[SPOILERS DO FOLLOW, BUB]
This has been a big action packed summer. Man of
Steel, Iron Man 3, Red 2, Star Trek:
Into Darkness, etc. Each filled with action heroes and explosions galore. You
would expect the same from the latest entry from the Marvel staple of comic
book heroes. However, The Wolverine, directed by James
Mangold, is not what you expect.
This is a good thing.
Following the
events of 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand,
Logan (Hugh “jacked up” Jackman) is in self-imposed, boozed-infused exile in
the Canadian Rockies as penance for having killed his love Jean Grey/Dark
Phoenix (Famke Janssen, who appears intermittently throughout the film as
either a spirit or a manifestation of Logan’s guilty conscience). However, he
is brought out of seclusion by a mysterious girl named Yuiko (Rila Fukushima) as
emissary for dying Billionaire industrialist and samurai Shingen Yashida (a
role shared by Hiroyuki Sanada and in youth by Ken Yamamura), whom Logan saved
from the nuclear annihilation of Nagasaki during the Second World War, who offers
a solution to Logan’s inner turmoil. The film’s action then moves to Japan,
wherein Logan must not only deal with the prejudicial double whammy of being
both gaijin ("foreign devil") and a
mutant, but must also protect Shingen’s granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto)
from that Yakuza and ninjas. Yet, in the midst of all, Logan must also contend
with the mysterious loss of his mutant healing ability, thus adding an extra
element of danger to the proceedings.
While this
sounds like a typical summer actioner, the film’s hook actually lies in its
characterization. Directed by James Mangold (Walk The Line, 3:10 To Yuma), working from a screenplay by
Christopher McQuarrie, Scott Frank, and Mark Bomback (the skeleton of which is
based off of the 1982 “Wolverine” mini-series scripted by Chris Claremont with
art by Frank Miller (Sin City, the
abysmal The Spirit)), the film is
lusciously shot with a film noir sensibility done in independent movie/art
house style though the result is more Clavell than Kurosawa. The film is
visually vibrant in color and brightness; so much so that even the
nighttime/darkness scenes seem to shine (a welcome antithesis to the barely
perceptible night scenes of, say, The
Dark Knight Rises), though the 3D of the film calls attention to much of
the CGI flaws and can render background actors into toy soldiers.
Themes of
immortality and its tragic nature have been previously explored in other
fantasy based fare such as Interview With
The Vampire and Highlander, but
never has it seemed so personal. There’s
something more…genuine…about this film, which contains a heart that the
previous Wolverine film lacked. This lies in part due to Jackman’s portrayal
(fifth going on sixth) as Logan who, while not quite his comic book basis, fits
Jackman like a well-oiled glove (as oiled as his physique in this film, which
provides a lot of eye candy for those who seek same). In this film, Logan is an
“Urban Ronin” (city dwelling, master-less Samurai) who is adrift in a sea of
his own pain due to immortal life and love lost. What is commendable about Jackman’s
performance is that, despite having played the character repeatedly, the
performance is never phoned in, unlike Sean Connery’s last couple of turns as “James
Bond” (especially You Only Live Twice, which also took place in Japan). Jackman gives as much heart into his role as he did in the first X-Men film. As such, the audience is
rewarded with a much more introspective take on the character. Yes, Logan moves through much of the film
with a scowl that would make Clint Eastwood green with envy. However, Jackman gives the character more
depth that actually befits the subject matter. His story is told in the “show,
don’t tell” mold, and it is something to watch. One look can evince volumes,
and his Wolverine has stories to tell.
Jackman’s
performance does not take place in a vacuum.
As Mariko, Tao Okamoto proves to be an adequate foil and love interest.
Under Mangold’s guidance, Okomoto’s body language takes what could have
been a forced romance and transform it into a natural progression. However, Fukushima’s Yukio
practically steals the film as Wolverine’s crimson hued “Robin”, if you will,
who is precociously beguiling yet steel of resolve. Fukushima’s chemistry with
Jackman is such that one would want to see more Wolverine stand-alone movies
with their respective characters buddied up. Their partnership truly works.
The same cannot be said for Svetlana Khodchenkova as “Viper”,
a mutant scientist/assassin who is more annoying than menacing, looking more at
home on a catwalk than in a secret laboratory. While Khodchenkova succeeds in making
the audience want her character to get her comeuppance, dramatically speaking,
it’s for all the wrong reasons. Playing Jean Grey for the fourth time, Janssen
is not given much more to do than to act ethereally; a powerful character
reduced to mere catalyst for the main character’s emotional beats. Will Yun
Lee, who showed promise in what little he had to do in 2002’s Die Another Day, portrays Harada, a
character who is at cross-purposes with Wolverine. He takes what could have
been a stock two-dimensional “rival” character and imbues it with a sense of
sympathetic dignity. Sanada and Yamamura give interesting contrasts in their shared
portrayal of the character of Shingen at different ages that add to the story.
The film’s
action is both internal and external, both of which acoustically realized by Marco
Beltrami’s mood/scene-appropriate score. When the action does get external, however,
it does so in “take no prisoners” fashion. One extended fight sequence is
something right out of the Hong Kong output from the ‘70s. A bullet train sequence,
one of the film’s highlights, strains both credulity and physics with
over-the-top pulse-pounding panache. But, as aforesaid, it’s the quiet moments
that shine, crackling with an intensity that is no less arresting than guns,
arrows, and Adamantium claws.
What few flaws exist stem from the story's narrative execution. Some of the plot turns are glaringly obvious
if one knows what to look for (even if one did not know the comic backstory of
any of these characters), especially when it comes to “the big reveal”. The story
beats, however, are off track. There is a sequence at the beginning of the film
(cribbed from the comic mini-series) that parallels Logan’s journey. Without
giving too much away (too late, I know), “wounded animal” and “mortality”
motifs play a huge part in the film. However, the emotional realizations and payoffs
seem to arrive much earlier in the narrative than they should; impacting their
emotional resonance and minimizing their effectiveness. Thus, the end of the
film is not as powerful as it should be. Some ingredients were added to the
recipe too soon, and a cinematic feast is reduced to a soufflé, albeit a
completely enjoyable one.
The film skirts
the line between what “Wolverine” fans want to see in live action and what
Hollywood finds acceptable for its movie heroes, though it does come to some acceptable
compromise (as evidenced in one scene that takes place in a high rise building). However for the casual movie goer, The Wolverine is a solid action picture with
plenty of high stakes, action, and romance. Most importantly, and more so than
any other superhero actioner this year…yes, any
other…The Wolverine has heart and is
a highly recommended must see.
Oh…needless to
say…stay through the credits! You will not be disappointed.
