I don't know if it was the low expectations or the fact that Logan got to
snikt! some ninjas, but I was pleasantly surprised with The Wolverine. You could argue that the latest entry in the X-Men franchise isn't terribly original or daring... and well, you'd be right. It's interested only in giving Logan a classic hero's journey, which it does pretty darn well. Director James Mangold brings a good bit of intelligence and restraint back to the summer blockbuster - and superhero films, in particular. If it wasn't for a healthy amount of CGI and incoherent action scenes (more on that later), The Wolverine would almost feel like a movie out of time, and it's to the movie's credit that it plays more like a Western or Samurai film than a comic book movie. Before we go any further, lets start with the facts of the case. Im a thirty-four year-old male and an all around smart-ass. While I'd argue that the X-Men franchise, with its exploration of bigotry and tolerance, is probably the most thematically important comic book series going, I've never cared for it personally. It's usually far too silly and soap opera-y for my tastes. And then came Bryan Singer's X-Men in 2000, which finally made the series work for me. I've never read the source material that The Wolverine is based on, and have little interest in doing so. Frankly, my interest in Wolverine begins and ends with Hugh Jackman, who has created one of the greatest screen characters of all time with his portrayal of Logan. So let's get those
SPOILERS going with another ten
probablyfailed attempts at balancing fanboy enthusiasm with a little objectivity. If you can, enjoy.