The Classic Yellow Wolverine Costume That Almost Appeared in The Wolverine

Movieweb shared a photo of a very much unused Wolverine costume that nearly appeared in this year's "The Wolverine" from 20th Century Fox.

Wolverine by Siya Oum

According to Movieweb, had this been approved, we could have seen Hugh Jackman wear this costume at some point in the story. Another statement I read suggested that this suitcase could have been given by Mariko Yashida towards the end of the movie when Logan leaves Japan.

Regardless, we should all thank designed Adam Ross who did all this fine work with the help of a 3D printer.

Really sucks. But hey, for all we know we could be seeing this back in the big screen for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.

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The Wolverine Review - Apology Accepted

Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox made a costly error when X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit the internet months (or was that weeks) before it's intended release date. Not only was it thrown off it's rocker, the story sure as hell sucked. Enter James Mangold's "THE WOLVERINE". 

*** WARNING SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW***

Mangold brings us a completely different Wolverine, a Logan we've never seen before. A man who's so lost he's OK to die and throw everything away. THE WOLVERINE is more than just your typical popcorn muncher. This one's a class act on its own. I'm going out on a limb to say that Marvel and 20th Century Fox has created something that can go the distance (not necessarily beat) The Dark Knight.

There's a lot of great action sequences here in the flick. Given that it's not flying under the X-Men banner of films also frees up Wolverine from some baggage. We don't see a lot of mutants in the film to keep it packed tightly. We don't barely see the whole "humans versus mutants" angle. In fact, the mutant element is dialed down a notch by way of introducing a new element into the story, Wolverine's healing factor isn't working.

Being a Wolverine fan, I've read a dozen or so stories which used this plot point. It's a tired old plot but Mangold and his screenplay team Christopher McQuarrie with writers Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, spun it like cotton candy. I just love it.

There's a classic saying that goes "the most dangerous men are the ones that have nothing to lose". In this case, it gets magnified by making the world's most dangerous man, a man with nothing left to lose. It's got this brilliant cathartic effect where we empathize with Logan's doom and gloom in the opening and go through this grim and gritty adventure which ultimately shows us that there really is still something worth fighting for. Great stuff.

The cast were adept with their roles. Like I said, this isn't your typical Wolverine movie so we're seeing a different kind of Hugh Jackman here. It's a Wolverine that's been given a little blood transfusion from Les Miserables' Jean Valjean. He's not emo but he's wracked with death over what he did to Jean Grey during X3 aka X-Men: The Last Stand. He's so guilt stricken that he even sees Jean (Famke Janssen) whenever he needs taunting.

Tao Okamoto is the perfect Mariko Yashida for the 21st century. The actress/ model not only looks good but also does justice to Wolverine's one-time lover. She looks and 'registers' like a princess but at the same time you know that she's an independent woman. Too bad there's only a small spark, a small ounce of chemistry between her and Jackman.



First timer Rila Fukushima is a funky, bubbly warrior named Yukio. Her character is based on an assassin and thief of the same name who also happens to be an ally of Wolverine.



The villains aren't so shabby either. We've got Mariko's crazed father Shingen Yashida, Oldman Yashida, and Viper who makes the leap from comics to the big screen. The real Silver Samurai, Kenuichio Harada is also present although some liberties were taken with the portrayal for the character. Oh and you got to love the lifting of the Logan vs Shingen fight stratight from the comic book.

The action comes in dribs and drabs here. If the plot was based on something else that would've sucked but this is a new territory for Wolverine so it's perfectly fine. Also, by the time the third act rolls in wildly, you'll have lots of action to be thankful for.

Believe it or not, there's a lot of LOL moments here in the Wolverine. It's clever and witty and doesn't dumb down the character. Oh and it's not contrived or forced either. It gives a lighter side to an already grim story. I applaud the movie for that.

The Wolverine is a superhero movie through and through but thanks to some quite thinking and reflection, it found how to balance everything in a 2 hour film.

Overall, the film has claws (pardon the pun). It's on a caliber of it's own. It's also a way for Jackman and the rest of his film team to apologize for the mess they did a few years ago. This might just be the first 'true' Wolverine movie that's not corny and sappy. Oh and this also proves to us viewers why Logan is called "The Wolverine"

Do standby for the after credits feature which leads to something even bigger. I really want to spoil it but you know what, just catch it on opening day and see for yourself.

THE WOLVERINE NOW SHOWING!

(Special thanks nga pala to 20th Century Fox)

Wolverine Origin II Announced and Why It's a Disaster

Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert did a spectacular number on Wolverine's history with Origin, a six issue miniseries focusing on James Howlett who later became the savage Wolverine. This weekend over at SDCC 2013, Marvel Comics announces that there will be a sequel.

So okay, to make it simple, the story begins around the time Wolverine turned feral towards the end of Origin. He's literally running with wolves because he wants to forget that he accidentally killed Rose. This time though, years had gone by and we're seeing circumstances bringing Logan back to civilization.

That's about it for the fun part. I loved Origins and how tragic it ended for the characters; it's got so much heart and heartbreak, making it one of the better Wolverine stories out there today. Kieron Gillen's an amazing writer but I don't see him as a good fit as the writer for a sequel. 

Read the CBR Interview and you'll see your reaction go from happy and anxious to just downright dismayed. 

Are you back?

