Four mutants.
From my count, James Mangold’s The Wolverine had four mutants who were essential to the plot, a far departure from what we’ve come to expect from the X-Men franchise. These films are usually brimming with folks either coming to terms with the fact that they have superpowers or otherwise showing them off, a fair motivation for most entries in the series thus far.
But The Wolverine takes a different route. Instead of emphasizing superpowers, this X-Men film focuses more on the relationships between its cast. Well, as much as you can expect any of this summer’s superhero flicks to do so.
The 1982 Wolverine limited series forms the basis for this story, which has Logan, portrayed for the seventh time by Hugh Jackman, traveling to Japan in order to say goodbye to a former Japanese soldier he saved during the Hiroshima bombing. In the years since his encounter with Wolverine, the young Yashida becomes one of the most wealthy men in Japan and offers his savior the opportunity to lead a normal, mortal life.
It’s a solution to the problems Wolverine has suffered since the events of X-Men: The Last Stand. Riddled with guilt over the death of Jean Grey, this is Wolverine’s opportunity to die honorably and join her in the afterlife. This reunion after nearly 70 years sets the stage for the rest of the film.
At its core, The Wolverine is an exploration of the titular character’s vulnerability, not as a superhero or a mutant, but as a human being with a desire for a bit of normalcy. Dream sequences in which Logan visits with the ghost of Jean Grey drive this point effectively, even if they’re overused from time to time.
Even though Wolverine features fewer callbacks to older films than other entries in the X-Men franchise, it’s definitely for the better. The problem with Logan’s previous solo venture was that it was rife with predictability. It’s not overly hard to guess how the story in the new film will unfold as you watch, but the execution here is much better and the set-piece action sequences stand out much more than they do in many other superhero flicks.
One particular fight atop a Japanese bullet train is demonstrative of the film’s visual style: it’s quick, it’s frantic and it’s meticulously constructed. There isn’t a single fight between two characters that feels like a filler set-piece battle, even if some of the action is over the top to the point of absurdity (Then again, in a universe where a man’s skeleton can be replaced by indestructible metal, what else can you expect?)
Newcomers to the X-Men film franchise, particularly Rila Fukushima as the mutant Yukio, fit in quite nicely. And even though Jackman is the only recognizable face throughout the film for those who reserve their comics consumption to the silver screen, those familiar with the source material will recognize much of the cast, even if a few roles are repurposed.
If you were disappointed with Wolverine’s last standalone film, let this be the one to convince you Jackman’s indestructible man is worthy of his own film. And just in case you were planning on leaving as soon as the credits start — you should know better by now — don’t leave before the credits flash a title card. You won’t regret it.