The Wolverine (2013)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

James Mangold

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Brian Tee, Will Yun Lee, Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen

Plot

In modern day Japan, vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.

Opinion

Finally someone - director James Mangold and writers Scott Frank and Mark Bomback - decided to take the Wolverine series seriously.

The Wolverine is an interesting, thrilling and brilliant standalone film, way better than its predecessor. The story is well-written, and more complex and thoughtful than it was before: while in X-Men Origins: Wolverine the story explained his past, this film is an excellent character study and well-represented Logan's personal struggles.

The film has a big samurai made of adamantium, and that's really awesome as it sounds. The spectacular action is mostly filled with intense fight scenes. The cinematography is a little above average. The villains - yes, there are more than one - are fine, each with their own compelling motivation.

Hugh Jackman still does an incredibly good job with his Wolverine, and the chemistry he has with Tao Okamoto, who plays Mariko, makes the love story more realistic.

Quotes

Logan: What do you want?

Magneto: There are dark forces, Logan. Human forces building a weapon that could bring about the end of our kind. What do I want? I want your help.

Logan: Why would I trust you?

Magneto: You wouldn't.

Charles Xavier: Hello, Logan.

Logan: How is this possible?

Charles Xavier: As I told you a long time ago, you are not the only one with gifts.

Logan: Don't hurt my friends! 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Gavin Hood

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds, Scott Adkins, Tim Pocock, Max Cullen, Julia Blake, Tahyna Tozzi, Aaron Jeffery, Peter O'Brien, Asher Keddie, Daniel Negreanu, Troye Sivan, Michael James Olsen

Plot

Two mutant brothers, Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber), born 200 years ago, are fighters and killers, living from war to war through U.S. history. In modern times, Colonel Stryker (Danny Huston) recruits them and other mutants as commandos. After a while, Logan quits, becomes a lumberjack and falls in love with a local teacher (Lynn Collins). When Logan refuses to rejoin Stryker's crew, the Colonel sends Victor to kill the girl, and now Logan wants revenge.

Opinion

Wolverine has never been my favourite character, and he'll never be, but he was the best written and the best acted on the X-Men saga, so I was pretty excited about it.

Said that, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not bad, but it isn't even as good as it could have been, or as I was expecting it to be.

While the film is action packed, and the fights - involving Wolverine, Sabretooth and Deadpool - are great, the writing is very disappointing. I wonder how David Benioff and Skip Woods came up with the idea of a brotherhood between Wolverine and Sabretooth, or why Logan is halfway between the good guy and the beast. Also Gambit's character isn't developed at all, he just shows up for a while. And Logan's love story is pointless.

The acting is all great. Hugh Jackman keeps doing an excellent job with his Wolverine. Liev Schreiber does an incredible job portraying Sabretooth, delivering a true animalistic performance.

Quotes

Remy LeBeau/Gambit: See, the only difference between a winner and a loser is character. Every man has a price to charge, and a price to pay. Yeah, I've paid mine in spades.

Rating

6.5/10