After the last spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, I least expected at the studios will likely make another movie focused on Wolverine's tale. Then along came this poster & movie trailer, I was definitely caught by surprise. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan aka Wolverine again the Japanese saga of the comic.
The story unfolds with a quick flashback during World War II when Logan rescued an officer named Yashida from the atomic bombing blast in Nagasaki. In present day, Logan is living as a hermit while being trying to escape the tormenting hallucinations of Jean Grey whom he was forced to kill in X-Men: The Last Stand. He was located by a mutant working for Yashida, now a CEO of a technological corporation. Yashida, who has been battling cancer for years wants Logan to see him so that he can repay his life debt.
Yashida offers to strip off Logan's immortality which he views as a curse as he witness everyone he loves dies throughout his life. Logan refuses but the plot gets thicker as he is obligated to protect Yashida's granddaughter, Mariko. The pace of the movie slows down as it focuses on the relationship between Logan & Mariko. The relationship seemed unnatural & sadly, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two characters. Somehow it felt rather awkward pairing up the two, even though it was written as such in the comic book.
Nevertheless, I will not deny that Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine is solid & entertaining. The slow & boring pace aside, one aspect worth taking note is how sexy Hugh Jackman's body is at his age! At 44, his physique is impressive & more buffed compared to previous X-Men films, considering the amount of effort to pack in the muscles. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with the screenplay even though I was convinced Hugh Jackman is capable of bringing out the character well in a solo movie. It takes two to tango - a good movie still needs a good script & great actors to succeed.
Look out for a short clip in the mid-credits scene before you decide to leave immediately. I will not reveal the details but it surely leaves hints to next year's X-Men movie.
Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com
