This really is the Wolverine film we have been waiting for... GREAT FILM!

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2013)

The Wolverine exists in its own world and that's very refreshing at this point. I was so tired of Fox hammering in mutant cameos just for the sake of cameos and ruining future use of cool characters. The focus is on Logan separated from that X-Men Universe and they do it masterfully well. This movie has done what Fox has refused to do over the years. They touch on and stay true to plot essences from the books. The awesome Claremont/Miller saga really is felt in this film.
The start finds Logan coming in to a place where he is suffering from the loss of everyone he has known and cares about. His long life is a burden he can't shake and he's truly having difficulty handling the struggle of knowing he will lose everyone he loves all the time. The move to Japan as this happens is a masterful turn and fits so well as Logan learns that he is the same as a masterless samurai. Listen, I like alien invasions as much as the next guy but it is refreshing that this is not a film with a gigantic, nefarious force trying to destroy the Earth or take over. Logan's challenges are unique, challenging and fresh because the story really is counter to other genre plots. This is a mystery/drama/adventure film, not a superhero film. The stakes are much more personal. The consequences are much more grounded and involve people that you really do care about. This is how you write a summer film! I've read reviews and interviews that mention the classic samurai films and The Outlaw Josey Wales when talking about this movie and that is absolutely right on the mark. The say less/do more but still have character depth of the best of those films are in this film. This gem is NOT about Wolverine slashing his way through the enemy. Sure there's slice and dice action but the story is about love, about suicide, about calamity, about loss, about selfishness versus selflessness, about love lasting beyond the grave and about heart. It's as far away from a video game movie as it gets and this summer is in need of that right now.
Everything set up perfectly here and they sure did deliver. You have the right actor that's been already established and a X-world we already know enough about. They shelve any idea of an introduction or origin and finally tell an incredibly smart story we all wanted to see and one that hasn't been done before. This movie squarely focuses on Logan. It's a story just about him that allows him to explore everything that makes the character great. It explores everything including his rage, his methods of fighting, his honor, the conflict in his soul, his very nature, his intelligence and mystery solving abilities as well as his ability to love and have relationships. All of it without it having to juggle any team members or mutant plots. It's just what a Wolverine movie should be.
This is a gritty Wolverine. It's all about anger and determination and being a "mutant monster" created by both God and man. He was born with his mutant abilities but was augmented with adamantium by man. Knowing what he is and what he has done has left psychic wounds. That depth and the gritty action really gives this film the grounded feel. Like with all good Marvel films, it feels like this wild stuff can occur in this world and it isn't so fantastical that it pulls you out of the film. The balance is perfect and thrilling. This really is the Wolverine film we have been waiting for and my favorite movie of the year to date.