Steel vs Adamantium- scintillating clash

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2013)

There is a reason the X Men in the movies are best in a team- none of them are charismatic enough to pull a movie on their own. Except perhaps Wolverine. The very extension of this tortured loner's superpowers is cause for incomparable pain. And his immortality which means living forever with the choices that one makes, can be a curse too. While the 2009 wolverine origins movie was a cartoonish effort, this one though draws from one of the most inspirational arcs in the Wolverine comics lore- the 1983 Claremont/Miller miniseries.
Japan's importance may be declining in the world, but Hollywood's fascination with Japan only seems to be rising. Couple of weeks back it was Pacific Rim, and this week it is Wolverine. The time-line is somewhere after the events of X Men Last Stand. Wracked with guilt over killing Jean Grey, Logan renounces his world saving days, he retreats into the Alaskan mountains, to befriend the occasional grizzly, take on errant hunters, stay away from hair and care products and chit chatting with Jean's ghost. His miserable existence takes an unexpected turn when he summoned to Japan by someone whose life he had saved during the Nagasaki bombing in the second world war. Yashida, a humble army commandant then, is now the most powerful man in Japan spearheading an industrial conglomerate. Yashida offers Logan the chance to let go of his superpowers so that he can lead a normal life. Logan refuses but anyways loses his regenerative powers, and quickly gets entangled into a web of blood and deception involving everything Japan- ninjas, yakuzas, katanas, martial arts, bullet trains and steel.
This is Hugh Jackman's sixth turn at this character and he looks positively tired, but powers up whenever the action demands. The Japanese characters are stereotype Asian, while the only other mutant in the movie is slinky as a viper. Director James Mangold tries to stick close to the source, with a number of shots that are straight off the graphic comic book's panels. Logan needing a bodyguard takes some time to sink in, while the humor is mostly derived from his devil may care attitude. There is plenty of action though, with Logan slicing off yakuzas and ninjas an intermittent feature. The sequence on top of the bullet train particularly energetic, along with a climactic fight to the finish with the Silver Samurai.
As a theme Wolverine eschews global annihilation and explosive set pieces in favor of an intimate take. Think of this as a samurai movie, with the hero wielding adamantium instead of steel. To put things into perspective, the only explosion in the entire movie is the one at the start at Nagasaki, and that too is pictured at a distance. Wolverine in a way is the picture the character always deserved- aptly showcasing his torment, inner struggles and his quest for the meaning of his life. This is more than just popcorn entertainment, it is a solid action thriller. Those seeking a world threatening tale need to wait for the post credits scene.