In “The Wolverine,” Hugh Jackman once again brings out the indestructible adamantium-clawed super freak for another solo adventure. This time while on another hermit mission journey in Japan, Logan learns about dying wishes of a man he saved from the A-Bomb in WWII. The sinister billionaire offers the antihero something unattainable and ironically very attractive: death. Logan of course accepts and as a result begins to experience life in a way he never did before. This all sets things up for a deeper than usual superhero tale, but was it enough to impress the critics or was it as underwhelming as its 2009 predecessor, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Keep reading for reviews:
“While hardly on par with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins’ trilogy, this movie represents Fox’s attempt to repair damage done to the most iconic of those characters by Gavin Hood’s silly ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ solo outing (which didn’t hurt the box office, but weakened audiences’ faith in how he might subsequently be treated onscreen).” — Peter Debruge, Variety
“…while it’s definitely a more entertaining and far deeper film than the last Wolverine outing, it still falls short of the top tier of Marvel tentpoles like the fizzy Iron Man and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man.” — Chris Nashawaty, EW
“Thirteen years after his mutant debut in Bryan Singer’s terrific ‘X-Men,’ Jackman, also a producer here, owns the Wolverine character. The charismatic Aussie has added some martial arts moves to his character’s slice-and-dice repertoire, is buffer than ever and shows no sign of flagging.” — Meghan Lehmann, The Hollywood Reporter
“There have been films that tried to realistically portray what reality would be like if ordinary people put on a cape and mask (‘Super’ and ‘Kick-Ass,’ namely) but this reverses it. ‘The Wolverine’ doesn’t show our world with a comic book injection, it shows a comic book world with an injection from our world.” — Jordan Hoffman, Screencrush
“Mr. Jackman, for all his growling, flexing and macho wisecracking, keeps our attention focused on Logan’s feelings. So does Mr. Mangold, even as he obeys the imperatives of the action-franchise machine. A modest superhero picture may sound like a contradiction in terms, but really it is a welcome respite” — A. O. SCOTT New York Times
“Alas, ‘The Wolverine’ gets too distracted by corporate intrigue, Yashida’s diabolical plans and the villainy of the doctor; none of that stuff is as compelling as the two female leads, particularly since Khodchenkova gives a singularly flat performance. I can’t remember a less engaging villain in contemporary superhero cinema.” — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
“Those just wanting a solid, well-made action film might be surprised by how much depth Mangold brings to the mix. The results are the best comic book movie of the summer and one that rarely feels like a comic book movie.” — Ed Douglas, Comingsoon.net
