The Wolverine is back on Blu-Ray with Hugh Jackman supporting the sideburns for a sixth time in what is Wolverines second solo outing. After the mess that was 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine,' thankfully this film is not another origin story to make up for the negative reaction the first film received. The film kicks off in 1945 with Wolverine stuck in a POW camp in Nagasaki, Japan. The Americans drop the second atomic bomb of WW2 and Wolverine saves the life of a Japanese officer named Yashida. We then cut to the present day where Wolverine is living a solitary life in the Canadian wilderness. Yukio, a redheaded Japanese mutant played brilliantly by Rila Fukushima, finds him and tells him that hes been requested by a dying Yashida to come to Japan so he can thank Wolverine for saving his life and say goodbye. That sets in motion a story involving tech companies, samurai, ninjas, bullet trains, chopsticks, Yakuza and any other Japanese cliché you can think off as Wolverine is tasked with protecting Mariko (Tao Okamoto), Yashidas granddaughter and heir to the Yashida Empire. Director James Mangold attempts to tell a much more personal Wolverine story than we have seen before. Wolverine is haunted by nightmares about killing Jean Grey in X-Men: The Last Stand and longs to be released from the curse of being immortal. But when he is granted that wish (against his will) he soon learns that its not a gift he can do so easily without.
The problem with The Wolverine is that the story cant match the intention. It quickly becomes a collection of dull action scenes (the bullet train fight is pretty awesome), hit & miss humour, Japanese stereotyping and a climax that involves one of the most obvious twists seen in any film this year. You struggle to care about the fate of Mariko or her dysfunctional family, and the film takes a noticeable dip during its second act. The ending is mostly unsatisfying and combined with some dodgy CGI and RoboSamurai, the film leaves you feeling indifferent to events you have witnessed. Another element that annoys in The Wolverine is the toned down violence. It is perfectly ok to hear Wolverine tell his foes to Go f**k themselves, but its not ok to see the full consequences of him attacking someone with his claws. Had the violence filter been turned down, it would have helped to elevate the films action scenes. But it is refreshing and a relief to see a comic book movie where the fate of the universe is not at stake. Instead the approach to tell a more focused drama about death, consequences and immortality works to deliver a much more interestingly themed movie that doesnt end with half of Tokyo being demolished. Overall, The Wolverine is a better film than its predecessor but it does show that Wolverine is more entertaining when hes surrounded by other X-Men. As well as the standard Blu-Ray and DVD sets, you also have the option of purchasing the 'Unleashed Extended Edition.' Not only is the theatrical cut on the disc, but for those of you who want a bit more Wolverine, you will be pleased to know an extended cut of the film as been included. 12 minutes of extra footage bump up the running time to 138 minutes and helps to improve upon the version that was released in cinemas. There is also a tongue-in-cheek alternate ending that gives a nod to the comic book version of wolverine, but I won't ruin the surprise here. And undoubtedly excitement is building for X-Men: Days Of Future Past
and 20th Century Fox were not going to miss the opportunity to hype up what should be the biggest X-Men movie to date. So they have included a pretty neat tour of the set of X-Men: Days Of Future Past where director Bryan Singer shows you some of the stuff to look forward to.
Throw in a few more documentaries and a 3D cut of the film, if you plan on buying a copy of The Wolverine, the Unleashed Extended Version is the one to get. To coincide with the Blu-Ray release, you can download the free Wolverine Second Screen app. Point your phone at the screen while watching the film and you get bonus material such as extra commentary and behind the scenes features that are not included on the disk. You also have the option to chat to your friends if they are watching the film as well. The Wolverine is released on Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray and DVD on Monday 18th Nov. Full contents are listed below.
THE WOLVERINE Unleashed Extended Edition BD3D THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray 3D Theatrical Version THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray Unleashed Extended Cut with Director audio commentary THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray Theatrical Version with Special Features: Alternate Ending X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour The Path of the Ronin an immersive feature following the journey of a hero without a past Sync with Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen experience Theatrical Trailers
THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray
THE WOLVERINE Theatrical Version with Special Features: Alternate Ending X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour The Path of the Ronin an immersive feature following the journey of a hero without a past Sync with Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen experience Theatrical Trailers
THE WOLVERINE DVD THE WOLVERINE Theatrical Cut Inspiration A Ronins Journey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wemqF4hBTfw