Starring Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto
Directed by James Mangold
Hugh Jackman is back as the Wolverine and, although the actors in the best shape of his life, his latest big screen adventure succumbs to some excessive padding.
Picking up after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (and virtually ignoring 2009s disastrous X-Men Origins: Wolverine), the mighty mutant travels to Japan to battle ninja warriors, vicious yakuza gangsters and his own personal demons. Although The Wolverines intriguing setup and premise, including the characters taste of mortality, are a refreshing break from the usual apocalyptic levels of summer superhero cinema, there exists a glaring disconnect between the narrative and the action, much of which feels tacked on to simply give the audience a break from all the brooding emotion.
Director James Mangold, who showed a keen eye for shooting action in the underrated 3:10 To Yuma remake, opts for a more frantic, hand-held approach in many of the films sequences which only make several of them feel stale. Some action does work though an intense bullet train sequence and arrow battle that sees Logan stuck like a pin cushion are executed brilliantly.
Thankfully, Jackmans intensity and unwavering commitment to his beloved role help elevate the sometimes generic material. Newcomer Rila Fukushima, Logans feisty sidekick, also provides plenty of pint-sized magnetism plus a dash of well-timed and much-needed comedy.
Although The Wolverines climax is a poorly executed and cartoonish finale, casual fans of the franchise will find enough gems hidden in the film to sustain the longevity of our adamantium-clawed hero.
