The Wolverine (2013) Review

So next on my list for the X-Men films is the 2nd solo Wolverine film, called The Wolverine and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Wolverine invited to Japan by a man he once saved, there he aims to survive a conspiracy involving his healing. 

Main Character

Hugh Jackman is once again back in the legendary role and he does a great job here. He really thrives in playing the loner Wolverine and it is really good to see him away from The X-Men in this really unique journey. He still has that gruff and amusing personality but you see how especially events in X-Men: The Last Stand really affect him as a person and how this whole experience really brings him to becoming The Wolverine. 

Supporting Characters

Rila Fukushima plays Yukio here and she does a good job here, her chemistry and banter with Wolverine is a highlight of the film and is probably the best character partnership in the film. There is also a small role for a member of the X-Men, I won't say who it is but it is pretty obvious and adds quite a bit to the story and the character of Wolverine. But the rest of the cast are really bland, the villains are generic and boring with some of the worst motivation you will see, there is also this romance for Wolverine and it is really weird and actually feels wrong due to the clear age difference between the two actors and characters, plus they have very little chemistry together. 

Story

The story is interesting, seeing Wolverine for the first time really feeling vulnerable in the franchise is interesting and it allows them to have different storytelling options. I just like seeing Wolverine in this world which is different for him and it makes him feel like a more unique and deep character. But this film also has some dull storytelling, the villain motivations just do not work and the twists in the movie are easy to predict and actually feel in contradiction to other things that happen in the movie. 

Script

The script is okay, there are some okay drama and some nice bit of humour that really fits the character of Wolverine. But the drama never hits the level that it could have done, plus it does feel a bit convoluted at times with certain aspects seeming unnecessary. 

Style

The style of the film has some great action scenes, especially one on top of a bullet train that is really thrilling and exciting. Seeing Wolverine go against ninjas is a fun experience and a nice change of pace from the other films. But this film's last act goes so badly it is unreal, the reveal is terrible and the last fight scene has way too much CGI and feels like it should be in a different much worse movie. 

Overall

Overall, this is an okay film. It does some things well but also does things poorly. If you are a fan of the character then it is a fun watch but it isn't one I would exactly rush to see it.

Rating - 6/10