Great Tribute to a Praiseworthy Culture

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2019)

After the delightful X-Men: First Class, a Wolverine spin-off movie, set in Japan was quite unexpected, bearing in mind the regrettable X-Men: Origins - Wolverine.
As mentioned, the plot takes place (mostly) in Japan, keeping the prominence of the Japanese culture constantly emphasized. All well-known cliches appear, from the typical cherry blossom trees, to the remarkable katanas, and the famous doctrine of the samurai. Although the tradition of Japan is perfectly displayed, the notorious identity of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) seems to have lost on the way.
As the story unfolds, Wolverine encounters many unknown people, and acts unusually friendly with them. It's really surprising (and sometimes unconvincing) to see the submissive, and accepting side of the character, especially if we remember his furious temper when he first met the X-Men.
The other main characters are fairly solid, though not always comprehensible. The likable character of the princess, Mariko (Tao Okamoto), accompanied by the agreeable Yukio (Rila Fukushima) were grateful roles, nonetheless the actual treasure was the character of Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi/Ken Yamamura), who shakes up the otherwise tepid tale.
The glamorous environment of Japan makes the moderately dull story acceptable, even so it can't help the film of being a non mandatory piece of the franchise.