artistic approach reminiscent of a samurai film: violent, but stylized. An R-rated version, however, would've made this an exceptional film, but such is Hollywood.

In summer after summer of large-scale blockbusters with immense action sequences, "The Wolverine" will be a tad underwhelming for anyone impartial to the character that is just looking for the "next big movie." Again, this movie is as much about Wolverine's internal struggle as what's happening on screen. It is exciting in small ways, not in big ways (outside of a sequence on top a bullet train). Mangold also does some cool things with a chase sequence through Tokyo in which the archer Harada (Will Yun Lee) snipes Yakuza thugs as Wolverine runs with Mariko.

A lot of props go to the script team of Mark Bomback ("Unstoppable," "Total Recall") and Scott Frank ("Minority Report"), who revised the initial draft by Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects"). Obviously the character element of the story works well, but the pacing is strong and surprises wait at every turn, even if the plot trajectory follows a pretty traditional superhero movie structure.

To put "The Wolverine" in the context of the ever-growing rolodex of superhero movies, it's a rock-solid, entertaining, better-than-most entry, but years from now, will probably get overlooked among the genre's best thanks to the visually ground-breaking event films now and soon to be even more prevalent. It does little to stand out, but the Wolverine character didn't need something to make him stand out; it needed something more personal. Why else would you isolate a character from the X-Men if not to tell his personal story? "The Wolverine" is a superb film that should've come out four years ago, when it would've been a great film. If it were an origin story and not the fifth time Jackman put the claws on (not counting his "X-Men: First Class" cameo), I would put it on par with "Iron Man" minus some of the flashy CGI and a decent percentage of humor. There's no question Wolverine's lack of novelty will play a factor for those who find it unimpressive, but getting down to what it means to make a good superhero film, you can't go wrong with the model used in "The Wolverine." And fans will genuinely be excited about what Wolverine does next, with or without the X-Men.

~Steven C Thanks for reading! Visit moviemusereviews.com for more

Improvement over X-Men Origins: Wolverine

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 31 May 2014]

During WWII, prisoner Logan (Hugh Jackman) saved the life of Yashida when the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Now Yashida, on his deathbed, proposes to return the favor. Logan is haunted by the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) promising never to inflict violence. Yukio (Rila Fukushima) retrieves Logan from America. She's a great warrior with the ability to see people's future deaths. Yashida tells him that he could transfer his immortality to another. Then he's attacked by Dr. Green/Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova). Yashida's granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) is in danger and Logan steps in to save her.

As often is the case with Wolverine, he starts off living in isolation. Going to Japan is a very interesting move for his character. His loner mentality is perfect there. I really like the first half. It has great action and some fitting humor. It also has good intrigue. The second half does take a break. I'm not impressed with Tao Okamoto's acting. She has one tone and her character lacks energy. On the other hand, I really like Rila Fukushima. She exudes energy and has more fun in her character. She's a good sidekick to Wolverine. The final battle do drag on a little too long. Overall, this has a good look, some good action, and a little bit of humor. Director James Mangold does a good job pulling it all together.

Quite enjoyable, better than Origins

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 27 July 2014]

The Wolverine is not as good as the first two X-Men films, which were very good and great respectively. But it does improve on Last Stand and Origins by quite a fair bit, neither are as bad as they're reputed to be but had a lot of glaring shortcomings. That is not to say that The Wolverine had no shortcomings either. There is some illogical scripting, the romance is a bit forced and the extended scenes that has it bogs the film down, the ending is a bit too rushed, some scenes dragged and were a touch repetitive and the Japanese characters were very under-written and not at all interesting. What The Wolverine does do that improves on Origins and Last Stand is that it isn't anywhere near as bad as trying to incorporate too many subplots and too many characters and then develop hardly any of them. The film looks great, the special effects improved over those from Origins, it's slickly edited, it's shot cohesively and it has a beautifully dark look that gives it both a grit and audaciousness. The music is suitably dynamic and while not completely action-enhancing it at least fits. The story is not perfect, but there was a dark intensity there, some unexpected twists and turns and I didn't have too much trouble following it, while the action is smartly handled especially the Throne of Blood-like ninja fight and the one on the superfast train. The funeral one was reasonably fun too but was over too quickly. James Mangold does valiantly and unlike Brett Ratner and Gavin Hood he is actually comfortable throughout instead of being good in one aspect(the action) and not in the other. The performances are fine, although Tao Okamoto's beauty is nowhere near enough to salvage her bland acting. Rila Yukushima's acrobatics dazzle and of the femme fatales Svetlana Khodchenkova is even better, slinky and formidable. But Hugh Jackman gives the best performance, a very powerful performance while being subdued, it was nice to see some depth to him this time when in Last Stand and Origins he was moody for the sake of it seemingly and not much else. The Japanese culture was very nicely done and gave the film some diversity. To conclude, a decent and quite enjoyable film that serves as a better but still not perfect origins story. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox

vast improvement.

