Not as good as other superhero films of the year, but miles better than the first three X-Men films.

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2013)

The X-Men films have always been kind of hit-or-miss, in my opinion. The first 2 installments are both really good (X2 the best out of the pair), but they seem underwhelming to me in a way, being a fan that watched other superhero films first, ones that were more recent and had more of a fanbase. As any fan knows, X3 failed to impress in almost every respect, only delivering fully action-wise and with a certain after- credits scene. First Class is definitely the best of the bunch, even though it does get fairly juvenile at times with the younger mutants' story lines. Origins was a spin-off film that still didn't reveal anything new about the character, and was a convoluted mess because of it, despite some great action scenes. And they have all done their part to confuse fans with the continuity errors and plot holes. However, even after all this, they are still very well done. They have some of the best casts ever assembled, and boast top-shelf special effects. This particular film is an excellent example of that. Jackman returns to the role that made him famous among American audiences, sharing the screen with a mostly foreign cast that still manages to hold its own. It is an adaptation of the comics' Japan Saga, but holds several surprises due to some worthwhile liberties taken. Logan finds himself in a dark place after the events of X3. He is basically just a wanderer, much like he was before the events of X1. He is asked to return to Japan as part of a favor for a man whose life he saved during World War II. Once he gets there, nothing proves to be as it seems. The country holds many enemies and a few friends for him, and he might just not come out of it alive. I say that with absolute seriousness. Due to a certain critical plot point, Wolverine might just lose what makes him a mutant and not be able to get it back. There is action, suspense, and tragedy aplenty. Jackman gives a terrific performance, finally being able to deliver on what Origins fell far short of doing - really figuring out the Wolverine character, emotionally, mentally, and physically. The only problem I had with the film is that the story required a certain amount of filling stuff in for myself, and some stuff that I had to ask others about afterwards. But other than that, it proved to be a great film, a great superhero movie, and a great performance by Jackman and his foreign co-stars.