WOLVERINE

US, 2013, 126 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Svetlana Khodchenkova.
Directed by James Mangold.

This is the sixth time that Hugh Jackman has let his hair grow and put on his claws to be Logan, better known as Wolverine.

The film opens arrestingly in Japan, enemy prisoners of war, the Japanese guards afraid and committing hara-kiri. However, one of the prisoners is Logan, in a deep pit. He persuades one guard not to kill himself and, together, they witness the atomic bomb dropping on Nagasaki.

Then, later, there is Logan living in a remote part of North America, quite anti brutal hunters who barbarously kill bears. Where is the film going? What is Wolverine going to do? Well, a brightly active young Japanese woman arrives to persuade him to come to Japan. The old Japanese soldier is dying and wants to see Logan to thank him again. And off he goes.

So, most of the film is set in Japan. The old man is dying and leaving his biggest-company-in-Japan to his daughter and not to his son. Obviously, problems all round, with Yakuza, a most deadly Russian femme fatale who seems straight out of a Bond movie (villain, of course), and a gigantic Robocop like creature.

On the other hand, while it is an action show, comic book style, it is also a quieter film than many, concentrating on Logan and his character and his dealing with his Wolverine powers which the femme fatale has been able to lessen, bringing him and the two Japanese woman into danger. But…

Hugh Jackman is always a genial screen presence and is so here. The plot is interesting while not being memorable, so an entertaining holiday show.

1. The popularity of the character? As an individual, as part of the X-men? Logan? The mutant? Wolverine? Six films?

2. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, a strong presence, genial, yet a character who suffered? A loner, morose, seeker of justice, his violence? His experience of relationships and love? His marriage to Jean?

3. The action, the stunt work, computer graphics? The Japanese story? Its ethos? The musical score?

4. Jean’s returning to the films, the background of her death? Her re-appearing in Logan’s dreams and imagination? Her love, her understanding him, he challenges?

5. Nagasaki, the end of the war, letting the British soldiers out, the Japanese officers, committing Hara-Kiri?, the young officer, seeing Logan in the hole, Logan saving him, his not killing himself, the explosion, Logan covering him with protective material? Later in the flashback, Logan’s memories, the gift of the sword? To fight with two hands?

6. Logan, in the north, alone, in the woods, the encounter with the bear, the hunters in the shop, their life and in boasting, Logan finding the bear with the arrow? His putting it out of its misery, going to the bar, the confrontation with the hunters, the hunter talking, the arrow in his hand, justice and vengeance, the brawl?

7. The young girl watching him, driving the car, inviting him in, the fact that she had been searching for him, inviting him to Japan, the motive, the farewell to the soldier? In the plane, his being nervous? Driving through Tokyo?

8. Arriving, the house, Japanese propriety, bowing and politeness, and the bath and his being scrubbed, his haircut, going to see the old man, seeing his daughter, her father whispering to her? The Russian doctor, the initial impression, Logan talking to the officer, his gratitude, but offering him a peaceful death in exchange for his powers?

9. The daughter, her rush to the balcony, Luke and saving her, her story, the Japanese girl and the adoption, their being companions? Her being a loner, inheriting the whole company? Her father’s anger?

10. The doctor, her background, her being a mutant, putting the creature into Logan, it’s sapping his strength? His not being able to recover instantly?

11. The funeral, the rituals and pomp, the ninja attack?

12. Logan and rescuing the daughter, in the train, the warriors, the fights on the roof of the train, the accelerating action? With the daughter, the destination, the house, Nagasaki, the walk, Logan and his memories, the rain, the return? The relationship, the sexual experience?

13. The next morning, the daughter abducted? Her fiancé, as a minister, paid for abducting her by her father, the money, the sexual situation with the women, his underwear, Logan and his observations? Giving the information? Logan throwing him out, not knowing there was a pool there?

14. The Japanese girl, her capacity for premonitions, imagining deaths, especially of the hunters in the north? Anxious about Logan’s death? Visiting the father, seeing him as a warrior, his being just OK? The discussion with him, the truth, his talk with his daughter, the genes skipping a generation? The attack, his being wounded, his death?

15. The daughter’s boyhood companion, his protecting her, his skill with arrows, telling the story, pursuing Logan, arriving at the town, the ninjas and their pursuit, the arrow with the poison? His dying for the daughter?

16. In the town, the company building, on the cliff? The pursuit of Logan through the town, the arrows?

17. His being taken, the daughter in captivity, the role of the doctor, the Robo-ninja? The fight, the revelation that it was the soldier, his fighting Logan, sinking the drills into Logan, to drain him of his power? Logan’s final talk with him, beheading him? With the sword and two hands?

18. The Japanese girl, confrontation with the doctor? Wounded, shedding her skin? The further fight, the lift and her death?

19. The thematic connection between Nagasaki and his not killing himself, keeping his life, the decades of success and building his power, his bankrupting the company to find ways of his being able to stay alive, the machines, the pity of his death?

20. The finale, the daughter as the chief, the farewell to Logan, wanting him to stay, his need to move on, with the young Japanese girl, the plane and destinies unknown?