Six - not out (and it's not cricket)

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2014)

Wolverine is the fulcrum of the X-Men franchise, appearing in every one and clocking up far more screen time than any other character. He had his own movie with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and he does so again here but, whereas the 2009 film was a look back at his life of centuries, this one - after a scene set in 1945 Nagasaki - looks forward a little to a time after "X-Men: The Last Stand" when he is still mourning the death of Jean Gray and has attempted to withdraw from society. It is a darker work than other "X-Men" forays, being a tale of existential angst as Logan struggles with the curse of immortality and the loss of so many friends.
After Dougray Scott had to pull out of the role in the first "X-Men" Australian Hugh Jackson has made the role totally his own. The hair, the beard, the T-shirt, and of course those adamantium claws are all his. What makes this sixth "X-Men" adventure particularly different and entertaining is that it is largely set in Japan (although it was mainly shot in Jackman's home country Australia).
So Wolverine is presented as a ronin - a samurai with no master - and meets a collection of exotic players, some of whom are allies - beautiful Mariko (former model Tao Okamoto) and playful but accomplished Yukio (Rila Fukushima) - and some of whom - Mariko's husband Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada) and her former lover Harada (Will Yun Lee) - who may or not be on his side. We see a more vulnerable version of Wolverine as his powers of healing start to diminish and there is a moving scene as he is brought to a halt by a succession of arrows in the back.
Will he survive? Well, put it this way: he's already signed up for "X-Men: Days Of Future Past".