Mortality

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2017)

Re-watching all of Hugh Jackman's performances as Wolverine has reminded me of a few things. The most notable being that no matter the quality of the film he's in, Jackman has always given it his all. He's put his body through vigorous training and eating routines so that the fans of the franchise have the Wolverine they've always wanted.
The Wolverine isn't a perfect solo outing for the clawed mutant. But it's 100% better than X-Men Origins Wolverine from quite a few years back. This adventure takes Logan/Wolverine to Japan to say goodbye to a dying old friend, Yashida, he saved from the atomic bomb in Nagasaki during World War II. Only, that friend has a little bit more planned than initially lead on. Yashida would like to transfer Logan's healing ability to his own body in order to stay alive and in turn, give Logan the "mortality he's always wanted".
This idea of mortality as it relates to Logan is a fascinating one, but it's not explored enough to justify an entire plot built around it. Even with his hallucinations of lying in bed with the deceased Jean Grey or walking around like a caveman don't necessarily sell me on his death wish. It feels more like the idea of mortality is forced into his subconscious rather than brought on naturally. Hopefully, 'Logan' tackles this theme in a more interesting way.
The other problem with this story is that it ventures deep into a family drama with the centerpiece being Yashida's apparent death. With the exception of a few scenes, it has the tendency to not feel like Logan's story at all. Instead, it's more like a modern-day western where Logan is forced to protect strangers for the greater good, ala Clint Eastwood in 'Pale Rider'. The Wolverine is like Iron Man 3 in that, the movie is fine by itself but it doesn't succeed entirely in being a comic-book adaptation. I understand that this was inspired by a specific run of comics, but the final product sure didn't feel all that worthy.
But there are plenty of positives. Jackman's performance goes without saying. It's impeccable. The action, and particularly hand to hand claw/sword battles are tremendous. Dare I say some of the best action the X-Men franchise has seen to date. The sequence on the bullet train is exceptional. But overall, the action and performances only even out the glaring weaknesses. The ending is a letdown and the inclusion of Viper feels completely out of place. Hopefully 'Logan' gives the titular character a bit more of his own story.
+Action
+Jackman gets bigger and better every time
-Viper
-Not really Logan's story
-Ending
7.1/10