Gloomy and mediocre

I’m a massive fan of superheroes and Marvel continues to lead the way when it comes to creating the best of characters.

Wolverine is definitely one of the most beloved tough guys out of the bunch, but I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to watching The Wolverine.

Despite the fact that I never saw the appeal in Hugh Jackman, nor do I find the character interesting, I decided to give it the benefit of doubt, regardless of the lack of commotion the movie has created.

The first few minutes of the film had its punchy one-liners and comedic elements, so I sat comfortably in my seat, surprisingly expecting a brilliant movie … but not for long.

The film wasn’t as bad as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but it wasn’t great either.

Don’t get me wrong, it had some memorable scenes with excellent computer-generated graphics, but the new trend of using visual effects to replace the importance of building an iconic character with a good plot is bizarre.

Unfortunately, the audience were presented with 126 minutes of mediocre action.

Having said that, one particular fight scene involving a group of Japanese men, a bullet train, some claws and amazing graphics was one of the most gripping I have ever seen (not to mention, it was short and sweet, unlike Man of Steel).

Although, it’s hard to believe you can fly through the air and land on top of a train, running a few hundred miles per hour, without falling to your death; director James Mangold made it work. He may as well have slapped a massive warning ‘do not try this at home’ sign across the screen, because … well, I thought it was pretty cool … but, other than that, the film was gloomy and uneventful.

The film starts with the audience bearing witness to memories of Logan (Jackman) saving a young Japanese soldier, Yashida, from an atomic bomb in Japan during the Second World War. Skip to the present day and we are introduced to the new Logan, who is living in the Canadian wilderness. Little does he know, he’s being watched by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), a girl who can see into the future.

Viewers later come to realise that Yukio is in fact Yashida’s adopted daughter. Yukio has been sent by Yashida to pull Logan away from the wilderness as he wants him by his side at his deathbed … and the audience go on a journey to Tokyo.

However, things aren’t what they seem – now Yashida is the most powerful man in Japan and requires Logan’s powers to live.

When Logan declines, Yashida dies and things start to take a turn for the worst. At his funeral, Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) finds herself in trouble. When a group of men try to kidnap her she escapes on a train … and not surprisingly Logan follows behind.

After a few fight scenes Logan is badly hurt and not healing the way he usually does. The two find refuge at a hotel and Mariko finds a veterinarian to help him before they head to her family’s home.

Everything starts to get confusing from this point onwards. Eventually Mariko is captured and Yukio and Logan team up to bring her back. The rest is just messy with semi-exciting fight scenes that are meant to create suspense and wonder if Logan will get out alive. I think we all know the answer to that one.

I’m pretty sure Mangold tried to make this a fast-paced and exciting samurai film, but it just doesn’t live up to any of the true Marvel superhero fans’ expectations.

Although, I’m not a fan of Jackman, he did a great job as Logan. He’s in the best physical shape of his career and did portray the gloomy, moody and, at times, witty Wolverine we all know. I guess you can say, he’s growing on me.

However, the same cannot be said for Svetlana Khodchenkova, who plays the Viper, a femme fatale with the most needless role in the film. She was reminiscent of Poison Ivy from Batman … but unnecessary and forgettable.

The supporting characters, played by Fukushima and Okamoto, helped add the cliché elements to the movie with a strong female sidekick and a poor, helpless young lady. Both were played very well and added interesting stories, as well as an emotional core.

In conclusion, while it strived to be better than its predecessor, it still didn’t live up to the iconic status that Wolverine deserves. Any Marvel fan will be disappointed, yet fans of Jackman won’t care and will probably swoon over him regardless.