Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Wolverine Review - 2½ Stars

Hugh Jackman has great acting skills and a lot of fans.  I don’t think they will be disappointed with this new adventure of the X Men wolf guy who fights with steel claws.  As the movie begins he’s sulking in the great north when a mysterious Asian woman with a killer sword comes to visit.  After they slice the local bad guys to ribbons, she invites him to Japan, to bid farewell to a wealthy businessman whose life the wolverine saved during the A bomb blast at the end of World War Two.   The visit sets off a family feud and samurai warfare.   The wolverine must save the businessman’s granddaughter from forces determined to kill her.  This sets up several martial arts segment the best of which takes place on top of the 300 mile an hour bullet train.   The mystery of the forces that want the granddaughter killed makes for an intriguing story.  “The Wolverine” also creates great atmosphere in its west meets east mystery.  Unfortunately the ending resorts to the usual superhero versus super villain stuff.  “The Wolverine” runs a little long and basically delivers two thirds of a good story.  Does it deliver what it promises?  Another adventure of an X Man character.  Is it entertaining?  If you like Hugh Jackman.  Is it worth the price of admission?  For fans.