5 Spoilery Rants and Raves About The Wolverine

SPOILER ALERT. This post is full of THE WOLVERINE spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie (shame on you) best skip to other posts. 

The Wolverine was all kinds of awesome in my opinion. With it's detachment from the world of the merry mutants, we're treated to a real Wolverine story that's got all the right stuff from humor to action. I decided to countdown the top ten stuff from James Mangold's movie, the top five things that gives THE WOLVERINE the edge.

1. Wolverine taking on the Ninjas

In homage to the classic Marvel stories set in Japan namely the story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) gets to fight a horde of ninjas. Well, not all of them, he does a number on a couple until it was time to show viewers why James Howlett is called "The Wolverine".

Frank Miller and Chris Claremont sends Logan to Japan to fight ninjas  in the 'WOLVERINE' back in the 80s

In one of his earlier adventures, people identify Logan as a Wolverine. This is because he was short and fights really, really hard. Of course that isn't the case with the movie version of Logan as Hugh Jackman is already hitting the 6 feet mark. He is written however to be very feral and he still fights hard. He's so in love with fighting that even after getting shot with numerous arrows by the ninjas, Logan just shrugs it off in order to save Mariko in the final leg of the movie.


2. The Silver Samurai

RANT: Harada is not the Silver Samurai in the movie and it sucked bad. While we get a generally understandable reason why they took liberties with the character, it still sucked that we didn't get the real Silver Samurai and Wolverine showdown we all pined for. Logan and Harada has history. The two have clashed on a lot of occasions, they're also unlikely allies once in a while. I remember when the New Avengers had an adventure in Japan, it was Harada's crib that the Avengers crashed into both literally and figuratively. 

I believe this was the first tussle between Logan and Harada

Again, it was pretty obvious that it was Old Man Yashida controlling the Silver Samurai. Also how is it that Logan managed to pop open the helmet when the adamantium's already been removed. Wasn't there any adamantium lining for the neck area? And here I was thinking Viper and Yashida were both smart.

3. Losing his healing factor

OK not exactly an injured Logan but still close enough

Great job on depowering Wolverine in this movie. We don't get a lame ass reason which is good and we also don't get a stupid handwavium scenario either. It makes perfect sense and it makes things interesting at the same time. And to celebrate the greatness of Logan's loss of his healing factor, Marvel Comics has actually incorporated this on the ongoing WOLVERINE book with Paul Cornell and Allan Davis.

New story arc featuring a Wolverine without the healing factor to line up with the movie

And if you didn't notice it's not even a real depowering, more like dumbed down the healing factor because Logan can still take a beating despite getting shot at multiple times. For me it was a great story and a great challenge for the character. And at least towards the end we get our 'old' pal Wolverine back albeit with a new outlook in life and swayed from thinking he has to die. 

4. Mariko Yashida

This is a mixed rave/rant entry. Tao Okamoto may not be my choice to play Logan's lady love Mariko Yashida but she was still a good choice for the role. 

Here's my problem. She was bethrothed to some Manny Pacquiao looking guy. That of course doesn't push through because Mariko gets kidnapped. She later reveals that her first love was the ninja guy which of course doesn't make sense if you read the comic book because they're cousins in the 616. Dammit, them and they're liberties. Still there's a silver lining because it simplifies the plot (although this 'rivalry' was never explored, so the payoff was nil).

5. That mid-credit scene!

Yes stay for the ending as we finally get to see how The Wolverine ties up neatly to next year's X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.

This scene is set 2 years after the movie, with Wolverine returning to America after doing solo adventures abroad. In the airport, he spots a commercial for TRASK INDUSTRIES and then everything and everyone freezes. We see Ian McKellen as Magneto talking to Logan followed by the re-emergence of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier. 

That being said, I'm closing this chapter of movie fandom and moving on to other things namely Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past which again feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. 

THE WOLVERINE is still showing. Locally distributed by 20th Century Fox.