LAMORINDA WEEKLY | "The Wolverine"


Logan (Hugh Jackman) races into a battle that's shattered a sacred ceremony. Photo Ben Rothstein

Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables") reprises his role as Logan "The Wolverine" for the sixth time in this new chapter from the X-Men movie series which is truer to its comic book origins than most superhero films.

This movie is based on the celebrated comic book arc, which takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him changed forever. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than he has ever been before.

The story begins as a flashback to World War II when the young Logan saves the life of one of his Japanese captors. The film then returns to today and Logan is a hermit in the back reaches of Alaska, suffering the mental damages from killing the woman he loved. Wolverine is tracked down by Yukoi (Rila Fukushima) and returned to Japan as the dying wish of his aged archenemy, Yashida (Haruhiko "Hal" Yamanouchi). Through varying twists and turns, Wolverine has lost his ability to heal and is damaged by his adversaries during each battle.

This is an interesting film that gives viewers the best examination of Logan so far. It is a much better movie than "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" that came out in 2009, also starring Jackman. The Wolverine provides the audience with the appropriate amount of action for a comic book movie of this nature. It is not over the top and forced.

This is a summer flick that's mostly a good deal of fun and that is all anyone can expect from a superhero summer movie. Moviegoer tip: As an extra bonus for all X-Men fans - wait for the Easter egg in the credits.

"The Wolverine" is rated PG13. Total running time is 2 hours, 9 minutes

Derek Zemrak is a film critic, film producer and founder of the California Independent Film Festival. You can follow Derek on Twitter @zemrak for the latest Hollywood news. Derek can be heard every Friday on KAHI 950AM on the Poppoff Show.