Synopsis:
Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in this sequel to the member of the X-Men's first solo outing. Mark Bomback and The Usual Suspects' Christopher McQuarrie penned the script, which takes its inspiration from the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Marvel miniseries from the 1980s dealing with the character's adventures in Japan as he fights ninjas in the ceremonial garb of the samurai. Knight and Day's James Mangold directs. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Story:
The story was adapted from Claremont and Miller's run on the character which follows Wolvie on his journey in Japan. I haven't read the comic yet so my opinion will be solely based on the movie and not how it was adapted.
As far as story goes, it's pretty much engaging and for me it was well-written up to the first and second act. I'm not saying that the third act is bad but I will say that it is bad but there are some things that they shouldn't have included, they were some scenes that was pretty much unnecessary but overall I liked the last act f this film as much as like the first and second act.
This movie has a far better story than it's predecessor and it really did a great job at being a stand-alone film and what I liked most is that this is more serious and dramatic tone for this franchise and it fits really well with the character. The narrative was not boring and it made the character much more relatable with his inner struggle.
Acting:
In this movie, Hugh Jackman really embraced the character, in this movie he really did become the Wolverine, there is no other actor who can do what he does with this character. The character was finally unleashed with all it's ferocity and rage that wasn't shown in it's past incarnation but what I really liked with Hugh's performance is that besides all this rage from the character, he was still able to balance the right amount of drama and affection with it and that really helped to make this movie his best portrayal of the character yet.
As for the others, I would say that they did a good job in their roles although some of them were given short amount of screen time even though their character is pretty much important to the leading character from the source material. I will say though that I really enjoyed Rila Fukushima in this movie, she was badass, she was funny and she had great chemistry with the led character which makes their friendship actually believable. As for the villain whose name is Viper (played by Svetlana Khodchenkova) she reminded me of Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy but this one was way more threatening and seducing although at times I think her character wasn't really necessary.
Action:
Like I said earlier, this is where Wolverine is finally unleashed. The action scenes were insane, the choreography of it was very good especially when Jackman is just slicing and dicing everyone that comes in his path. But what really surprised me is that this film is really violent, it took it to the edge where it can almost be a R-rated film and I really liked it because this character has never been this violent in the past films and to see hime FINALLY have blood on his f*cking claws was just a glorious moment to witness.
Another thing, even from the first shot where Wolverine was shown healing from his wounds, I was like "F*ck yes!", they really nailed the character in terms of action and acting.
Music:
The score wasn't good but it wasn't bad either it feels like a generic score where you can hear in most X-Men films, I will say though I liked it when it helps the scene to be moody and when in the action sequences it helped it to be more intense and kind of gripping.
Cinematography:
It was beautiful, from the first shot up to the last. It really captures the beauty of the location and also captures the intensity and ferocity of the fight scenes. It also made the ninjas to look more terrifying as you can really see them lurking in the dark.
The best part of the cinematography though is how they showed the Hiroshima bombing, this in my opinion, they captured very well and the "look" of the film really feels like it was set during the 40s.
Direction:
Darren Aronofsky was first tapped to direct this film but he dropped out. James Mangold then came in to direct this film and to me he did a very good job (although I would love to see Aronofsky's version).
I loved James Mangold's take on the character, he made Wolverine the badass character he always have been in the comics and it was awesome to see that Wolverine in this movie something that in his past incarnations failed to do (looking at you Gavin Hood).
I was a fan of how he pushed the boundaries of PG13, he really showed what was needed to show (in terms of violence) while also showing less of what could have made this one a R-rated movie. I also liked Mangold's pacing it wasn't slow and it wasn't fast which allows you to digest the scenes. I am definitely looking forward to the Unrated version of this film.
Overall:
This is definitely the Wolverine movie what X-Men Origins should have been. This film has heart, a great narrative and an action sequences which is mostly the clanking of metals and not made up of explosions. This is the Wolverine movie that really embraces the character and gives it justice.
Favorite exchange of lines:
Harada: What kind of monster are you?
Logan/Wolverine: The Wolverine.
^CHILLS
P.S.:
The post-credits scene made my day and now I can't wait for X-Men: Days of Future Past
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