Overthought and downright boring. The worst Marvel movie yet?

Rating: 3/10 (1 December 2013)

Most people would say that X-Men 3: The Last Stand was the worst of the X-Men franchise but I actually would say that all of the films up until The Wolverine have been very good including X-Men 3. I had heard very mixed opinions about The Wolverine but I assumed that it would have to be at least good...I assumed wrong. First of all, what a mess. What an awful, complex, silly, over thought mess ruined by someones delusions of turning Wolverine into some sort of Ninja epic. Perhaps the worst sin of this film is that Wolverine isn't even himself. He isn't doing what he does best for most of the film and that is truly a shame. Hugh Jackman was perhaps one of the best casting jobs in Hollywood history and they completely lay waste to his talent and to the character in general. The action scenes are few and far between making everything in between drag excruciatingly. I realized after about an hour and a half that I was more or less completely lost and worst of all I didn't care at all that I was lost. The pointless and needless tie in to the previous X-Men Franchise marred this film terribly. We don't need to be reminded every ten minutes that Logan is torn up over Jean Grey. I don't know why we're wrapping this franchise back around it's original from ten plus years ago.
I certainly don't place any of the blame of Hugh Jackman. He instantly embodies everything about Wolverine and is brilliant in the role...usually. Unfortunately this particular adventure leaves so much to be desired and reduces him to barely a shell of the former character. It is literally like the life is nearly gone from Wolverine. I hate to bash the rest of the cast because I don't necessarily think the poor performances were entirely their fault. The other characters are so drab and so cookie cutter without any development and you never become attached to any of them. Total newcomer Rila Fukushima looks stunned through the whole movie. The chemistry opposite Jackman is barely existent and her character gets lots in a convoluted plot. Same could be said for Tao Okamoto who requires even more chemistry with Jackman and yet has even less with him. Hal Yamanouchi is a decent villain but somehow he is underused but also overplayed at the same time. He comes across as campy. Many of the performances reminded me a lot of Pacific Rim from earlier this year and believe me when I say that is NOT a compliment.
I was a little surprised to see James Mangold was helming this film because he is a talented director. Marvel, overall, has had the smarts to put a comic geek at heart at the helm of each of their pictures and I think perhaps Mangold is a real grown up and not a comic geek and it sort of ruined the film. I am devastated that he is attached to do the next Wolverine film too because this was just an enormous mis-step in the X-Men lore. Literally the best scene of the entire film was the after credits scene. The train battle scene mid-film that I thought looked like awful CGI in the trailer actually turned out to be the best fight in the film and the most action. None of this made sense and none of it felt like Wolverine. I am literally angry that this was so bad. If you're a Marvel fan you will see it regardless but be prepared for the worst appearance yet from a comic hero. 3/10