The Wolverine

Haunted by tragedies he’s suffered over his extraordinary life, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), has chosen to live a life of seclusion in the mountains of Alaska. But, under duress Logan is summoned/lured out of hiding to say goodbye to a dying old acquaintance in Japan. During his visit, for the first time in his life, Wolverine becomes vulnerable both physically and emotionally; now facing his own mortality he’ll have to do battle with Japanese Yakuza, Ninja, as well as his own personal demons. Meanwhile, guided by sisters Yukio and Mariko (Rila Fukushima and Tao Okamoto), Wolverine will perhaps find love and strength, but to attain both will also mean conquering the evil mutant Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova).wolverineHead and shoulders above where the X-Men Origins: Wolverine left off, fans of the character will have plenty to sink their teeth into. And, without getting too heady, newcomers will be able to enjoy the film just the same with relatively few questions, nice. Of course Jackman continues to be the perfect carrier for the character, this go round having added on 25 pounds of muscle, a task that took him 6000 calories and 3 hours a day in the gym for 6 months. Equally impressive is the writing and direction this go round, a bit too much to follow at first, but stay with it and the whole picture does gain focus. On a few points the pacing did feel a bit slow, but while the overall film clocks in just over two hours, those same slower points are easy to let go. The final act is a little predictable but the teaser that’s nicely tucked into the credits will totally jazz all followers of the franchise, awesome promises are on the horizon. For graphic novel fans, this here’s a winner. The Wolverine is rated PG-13.