THE WOLVERINE - Reviews and Discussion Thread
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No Stan Lee cameo. 
I had no problem with Stan not having a cameo. He had nothing to do with the creation of Wolverine.
I thought this was great! It felt like a real movie. Wolverine does not really fit the standard definition of a superhero. So making it a stock superhero movie, which Origins was, would have been a mistake. Instead it was straight action/mystery film suited to this character.
I was happy to see the Teaser for Days of Future past was not at the end of the credits. A few people had gotten up to leave when the credits started to roll but stopped to watch this.
I thought this was great! It felt like a real movie. Wolverine does not really fit the standard definition of a superhero. So making it a stock superhero movie, which Origins was, would have been a mistake. Instead it was straight action/mystery film suited to this character.
I was happy to see the Teaser for Days of Future past was not at the end of the credits. A few people had gotten up to leave when the credits started to roll but stopped to watch this.
In Italy you have just three ratings:
T (Per tutti – All): All ages admitted.
V.M.14 (Vietato ai minori di 14 anni – Restricted to 14 and over)
V.M.18 (Vietato ai minori di 18 anni – Restricted to 18 and over)
It's much simpler than the U.S. convoluted rating system
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Some titles for comparison:
Title - US Rating - Italian Rating
Cars - G - T
Matrix - R - T
The Wolverine - PG13 - T
Aplocalypto - R - T but re-rated VM14 after appeal
Last Tango in Paris - NC17 - VM18
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - NC17 - VM14
Really, do you need all these ratings?!?
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Yeah, apparently the teasers are going to start moving up to the early part of the credits more often, because people are impatient.
I do not blame them. This has become so common that people expect these end credit scenes after all big movies now. So when they wait and their is nothing there they are irritated. I know that happened with family members for Man of Steel.
My problem with this trend is when its not really a tease but in the past would have been the actual last scene of the film.
My problem with this trend is when its not really a tease but in the past would have been the actual last scene of the film.
A bunch of strangers and I waited all the way to the end just in case. Then the screen went totally black for a few seconds. Then something else came up. For a second it looked as if it might be another scene. There were some human figures... a man and a woman... then I realized it was some music video or something that had nothing to do with the movie at all.
So. Both the local newspaper reviews I read trashed the movie, and in Starbucks I listened to some other trash it even harder.
Whatever. I liked it. I liked the depictions of both Viper (hers got better with each scene) and Silver Samurai and I'm not going to quibble over any nitpicks. (I'm saving my energy for JJWars...)
Whatever. I liked it. I liked the depictions of both Viper (hers got better with each scene) and Silver Samurai and I'm not going to quibble over any nitpicks. (I'm saving my energy for JJWars...)
It was alright. Done well enough, but for whatever reason it never really grabbed me. The preview for Days of Future Past reminded me how much more I'm looking forward to that movie.
Speaking of, I hope they don't waste too much in that one trying to explain Professor X's being alive. The twist suggested by the end of X Men 3 is dumb and too dark for the character as portrayed in all of the genuinely good X-Men movies. I'm hoping we can bypass that as much as possible when the time comes.
Speaking of, I hope they don't waste too much in that one trying to explain Professor X's being alive. The twist suggested by the end of X Men 3 is dumb and too dark for the character as portrayed in all of the genuinely good X-Men movies. I'm hoping we can bypass that as much as possible when the time comes.
I saw it with a friend and his wife. My friend liked bits and pieces, but felt it didn't feel like a superhero movie (albeit, he went in spoilerless).
I enjoyed it, at least the first two thirds. The final battle (in the factory) felt like it went on two long and wasn't nearly as interesting as everything else building up to that point. I also felt like Viper's intentions weren't clear and disliked the turn of Yashida being the Silver Samurai (despite his desperate late-in-life attempts to stay alive, I wanted him to be a good guy, someone redeemed after his participation in the war).
That being said, good acting all around from the cast. And it felt like true-to-the-character Wolverine. Nice to see the Mariko story portrayed live-action onscreen.
I enjoyed it, at least the first two thirds. The final battle (in the factory) felt like it went on two long and wasn't nearly as interesting as everything else building up to that point. I also felt like Viper's intentions weren't clear and disliked the turn of Yashida being the Silver Samurai (despite his desperate late-in-life attempts to stay alive, I wanted him to be a good guy, someone redeemed after his participation in the war).
That being said, good acting all around from the cast. And it felt like true-to-the-character Wolverine. Nice to see the Mariko story portrayed live-action onscreen.
Isn't that sometimes a good thing, though? "Superhero movie formulas" have gotten tired lately IMO. Reviews have suggested the more dramatic approach that this movie takes is fresher and different.
I enjoyed it much more than Origins. Some of the character changes, particularly Harada I could've done without. But for the most part I was entertained and was glad Jackman got another crack at a solo Wolverine film. It would suck if Origins was the last and only one. Granted, I didn't think Origins was all that bad, but it still left me wanting.
The Wolverine felt much more in line with what I wanted out of a Wolverine picture.
The Wolverine felt much more in line with what I wanted out of a Wolverine picture.
To me, this movie is the perfect example of how not to make a superhero movie.
Nothing but a boring piece of shit, a waste of time. And I wanted to love it.
Nothing but a boring piece of shit, a waste of time. And I wanted to love it.
It was alright, but the romance plot, the lack of a real Logan vs Ninja fight, and the Yashida twist at the end sucked some of the energy out of the film. It was disappointing to see the Japanese Ironman suit meet such a lame end too.
Grade: B+/Above Average
I really enjoyed this and have plans to see it again Sunday evening. It opened well showing how Logan has retreated from the world in the time since X3. The one thing he seems to have bonded with is nature. Reflected in the moments with the Grizzly. The Grizzly also seems to respect The Wolverine for he doesn't attack him, and the later attack on the bear by careless hunters is what draws Logan to let his inner soldier out for some air.