[rivertam26 · 7/10 · 31 July 2013]

A vast improvement over the crapfest X-Men Origins Wolverine the film pretty much ignores the fact that the film even really happened which is a good thing. Picking it up after the finale of X3 we find our title character loning it up when he is found by a bad ass Japanese woman in search of him because he saved her boss some fifty odd years ago. After some discussion he decides to say his goodbyes and discovers a conspiracy involving the Yakuza trying to assassinate his granddaughter who Wolvie takes a liking too. The film is a little underdeveloped but engaging enough to merit some solid entertainment. Tightly choreographed fight scenes and some strong female characters as well as Jackman's lovable character and trademark biceps and Abs enhance the films viewing pleasure. A downfall is the character of Viper and the actress who plays her who are pretty cheesetastic and seem out of place in the films more reality based setting. I also wish they had spent a bit more time developing the films core relationship. Still what stands is a fun, somewhat ferocious and much improved installment of Jackman's lovable take on the iconic character.Stay a little after the credits for anintriguing cliffhanger. Btw Jackman's body is beyond sick in this movie whatever he's doing, it's working!***.5/5

Good not Great

[steven-mckee1980 · 7/10 · 25 July 2013]

As the title says i thought this was good but not great. I didn't mind the fact the film felt a bit slow in parts, I didn't even mind that most of the action scenes were already shown in the trailers it's just i felt there was something missing from this.

I felt the Viper was a bit weak and the way the ending came about with the Silver Samurai was a bit predictable. I will say i thought Yukio was excellent and Jackman as Wolverine was excellent as well. I understand why Jean Grey was in his dreams, To show the anguish and pain Logan goes through but i did think the film could have done without it.

I love the whole Samurai thing, The Eastern culture fascinates me but i can't seem to put my finger on what stops this being anything above a 7/10 for me. It may be that i will enjoy it more on the second watch but there is still no doubt that it is better than Wolverine: Origins while possibly on a par with the best X-Men film.

Could have been better

[axlastro2 · 6/10 · 7 November 2013]

I'm not really good with reviews so I'll just share my thoughts.

I loved the way the movie started and that was about it. Die hard Wolverine fans will probably like it more, but I think X-men movies are much more interesting. Hugh Jackman plays the role great and I can't imagine another actor replacing him. The fight scenes were also very entertaining and well choreographed, but there was something missing (more mutants?) and I don't know what. There were a bit too much cliché's both plot and character - wise too.

That said - I would gladly watch another Wolverine movie and hope it turns out better than this one. I would recommend the movie, but don't expect "A man of steel" awesome effects and dramatic storyline. Just grab some popcorn and enjoy, BUB!

Wolverine's True Comeback

[aaronjbong · 8/10 · 27 July 2013]

Wolverine is finally back, and this new installment in the "X-Men" franchise is extremely slick, exhilarating, and top-notch. Forget the disappointing "Origins" 4 years ago, this is the real Wolverine movie. It's action-packed, dark, occasionally humorous, and surprisingly has depth. It may not be the best "X-Men" film but "The Wolverine" is a solid entry that will help the "X-Men" franchise recover from the disappointing "Last Stand" and "Origins".

In this installment, Wolverine is struggling with his immortality. His lover, Jean Grey died way back in "The Last Stand" and he's been suffering from an endless period of nightmares. It feels as if he has nothing to do on this Earth and he's longing to re-join his lover in the other side. But when an old acquaintance Yashida (a man who Wolverine saved during the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki) invites him to Japan and offers to remove his immortality, Wolverine is delved into new territory.

There are two women who work alongside Wolverine here. First, there's Mariko Yashida, the granddaughter of Yashida and the chosen heiress to the throne. When she takes her grandfather's role, she will become the most powerful person in Japan and will need protection from the endless hordes of the Yakuza. The other person is the pink-haired Yukio who is an excellent fighter and form a great team with Wolverine.

"The Wolverine" is set in an environment new to the "X-Men" franchise, Japan. The vibrant colors, tall buildings, beautiful scenery are used in a maximizing manner. The action scenes look really well in this new setting.

What made "The Wolverine" more engaging was that we finally get to see Logan mortal. He literally will get hurt if he gets shot or cut. For the first time ever, he is no longer invincible and this escalates the tension every time he's in a fight against an adversary. We see Wolverine lingering in the boundary between life and death. Wounded.

Then we have the action sequences which are extremely intense. The climax was gripping but I also expressed extreme fondness for the action scene where Wolverine battled against several Yakuza members on top of a lightning-fast moving bullet train. That scene was extremely suspenseful and was one of the highlights, at least for me. Don't get me wrong, the other action sequences were fun too but that bullet train scene was just amazing.

Hugh Jackman returns once again as the ageless Logan aka Wolverine. As usual, his performance is strong, gritty, and excellent. The only difference between his performance here and "Origins" is that his performance here is not burdened by an awful script as it was in "Origins". The other performances were powerful too. Tao Okamoto was perfect as the heiress Mariko Yashida and Rila Fukushima was bad-ass as Yukio. Everyone of the cast was good.

All in all, "The Wolverine" is solid, action-packed and a satisfying addition to the "X-Men" franchise. It has incredible action scenes, solid acting, and a great script. However, I did find something nit-picking (no spoilers here but it concerns Logan's ability to recall a certain memory). Nonetheless, "The Wolverine" is successfully in continuing the revival of the "X-Men" franchise and only gets me more hyped about next year's "Days of Future Past". And watch out for the post-credits scene in the end.

Rating: 8/10

Final Verdict: Forget "Origins", "The Wolverine" is a terrific new entry in the "X-Men" franchise that serves as the Wolverine movie we all wanted.