The Wolverine (2013)

Extremely Different from The Previous X-Men Movies

Stars   :  Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hal Yamanouchi 

Score  :  7.0 / 10

 

2013, seems to be the year of superhero movie. There are four movies were released in 2013, Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, The Wolverine and which is still being aired in cinema, Thor 2. I am actually not a big fan of superhero movie, I only love X-Men. I never miss all X-Men movies, started from X-Men (2000) to X-Men First Class (2011). There are some reasons why I love X-Men. The first, there are a lot of super power figures (mutants) in X-Men, though the central figure is still on Wolverine. The second, they have a unique super power from the others. 

The third, some of them have a story in the past (about the origin of their super power) which is also told in the movie. I also love Hugh Jackman, who plays as Wolverine. Jackman is very blend with Wolverine character. Someone who will replace Jackman in the future, have a very tough task to remove Jackman's image in Wolverine. But, a recovery ability owned by Logan has made Wolverine become less exciting. Wolverine has an eternal life. He will never lose or die against the enemy.

On this time, The Wolverine told about the eternal life of Wolverine. The human is never satisfied, while the other wants to die because of saturated life with no direction and goals, on the other side wants an eternal life because of greed. At the beginning, Logan (Hugh Jackman) was in Nagasaki (Japan) and became Japanese prisoner. Logan locked up in a tank. U.S. nuclear aircraft attacked and burned Nagasaki. A Japanese soldier, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), tried to free the prisoners, including Logan, before he commit to harakiri. It's a norm that Japanese people prefer to harakiri (suicide by thrust a dagger or samurai into their stomach or heart), caused of feeling ashamed for having failed to perform a duty. When Yashida will do harakiri, Logan came and rescued him. Logan threw him into the tank and protects him from nuclear fire.

Nuclear Bomb at Nagasaki

Wolverine help Yashida

A few years later, Logan lives in the woods with a Grizzly bear. His life is on a bad condition. A bad thing in the past with his lovely woman, Jane, always haunted him in a dream while he was sleeping. Logan looks very messed up in a daily life. It was difficult to know that he is Wolverine, except from the claws which come out when he was angry.

When Logan will avenge the death of Grizzly bear to the hunter, a Japanese woman with samurai, Yukio (Rila Fukushima), appeared among them. Yukio killed the hunter then invite Logan to go with her. Yukio is looking for Logan in a long time, because of Yashida. Yashida was sick in Tokyo and wanted to meet Logan. He would like to thank you for having helped him in the past. Although with a little objection, Logan finally willing to follow Yukio goes to Tokyo.

Yukio

When he got in Tokyo, Logan met Yashida, who was suffering a cancer. Yashida called Logan, Kuzuri. Yashida being treated in his own home, which is very large with full equipment and a private doctor, Dr. Green (Svetlana Khodchenkova). Not surprising to see all of it, because Yashida is a very successful businessman. Yashida is the owner of a business empire Yashida Industry. He has a son, Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada) and a granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto).

Yashida

As a gratitude to Logan, Yashida want to repay his kindness by giving something very special. During this time, Yashida see Logan being depressed with eternal life, without direction and goals. Yashida called Logan as Ronin, a samurai without a master. Yashida states could give a mortal life to him by moving his ability to another, in this case to Yashida. Yashida do not want to die because he was very concerned about his businesses and Mariko. Logan refused it and will leave Tokyo on the next day.

On that night, Logan got a dream and meets Jane, but the figure was changed to Dr. Green who attacked Logan. Logan finally woke up and heard a news, Yashida was dead. On the day of the funeral, a group of Yakuza disguised as a monk and kidnap Mariko.

Extremely different and unique, that's what I can say about the Wolverine when compared to previous X-Men movies. On this time, The Wolverine carries a simple and plain story. At the end of movie, there is a surprise, though it can be predicted from beginning. All the characters involved in The Wolverine story also new faces that never been appeared in the previous X-Men, except Logan.

Wolverine

The atmosphere which is presented in X-Men this time was very different because of 80% of shooting process, was taken in Japan. So, the setting place that usually we see in X-Men, such as an advanced lab and X-Men headquarters will not be found this time. In exchange, we will look all things which characterizes of Japan, such as Nagasaki, Zojoji temple, Japanese house, crowded street in Tokyo, a Shinkansen (fast train) and a love hotel that are found in Japan. The supporting roles also can not be separated with Japan, like Yukio skilled on sword and Harada (Will Yun Lee) on darts and also a group of ninja. A friend who has watched The Wolverine and have been visited Japan, said that the Wolverine is less bite because Logan was on vacation to Japan. It is true :D. It was getting worst by Logan who was in mellow condition because of past problem. I feel there are different, unique, weird and abnormal. But even so, Logan still does not lose agility, ferocity and strength in the face of the enemy.

Wolverine holiday in Japan

Another one of the most important, do not rush to leave The Wolverine before it actually ends, because at the last part, there is an end of credit that was surprising.