A Wolf (Six) Pack

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2013)

This film is mildly recommended.
The Wolfman is back, all ripped abs and muscles bulging, with hirsute chest and hands of steel and a hot-blooded temper to match. Marvel's favorite mutant, Wolverine, takes center stage again in his second solo feature, aptly titled The Wolverine, an action adventure movie that is strong on action but not very adventurous in its story. The film clearly follows a tried and true formula and rarely breaks away from it, although there is a nice twist toward the end of the film.
James Mangold directs this installment with mixed results, mostly positive. The director competently stages the set pieces with enough excitement and energy, although some of the filming and editing is far too close-up and, pardon the pun, choppy. Some of the CGI is highly effective, like a wonderful chase sequence aboard a fast-moving train (the film's best scene). But at times, the visual effects completely miss the mark, as in an earlier sequence involving the more noticeable appearance of an artificial looking bear that could give Yogi some competition. The director also tries to build some character development and complicated plotting in his film which is rare for this type of genre. Unfortunately, the screenplay and dialog by Mark Bombard and Scott Frank never really connects with the goings-on and chases.
The plot goes something like this: Wolverine is all angst-ridden and is summoned to visit a Japanese ex-soldier whose life he once saved. It is there that Wolverine is asked to protect his granddaughter, Mariko, from harm as he fights the Yakuza and other sinister forces, even though our superhero is beginning to show signs of weakening power and mortality.
Of course, without Hugh Jackman perfectly cast as its superhero, there could not be a viable franchise. The actor is such a valuable commodity and the main reason for viewing this film. (There are certainly plenty of opportunities to see Jackman shirtless or in the buff and the filmmakers have enough gratuitous shots to please his doting admirers, both male and female alike. There are also enough action sequences to satisfy comic book aficionados as well.) Jackman invests in this role and his commanding presence gives the film some plausibility.
Yet it's the down time in between the action sequences that tend to slow down the film a bit. Characters are introduced without any real definition and their motives and actions seems suspect or they appear evil from the start with no credible explanation. (Any savvy moviegoer will know one of the villains is a walking stereotype, obviously bad from the onset due to her coiffure and stylish appearance.)
The actors play their parts earnestly and it's refreshing to see that the movie was filmed on location in Japan and utilized native actors for the roles. Tao Okamoto is Mariko and Rila Fukushima plays Wolverine's martial arts sidekick. Both actresses efficiently deliver the necessary drama to the proceedings and have a fine chemistry with Jackman throughout the film.
The Wolverine doesn't bite off more than it can chew. It's well-made, entertaining, yet nondescript. It is again just another one of the many comic book movies that we've seen countless times before. The movie left me wanting more. My expectations were higher and I was still...hungry...like a wolf, for a more satisfying movie-going experience that The Wolverine never accomplished for me. GRADE: B-
NOTE: The PG-13 rating seems off the mark too with so much blood, violence, and profanity on display. Wolverine must have used his special powers to avoid the film's much deserved R- rating. Just another example of this archaic, subjective, and ineffective rating system of ours.
ANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com