The Wolverine is easily my favourite solo Wolverine film. Don't get me wrong, Logan is great but this is far more enjoyable and less soul draining. We follow Logan to Japan where he is invited to say farewell to an old friend he once saved, however he is now embroiled in a family where power, money and immortality are at stake. James Mangold had a really easy job, just make it better than the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He did that and then some. The balance between Logan's haunted past and the Yashida family affairs was perfect. The dream scenes with Jean Grey highlight how tainted Logan really is, how he struggles to let go of his past. It's a story about love, forgiveness...and badass swordplay sequences. Those of you who know me, know that my weakness in films are those that are set in Japan. I don't know why, it just is. James Mangold made Japan look beautiful, it was colourful and modern. Hugh Jackman, once again, is Wolverine. His physical prowess is ridiculous, clearly you don't want to have an arm wrestle with him...his veiny veins of vein-ness might just pop (seriously though have you seen them!?). Hiroyuki Sanada gets to wave a sword around, that's bonus points right there. The action sequences were thrilling and well filmed, I'm thankful that we as an audience are able to see everything and not be plagued with shaky cam or frequent jump cuts. The bullet train scene was damn fun to watch. The combination of modern and traditional Japan was well balanced and did not feel forced. The Viper was memorable enough to be classed as a good villain, maybe not the best choice of actress but it certainly wasn't a bad performance. Everything just felt fresh, it's what the franchise really needed. The third act does stumble into typical superhero blockbuster territory but that is to be expected, it couldn't stay mature forever I guess. Some of the slower scenes did drag slightly as well, but if anything it adds to Logan's character development. The Wolverine was fresh, bold and exciting to watch. It should be appreciated a little bit more.
