Hugh Jackman gets to combine everyone’s favorite conflicted X-man with a little bit of trauma from his Oscar-nominated Jean Valjean. The Wolverine is a pleasant side quest in the superhero world focused on the clawed, indestructible animal. Despite its derivative third act, the Wolverine gives Marvel fans hope that the X-men can be successfully weaved into the Avengers ever-expanding superhero universe, plus several shots of the Jackman midsection.
We open on August 9, 1944 in Nagasaki on Logan (Hugh Jackman) saving a man from the nuclear attack, then on a bedside conversation with Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), whom Logan had to kill due to events in X-Men: The Last Stand. After this brief intro, we find Logan as a recluse in the American wilderness. He is brought back to the world by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), who takes him to the man he saved all those years ago (played by Hal Yamanouchi) that is now dying. He offers Logan a chance to become mortal, but before he can choose, the man dies which sets the Japanese mafia out to kidnap Mariko (Tao Okamoto), the old man’s granddaughter who stands to inherit the man’s fortune. Logan and Mariko go on the run together, trying to piece together the cause of the kidnapping attempt.
Director James Mangold’s best features have a strong dramatic component, and here is where the Wolverine’s strength lies. Mangold elects to shoot most of the movie in smaller sets to create a more intimate setting and story. The opening sequence with Jean Grey sets up Logan’s fragility. Logan is a broken man and through the plot we learn that Mariko is a little broken herself. Watching the two of them fix each other is very deliberately executed so it feels natural (with one exception: the love interest part is unnecessary and eye-roll inducing). Yukio’s mutant powers also act as a curse to hear, leading to a nice scene with Logan where they bond over the death of her parents. When the dust settles in the Wolverine, the character interaction is what sells this film.
However, this IS a story about mutant powered humans, so there are bound to be some action sequences. The nuclear bomb is quite chilling to behold. The bullet train sequence is The Wolverine’s highlight. The dizzying acrobatics without resorting to shaky cam or overt CGI is a strong entry into the superhero action sequences. Unfortunately, this happens halfway through the film. In addition, the PG-13 rating means that Logan’s giant claws generate little to no blood when they attack.
Which brings us to the third act. Without revealing anything, Logan’s arc as a character is essentially completed before the final battle begins. As such, the stakes for the battle feel artificial at best. The villains that take center stage in the third act are also very hammily played or lack any persona at all. Instead of being on the edge of my seat, I felt nothing. The one cool twist in the battle (involving part of the Wolverine persona) could have been used earlier to cripple Logan and add to his frailty.
If there were any worry that Hugh Jackman could carry an action film, those doubts should be laid to rest. Jackman gives the Wolverine a fun combination of anger, regret, and stoicism. He can deliver the gruff one liner as well as he can panic when reliving his nightmares (plus like his namesake, he’s jacked). Flanking Jackman are two Japanese women in their first roles who acquit themselves well. Rila Fukushima looks like the less seasoned of the two, but she is more fun and even gets some solid range with a cute dramatic subplot. Tao Okamoto is alone with Jackman for most of the film, and carries a similar scarred but strong and dignified demeanor. Her chemistry with Jackman is solid, nicely matching his brash speak with soft-spoken words. Famke Janssen does good work reinhabiting Logan’s version of Jean Grey. No other characters get enough screen time to leave strong impressions save one: the woman who plays Viper is pretty awful and just there to look pretty.
The Wolverine feels like the deep breath before the plunge. The intimate story about Logan the man gives Marvel the chance to reestablish one of its better characters before weaving him into a bigger tapestry again (make sure you wait through the credits). One thing I don’t quite understand: why is every movie character “cursed” with eternal life always unhappy? You have all the time in the world to get over a lost love or a terrible war, and you get to try every possible life you could want. That sounds amazing to me.