I felt there were strong performances by all 3 key female lead roles in the film. Mariko is not as weak as she seems when the time comes for it and is ready to lead as well even though she didn't seek the role. Yukio was for all intents the sidekick and played the role well, she kept insisting she was Logan's bodyguard. Lady Viper was explained well but they probably could've explained just what the Silver Samurai armor was for with a few more lines of dialogue. Bone Marrow is important for the cells it contains and what little I know you can allegedly do. Still, explaining to the audience why you need to get into his bones might've helped. The friend I saw it with felt that way and since I was "winging" the explanation I created for myself to him so yeah, a bit more there could've helped.
Bullet Train Sequence....nice, best train scene since Spidey2!
Not going to break every scene down, I'm seeing it again, I clearly liked it. The mid-credit sequence was exceptional for the 30-ish seconds or so it was there. Bring on DOFP. I only hope this movie does as well as it deserves cause FOX put out a really solid character piece imo.
I really enjoyed this and have plans to see it again Sunday evening. It opened well showing how Logan has retreated from the world in the time since X3. The one thing he seems to have bonded with is nature. Reflected in the moments with the Grizzly. The Grizzly also seems to respect The Wolverine for he doesn't attack him, and the later attack on the bear by careless hunters is what draws Logan to let his inner soldier out for some air.
I felt there were strong performances by all 3 key female lead roles in the film. Mariko is not as weak as she seems when the time comes for it and is ready to lead as well even though she didn't seek the role. Yukio was for all intents the sidekick and played the role well, she kept insisting she was Logan's bodyguard. Lady Viper was explained well but they probably could've explained just what the Silver Samurai armor was for with a few more lines of dialogue. Bone Marrow is important for the cells it contains and what little I know you can allegedly do. Still, explaining to the audience why you need to get into his bones might've helped. The friend I saw it with felt that way and since I was "winging" the explanation I created for myself to him so yeah, a bit more there could've helped.
Bullet Train Sequence....nice, best train scene since Spidey2!
Not going to break every scene down, I'm seeing it again, I clearly liked it. The mid-credit sequence was exceptional for the 30-ish seconds or so it was there. Bring on DOFP. I only hope this movie does as well as it deserves cause FOX put out a really solid character piece imo.
Meh. I'll take a character piece over something like The Avengers any day of the week.
Except, well The Avengers had plenty of character moments for many characters.
Sooooo.....
Sooooo.....
What to like: a lot of stuff. Basically the whole buildup to the final act, especially the first hour or so. A lot of unspoiled comedy beats. Getting psyched for DOFP. Fans of Origins and/or X3 will be pleased to see them not getting ignored. We even get a Kayla shout-out.
What not to ( especially ) like:
1) As others have already pointed out the climax feels like the same kind of thing we've all seen a million times by now, kind of like we're the crowd watching Christian Bale do the interlocking rings in The Prestige: we end up crosscutting between the good guy fighting the bad guy and the good girl fighting the bad girl, the damsel in distress saves the hero yet again, there's a guy in an Iron Monger-sized metal suit, etc.
2) For some reason the confrontation between Logan and movie-Harada's ninjas is noticeably truncated, and just from the commercials we can tell there had been more to this sequence. Supposedly it'll be expanded on the unrated Blu-ray, but why didn't they use the longer version in the theatrical cut? A few more minutes of running time wouldn't have been a problem because this wasn't an overlong film to begin with.
3) Part of the film's deflation in the third act is an unfortunate effect resulting from its plot structure. What makes the film unique among the others in its franchise is the plot device of taking away Logan's indestructibility. However, once this is resolved midway through the film, the factor which really made the film interesting and made Logan's battles more difficult is no longer in play. Logan's battle with Shingen is beautifully shot, and Hiroyuki Sanada's swordfighting is excellent as always, but there's no tension because Logan has his full healing ability back by that point. It's like Shingen is going up against Luke Skywalker. It's a foregone conclusion.
But I would still argue that the rest of the film makes up for these drawbacks. YMMV.
What not to ( especially ) like:
1) As others have already pointed out the climax feels like the same kind of thing we've all seen a million times by now, kind of like we're the crowd watching Christian Bale do the interlocking rings in The Prestige: we end up crosscutting between the good guy fighting the bad guy and the good girl fighting the bad girl, the damsel in distress saves the hero yet again, there's a guy in an Iron Monger-sized metal suit, etc.
2) For some reason the confrontation between Logan and movie-Harada's ninjas is noticeably truncated, and just from the commercials we can tell there had been more to this sequence. Supposedly it'll be expanded on the unrated Blu-ray, but why didn't they use the longer version in the theatrical cut? A few more minutes of running time wouldn't have been a problem because this wasn't an overlong film to begin with.
3) Part of the film's deflation in the third act is an unfortunate effect resulting from its plot structure. What makes the film unique among the others in its franchise is the plot device of taking away Logan's indestructibility. However, once this is resolved midway through the film, the factor which really made the film interesting and made Logan's battles more difficult is no longer in play. Logan's battle with Shingen is beautifully shot, and Hiroyuki Sanada's swordfighting is excellent as always, but there's no tension because Logan has his full healing ability back by that point. It's like Shingen is going up against Luke Skywalker. It's a foregone conclusion.
But I would still argue that the rest of the film makes up for these drawbacks. YMMV.
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Yeah. Right. That movie was about as deep as a Kleenex box. Man of Steel had a little depth to it; The Avengers was all action and 'splosions and little comedic moments. Little "moments" between characters doesn't mean that characters are actually explored.