Wolverine, the surly brawler with the razor-sharp metal claws, has long been a fan favourite of comic-book aficionados. And his appeal translated to the big screen, due in large part to Aussie actor Hugh Jackman's commanding, charismatic portrayal. However, the character's first solo outing after a trio of popular X-Men movies was an absolute dud, a thick-headed and ham-fisted bore that did the character and his story no favours at all. Luckily, he's been given a shot at redemption. And The Wolverine not only does right by him, it also shows some of the season's bland blockbusters the correct way to make a tough, thrilling superhero adventure. Living rough and wrestling with the pain of his past, Wolverine – or Logan, to use his real name – unexpectedly finds new meaning when he's summoned to Japan by Yashida, a billionaire businessman he rescued from certain death many years earlier. No sooner has our hero touched down, however, does he finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy involving ninjas, gangsters and the powerful Yashida clan, with the tycoon's beautiful granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) the prime target of every villain in town.
Wolverine may be a superhero, but The Wolverine feels more like a hard-boiled action movie than your typical comic-book adaptation. And that is its main strength. Sure, Logan bares his claws a bit, and he and his adversaries get into tussles that occasionally stretch the bounds of credibility. But mostly this is a moody, brooding and involving piece of work with action sequences that have some real impact. And Jackman seems invigorated by the opportunity to bring to life not only the brutal Wolverine but the weary, wounded Logan.
In cinemas now.
