When I was 7, I bought an issue of X-Men. It was the third issue of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's reboot series and was it ever beautiful. Magneto was on the front with the X-Men lying at his feet, cables and wires flying around his head. He looked so cool . . . When my brother saw my purchase, he made me promise not to look at the back cover. I had no idea why he asked me to do this, but when you're 7 and your brother is 14, you do what he tells you to do. It wasn't until my eighth birthday that I discovered my brother's plan. Sitting in our messy living room, eating my mom's amazing white cake, I unwrapped a new Cyclops toy! I had no idea the X-Men toys even existed because my brother made sure I never saw the advertisement on the back of my X-Men comic book. I have never been more surprised.
Even when my brother and I were young and pretty combative with one another, X-Men was always a serious connection between us. Out of all the menagerie of mutant heroes, Wolverine was our favorite. He could be burned, shot, or stabbed, and all his wounds just closed up. A quick flex of his forearms and...Snikt! Adamantium claws popped out. Wolverine drank and smoked and didn't take crap from anybody. For two blond-haired geeks, he was someone to admire. Thinking back on those days, Wolverine was really like our third brother; a hairy, surly, immortal brother.
I'm sure many comic fans have similar stories in regard to their favorite heroes. Everyone has their own personal relationship with characters like Spiderman, Batman, and Wolverine. This would explain why, no matter how commercially or critically successful a comic book film may be, there is always that one nerd who will take offense at some minor or major detail. Batman's ears are too long! That's not how Frank Miller drew him! Wait, the webbing doesn't come out of Spider-man's wrists! It comes from web-shooters! Yeah, comic fans can be pretty anal, but they've been generally pleased with Hugh Jackman's cinematic portrayal of Wolverine. Through the good (X-2: X-Men United), to the bad (X-Men 3: The Last Stand), to the abysmal (X-Men Origins:Wolverine), Jackman has wowed with his physicality, intensity, and perfect haircut. His Wolverine has been the high point of all six films his character has starred in. This is also true in The Wolverine, a weak and tolerable addition to the X-Men film series.
The Wolverine is the type of film you forget about the minute you leave the theater. I saw Michael Haneke's Amore six months ago, and I still have those dramatic scenes running around in my skull. I saw The Wolverine one hour ago, and I couldn't tell you what happened. The gist is: Wolverine goes to Japan. He meets a girl. He fights some ninjas and a giant mechanical samurai. And that's it. The script is as messy as your normal Hollywood film, with an unnecessarily convoluted plot and lame twists. Narrative clarity and character motivation are not a priority in The Wolverine. It's long boring dialogue scenes interspersed with some not so eye-opening action scenes. Too bad.
Still, out of all the X-Men films, The Wolverine gets the character right. Well, I should say the film presents a Wolverine close to the one my brother and I grew up with. In The Wolverine, Logan is not nice. He throws criminals off of balconies and slices confessions out of yakuza thugs. His vocabulary is the dirtiest yet without being rated-R material. There are some nice comedic bits that capture the sarcastic and humorous side of the character. One particular scene involves Logan at a pay-by-the-hour hotel. As always, Jackman has perfect timing, and many of these scenes are memorable vignettes surrounded by a forgettable story.
It is not surprising to see James Mangold at the helm on this film. A true director-for-hire, Mangold has never established a recognizable authorial style. From Identity to Kate & Leopold to Knight and Day, it's hard to see an artistic throughline. From an industry perspective, he's probably considered a director with a wide "range." From a critical perspective, he doesn't have much to say. So much of The Wolverine feels like Mangold doesn't want to make decisions. The whole thing seems very general. It is disappointing considering Mangold directed Cop Land, one of the best crime films of the last two decades. The Wolverine and all his other Hollywood drivel don't come close to that amazing film.
I could go on to talk about the made-for-TV cinematography or the cartoonish green screen action set-pieces. However, I really can't complain when I get to spend two hours with my bro Wolverine. The film is pretty lifeless, but it's always fun to see Jackman cutting up bad guys with Adamantium claws. And, it's nice to remember some good times with my real brother, when surprise was still a possibility in my life.
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