A Vulnerable Hero

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2013)

We had a deluge of super hero movies lately, and we are in danger of going numb because of overexposure. I keep wondering how is it that we don't get tired of reading those comic books. It might be because we invest a bit of our imagination in the development of the stories. In the movies we are the mercy of someone's interpretation, and it takes a very talented director and his/her team to engage us completely. At first, I wanted to give full credit to Hugh Jackman, an actor with plenty of charisma who makes you care for the character on the screen, and Wolverine is quite a fantastic creation that would have been a mediocre entry in the hands of less capable artists.
With the help of James Mangold, the film gives us plenty of humanity, this time making Wolverine's world a little more complex. The entire movie rides on his shoulders and his adventures as a newly mortal hero. He is still pretty formidable, but now he faces more difficult circumstances, as he is not able to heal as quickly, and there are several foes who might be able to destroy him.
Women are pretty strong characters here, even the repeated apparition of Wolverine's Ex. Something that a few people can find disturbing and unnecessary, but it helps us understand Wolverine's psyche. The issue is resolved by the end, and people should be satisfied with it.
This film is a bit more sophisticated than the other entries, at times feeling exotic because of the locale. Marigold gives us a fast and exciting film, with some quiet segments in between exploring the new relationships that Wolverine encounters. Overall is a pretty good movie.