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.

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)

The Wolverine in a Maze of Powerful Foes and Allies

The most iconic character in the X-Men universe embarks upon on an epic journey in modern-day Japan in “The Wolverine.” Inspired by the celebrated Marvel comic book arc, Logan (Hugh Jackman), the century-old mutant known to the world as Wolverine, is lured to a Japan he hasn’t seen since World War II – and into a shadowy realm of Yakuza and Samurai.

Director James Mangold embraced the opportunity to take Logan directly into the heart of present-day Japan, which is as full of sleek, high-tech modernity as it is rife with deep traditions and hidden codes of honor. “This story takes Logan into a kind of fever dream of today’s Japan, full of Yakuza, Ninja, Samurai, Industrialist crime, mystery and mysticism,” the director explains.

The Japanese setting allowed director Mangold and Jackman to re-imagine Logan in a fresh guise: as a Rōnin. “In feudal Japan, the Samurai belonged to a master, and a Rōnin is a Samurai who no longer has a master to serve. So, he is a kind of a warrior without a purpose, without a cause,” Mangold explains. “Many of the people who made Logan feel part of a cause are now gone. So, he’s essentially a lost man, capable of doing anything, with no mandate. That’s an iconography that American Westerns and Samurai films share and now we’re bringing a comic book character into it.”

First-time actor Rila Fukushima, plays Yukio - the fiery, sword-wielding bodyguard of Logan. A native of Tokyo, Rila Fukushima says it was Yukio’s colorful intensity that intrigued her. “What interested me were her physicality and her ruthless nature,” she muses.“I was really excited to have the chance to do such strong action sequences– but I also saw great potential for humor with her.”

Fukushima threw herself into the high spirit and trials of the role. “It was an amazing, challenging journey for me,” she says. “I trained with our terrific stunt team, learned all the physical stuff, including sword work, kick-boxing and fighting, and also did lots of weight training. I’d never done anything like this before, but it was great fun.”

Tao Okamoto plays out Mariko’s complicated love story with Logan. Okamoto was drawn to the background of her character as the daughter of a powerful industrialist who was never there for her, and has arranged a marriage for her to a man she does not love. “Mariko could never be a normal woman,” Okamoto observes. “At the start of the story, she is someone very desperate. Then she meets Logan, and she starts to realize what she wants in life, and she begins to change. That transformation was very interesting to me.”

Another powerful and complex woman is brought to life by Svetlana Khodchenkova, who takes on the green-eyed Viper, a cunning and treacherous mutant. Khodchenkova, who hails from Russia, is best known in the West for her recent breakout role in the acclaimed spy story Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, as the Soviet operative Irina.

“The Wolverine” in 3D opens July 25 in more than 200 screens nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Check out “THE WOLVERINE’S” heart-stopping action here 

The Wolverine Post-Credit Scene Rumors Begin

X-Men Origins: Wolverine had a weird post-credit scene but it looks like for 20th Century Fox's "The Wolverine" it's only going to be a single post-credit scene which has ties to Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past. 

Find out what it is after the cut...

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.