'The Wolverine' Review

SAVIOR OF MY SUMMER


        The 2013 summer movie season has been awful.  Iron Man 3's character executing plot twist (and anti- disability message), the horror show that was Man of Steel, Pacific Rim being entertaining, but not engaging, and the news of Zack Snyder not only making a sequel to Man of Steel but turning it into Batman vs. Superman (potentially) has left me weak and damn near hopeless. The only thing that I had left was James Mangold's The Wolverine. If this movie fell flat this would be the worst summer superhero movie season in recent memory. I glad to say that was not the case. This film satisfies on multiple levels and exceeding expectation in almost every area.
       As the summer begins to dwindle, the blockbuster genre goes to sleep as we watch crafty, quiet challenging, engaging independent films begin to wake up. The Wolverine tricks us; because its both.  It has the intense action, hero snarling, and bombastic "final bosses" that are common in blockbusters, but this film also has the stillness, emotional weight, and character study of many independent films. Unfortunately, it is trying to satisfy these two masters that makes The Wolverine crack under the pressure, however briefly.
       The plot of The Wolverine is lifted (some times panel for panel) from the 1982 Wolverine Miniseries written by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. The filmmakers mine characters from other "Japan Stories" to flesh out the script.  Logan (Hugh Jackman) is living in the Canadian wilderness haunted by his actions at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand. It is here he is approached by Yukio (brilliantly played by Rila Fukushima) who convinces Logan to accompany her to Japan in order to see a dying old friend: Yashida, a Japanese soldier Logan saved during the US destruction of Nagasaki in WWII. Once in Tokyo, Logan is a fish out of water, a Ronin, thrown into a paradoxical world full of ninjas and samurai, honor and deceit, politicians and yakuza, respect and shame . 
         While the film has some great action set pieces (the bullet train) and fights  (Logan vs. Shingen), the film really soars in its quieter moments.  The friendship between Yukio and Logan and the blossoming romance between Logan and Yashida's Granddaughter Mariko,  takes its time. Each character is allowed to develop genuine feelings, and eventually, have those feelings reciprocated and strengthened.  Time is a rare commodity in a Superhero film, and it is welcomed refreshment to the painful cacophony of world ending "disaster porn" that has been normalized in the genre.
          However, the film's biggest asset is Hugh Jackman.   Hugh Jackman has been playing this role for 13 years with not signs of stopping. He has demonstrated both love and dedication to the character that is unrivaled. Hugh Jackman IS Logan "The Wolverine".  Because of such a strong base,  this film (Jackman's 6th outing) does not waste time with an origin or backstory.  We already know, and care about Logan.  Therefore, Mangold and Jackman are allowed to develop the character on screen.  Taking Logan to emotional and psychological depths has more weight because we have been with Logan every step of the way though the last 5 films.
        The film only falters in its climax.  It is here that the elements of the blockbuster movie become so heavy handed that it seems forced, as if the filmmakers suddenly remembered they were making a "superhero film"; so they brought out the checklist: vampy costumed fem fatale (check) "final boss" battle (check) cliché plot "twist" reveal (check).  This is such a drastic tonal shift that it does not fit with the rest of the film.  In fact, I am of the mind that the films climax could have happened one or two scenes before; ending with a spectacular sword/claw duel.  However these are minor complaints when looking at the film as a whole.
       In the end, The Wolverine is an intimate character driven story that masquerades as a blockbuster tent-pole feature.  Everyone should stay in their seats for the mid-credits sequence, complete with dual cameos that set up Bryan Singers X-Men: Days of Future Past, out in 2014.  And while I know that film is going to be "turned up to eleven", I still want to see a third Wolverine film, as quiet and as brilliant as this one.

The Films of Christopher Nolan: An Introduction

      Christopher Nolan is my favorite director. His films are masterfully woven, intricate tales that rely on characters and their relationships to propel a story, rather than bombastic action. This is something that I believe is sorely lacking in the majority of films today, especially in the mainstream.  Sure, many of Christopher Nolan's films have A LOT of action (especially The Dark Knight Trilogy), but it is action that serves (and is not in excess of ) the story. Nolan was considered an "indie darling" with his exceptional Memento and is now being called the modern day Kubrick (which may be solidified with the release of 2014's Interstellar) as he continues to find new and innovative ways to prove he is a storyteller and a filmmaker beyond the producer driven cookie-cutter directors that often populate Hollywood.

       All of Christopher Nolan's films (so far) focus on human psychology.  As a major theme, Nolan likes to explore the many different layers of the mind and the different forms it can take, whether that be obsession, insomnia, revenge, sociopathic behavior, dual personalities, hyper rationalization, schizophrenia or anterograde amnesia.   To that end, most of Nolan's main protagonists range from having a intellectual oddity to clinical mental illness. This is so prominent, that many of his characters become the embodiment of mental or moral characteristics.  This allows Nolan's films to take on a philosophical quality (questioning the human condition) that welcomes social analysis and criticism.  Because of this (and my love for these films), I am committing to an in-depth critical sociological analysis of ALL of Christopher Nolan's films periodically throughout the next year.

     I was first introduced to the brilliance of Christopher Nolan through Batman Begins.  After which I went back and watched/read anything and everything I could about him and his work.  I hope the analysis that follows do both honor and justice to the man that not only gave me MY definitive Batman on film, but showed me what movies could be, and made me love them. 

For the sake of clarity, the order of these posts will be based upon the film release dates from earliest to latest. 

The Lone Ranger

I have not Seen Disney's The Lone Ranger.  The Reviews of the film are far from positive ( as I expected).  However, sociologically speaking, in regards to race, this film is tracking as well as any other faux empowerment, subtlety-racist (but not too subtle) film ever could. Which is to say horribly.  For more on this check out the more social analytical reviews here and here .  They have solidified for me that even in the 21st century,  Hollywood is not at all interested in making films that show Native American Indians as complex characters with character developing story arcs. Unfortunately they are still regulated to the role of "sidekick", complete with amalgamating stereotypes.  Bottom line, don't see this film.