To say that this Wolverine is vastly better than the first standalone film for him is the ultimate backhanded compliment. I’m only saying this movie is good (not great) but judging by all the lackluster superhero/comic-book movies clogging up theaters in the last couple years, that just might be good enough.
What Works: The Wolverine mythology has become so clogged up in the X-Men films, the X-Men prequels, and standalone movies (keep in mind, this is Hugh Jackman’s sixth time to play the character) that it’s nice to treat this one as a completely standalone work. Moving the action to Japan gives the film a fresher feeling than it perhaps deserves, and all of the best moments coast on the exoticness of the locale. Whether Wolverine is taking a woman he wants to protect to a “love hotel” or fighting off ninjas in a traditional Japanese home, these are the things that stay with you. [Extra points for the red-headed sidekick who can predict people’s deaths.] The two most striking sequences involve a gorgeous string-arrow attack in the snow (I’ve never seen that before), and a fight sequence on top of a bullet train with the Yakuza. It may feel a bit cartoonish but its also kinetically fun in a way nothing else in the movie quite is.
What Doesn’t Work: I’ve never really loved the character of Wolverine. He’s just simply not interesting enough to be the star of so many movies. All this character wants to do is “live a normal life” “die a quiet death” blah blah blah, but how can you really relate to a hero that isn’t invested in his own survival? Plus, isn’t there a built-in hypocrisy since Logan fights like hell to survive every time someone wants to take his immortality? More than that, isn’t the ultra-reluctant hero really out of synch with where we are as a culture? People want to be the hero and want to be the star, so I’m not sure that someone shunning that at every turn really speaks to 2013. Oh, and the story gets overly bogged down and convoluted in the last section with a “twist” that is actually a bit preposterous.
What I Would Have Done Differently: I got into the intriguing power struggles of this elite Japanese family, and there are several standout sequences (like the opening scene) to really grab you. I just think the character of Logan needs to make more sense or explain why he seems to be ready for death…yet fights it at every turn.