Review of The Wolverine

I was very impress on how good the movie was really is. It wasn't as good as 2003's X2, but it was a lot better than 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Still, the movie doesn't match up with any of the previous films very well. That's why the plot holes were so big in the film in this film. We're talking about a franchise who continuity is very washy where it goes, where it came from and what it being present right now. It seem like FOX's Marvel team doesn't know how to handle the X-franchise properly. At less, Disney's Marvel kind of fix the loose-ends of the previous superheroes movies for 2011's Avengers release. I would love to see Marvel under one company sooner than later. Add, Columbia's Spiderman and any licensed Marvel that belong to other companies elsewhere. I don't care who own Marvel, as long as the films are good and make sense. With that, say, I was under the impression that he visit Japan storyline takes place prior to his joining the X-Men in the canon after WWI. Like the comic and the previous movie, he fought in Europe during WWII. So how was he in Japan in WWII? Plus, how does Logan even have memory of the event, if the previous film showed us he took a bullet to the head that made him forget everything that happened to him prior to his operation post-WW2? It wasn't that big of a deal, since I know the movie takes creative license, which is pretty OK in my book. At less, he goes back to Japan just after the Dark Phoenix saga, so this movie fits in with the comic pretty correct there. The Wolverine, is loosely based on Chris Claremont 1982 four-issue spin off comic series that sent Logan to Japan, for which Claremont drafted then-rising-superstar artist Frank Miller. The characters have the same name, but it's doesn't follow the comic book so well. It doesn't work as an adapted as the comic book, but as a movie of its own. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that'll give you a good clue, it's worth watching. After the events from 2006's X-Men Last Stand, Logan (Hugh Jackson) lives as a hermit in the Yukon, tormented by hallucinations memories of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Was Jean just a personification of Logan's guilt, or is it really phoenix in his head with him? Logan then finds himself being seek out by Yukio (Rila Fukushima) who works for Shingen Yashida (Hiroyuki Sanada) who wants to offers to transfer Logan's healing abilities into his father's body. Allowing Logan, a chance to live a normal life rather than being curse with immortality. Logan hating the fact that he outlive everybody he has once love, agrees. Logan set out for Japan, once there, he finds that something malicious is being case as Yashida's doctor, Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) plans to use it for a ultimate weapon call the Silver Samurai, a suit made out of Adamantium metal. Logan refused, but Viper weaken Logan's body to the point that the first time in Logan's life, he might die from the poisoning of Adamantium metal in his body. If not the poison, he might die due to the large numbers of Yakuza and Ninjas set out to kill him. In my opinion, the movie's plot could have been better. The movie's plot moves really slow, it's not well spread out, and last a lot of sub-plot got in the way with the main. I really couldn't find Logan falling in love with Yashida Clan member Mariko (Tao Okamoto). There was a lack of chemistry between Jackman and Tao, their characters were well written had the chemistry but the actors did bring that to life. I know, based on the comics, Logan likes Mariko, but in my opinion, I thought Yukio made a better love interest in this film. Better yet, why even have a love interest. It's seems like any female character put into a comic book film is there only for a love interest arch. I wish Mariko had more to offer the film. Mariko remained the useless princess stereotype. It felt like watching a superhero version of Karate Kiba, a martial-arts film starring Sonny Chiba, released in 1973. About Yukio, she is a mutant with the precognitive ability to know when someone will die. Her power wasn't needed. Nor does it makes any sense, in the case of Yashida and Logan toward the end. Fans may hate what they did for Silver Samurai. Silver Samurai look like Super Shredder in my opinion. FYI. The robotic Silver Samurai is in the new comics, so it does somewhat works. What doesn't work is Viper. The model actress is so awful in acting. Her scenes were so cartoony with all those hissing sounds. Was it really all that necessary to include Viper as a mutant, when she works much better as an Captain America villain. While Hugh Jackson did great as Logan. I just wish to see Logan learn more about the Japanese culture. In the comic, he was being trained in martial arts. In the film, he isn't doing anything new. He seem like a fish out of water there. Critics says the film is darken in tone, in my opinion, it wasn't. The action scenes were good. Bullet train scene was over the top, but it was short. Don't watch it in 3D, it was pretty useless .In a mid-credits scene, there is a scene worth watching hyping X-Men: Days of Future Past. Overall: If you're watching it as an action flick, yes it's a good movie. If you're a fan of the Wolverine character and actually know something about this storyline, you'll be quite disappointed, just like the last X-Men. Still, it's fun to watch.