So let's discuss a bit. First Gillen wants to piece in Mister Sinister in a Wolverine story. That's all good and well but any X-Fan would know that Sinister is more apt for the Summers or for Gambit (who was supposed to be the third Summers brother anyway). Plus we also know that Gillen has a man crush on Sinister and quite frankly its getting boring and annoying. 

Secondly there's a the part about turning Wolverine into a circus attraction as seen in Gillen's allusion to "King Kong" when asked about how Logan returns to civilization after his decades as a wild animal. 

So basically here's how I see it. Marvel wants our money. They don't reunite the original creative tema but rather hire new guys to takeover. Kubert is hired back because of his art and because of his name. It's not going to a real Wolverine story but another Gillen love letter to Sinister (which plainly annoys me). 

At this point, I'll wait for the book with no real fanfare. Just disappointed waiting to happen. And yes, seeing how flimsy Wolverine Origins II would be, I'm still sticking with the original ORIGIN.

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Feel the Fury of THE WOLVERINE

Set in Japan and directed by James Mangold Logan aka Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman is back in the ultimate story about the adamantium-clawed hero, “The Wolverine.”

“The Wolverine,” vulnerable and alone at the start of the movie, is searching for meaning in his life. Logan travels to Tokyo where he is embroiled in a mysterious web of tangled loyalties, deceit and intrigue, fighting bloody battles against deadly adversaries in a world that is entirely foreign to him.

The most iconic character in the X-Men universe embarks upon on an epic journey in modern-day Japan, the century-old mutant known to the world as Wolverine, is lured to Japan that he hasn’t seen since World War II – and into a shadowy world of Yakuza and Samurai.

Suddenly finding himself on the run with a mysterious, beautiful heiress and confronted for the first time with the prospect of true mortality, Logan will be pushed to the physical and emotional edge – further than he’s ever been. On a perilous journey to rediscover the hero inside, Logan will be forced to grapple not only with powerful foes, mutant and human alike, but with the ghosts of his own haunted past, as well. As The Wolverine crosses his adamantium claws with Samurai swords, striking out through a maze of love, betrayal and honor, he will truly come to know the price of a life without end.

“This story takes The Wolverine into a world that is vastly different from any seen before in the X-Men series,” says Hugh Jackman, who also serves as a producer on the film. “It’s visually different and the tone is different. There are a lot of battles in this story, but the greatest battle of all is the one within Logan between being a monster and a becoming a human being.” Jackman saw in this untold part of the character’s history a rare chance to dive even deeper beneath The Wolverine’s indestructibility, and to illuminate his darkest aspects in a new way.

“One thing I find particularly interesting about Wolverine is his immortality, the fact that with his healing factor he can go on forever like a god, and because of that he also experiences the loneliness of a god. Even when Logan loses those he loves, he knows that he will keep going on,” director James Mangold observes. “He’s been going on for a century now, through wars and battles and deaths of his loved ones and he’s come to a point of great weariness. It’s a classic theme– the man who can live forever but suffers because of it. Logan is a damaged hero, and this story is very much about him looking to reclaim something he’s lost in himself.”

“Jim Mangold knows how to make a movie that is fun, has incredible action, and yet also delivers all the finer elements of character and storytelling,” says Jackman. “He pushed me to go deeper, angrier, heavier, more berserk in every way and in every take.”

From the start, Mangold wanted to break the mold of the comic book-based film. Explains the director: “What interested me about The Wolverine was doing something quite different from the standard superhero movie, where it’s about stopping a villain’s diabolical plot. In this story, the action and suspense are built more on character, and are woven into a world that makes for a completely different kind of experience, one that you haven’t seen before.”

“The Wolverine” opens in more than 200 screens nationwide on July 25 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.



Check out “The Wolverine” latest trailer HERE

The Wolverine Channels Yin and Yang in New Promotional Cover

Here's a look at another promotional poster for 'The Wolverine' starring Hugh Jackman and directed by James Mangold from 20th Century Fox.

I like how the cover features some duality elements here. It could mean duality between Wolverine/ James Howlett/ Logan's nature as a mutant berserker and a hero. The duality could also mean something about Wolverine's indecision about still being a mutant or stick with a more permanent solution to become 'normal' as seen in the trailer. Either way, it's a pretty cool poster. This is on top of my list of 'The Wolverine' posters out there.

When The Wolverine Goes through Artistic Portrait Shots

Collider shares some artistic portrait shots taken by James Mangold for 20th Century Fox's "The Wolverine" cast Hugh Jackman,Rila Fukushima and Tao Okamoto.

More images after the cut.

Wolverine and the X-Men # 25 Spoilers

Here's a quick spoiler for you from this week's Wolverine and the X-Men # 25 by Jason Aaron and Ramon Perez.

In this issue, we get to see the students of the JGSHL trying to survive in the Savage Land. There's also a sideplot about Dog Logan now making a move against his brother Wolverine. 

Hugh Jackman Goes Sophisticated with New Photo for "The Wolverine"

Here's another new photo of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/ James Howlett/ Logan for the upcoming film "The Wolverine" directed by James Mangold from 20th Century Fox.

Man, this guy can look sophisticated and stylish if he wants to, then turn into this mindless berserker at a drop of a hat. Also reminds me of this new Justin Timberlake video "Suit and Tie"...