the wolverine

Although Robert Downey Jr. is now the “face” of Marvel when it comes to motion pictures, the company owes a huge debt of gratitude to Hugh Jackman. The actor’s take on Wolverine was the first fully realized character to emerge unscathed in the comic to screen translation. He was edgy but accessible, aloof but endearing, the ladies loved him and the men wanted to be him. And perhaps most importantly, he (along with original X-Men director Bryan Singer) made the idea of a guy with unbreakable bones and 12-inch claws seem believable…a concept that is vital to Marvel’s current template for success.

But after the cover-your-eyes atrocity that was 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it looked like everyone’s favorite anti-hero had made his final snikt! That probably explains the blasé buzz around The Wolverine when it was first announced. No one wanted to see the character dragged through the mud, no matter how much heart (or how many abs) Jackman brought to the role. Yet the movie itself proved to be redemption of sorts for everyone involved, working from the legendary comic book mini-series and giving the franchise a fresh start.

Trying to escape his own animalistic nature and still grieving over the loss of Jean Grey, Logan agrees to travel to Japan to visit the deathbed of a man whose life he saved during WW2 (our hero is practically immortal, in case you didn’t know). Instead, he winds up entangled in a web of family intrigue, hired guns, angry ninjas and yet another doomed love-interest named Mariko (Tao Okamoto) who brings out the man inside the beast.

The Wolverine doesn’t solve all the problems carried over from the previous installment. The dialogue still falls back on recalcitrant tough guy clichés (“Are you a hunter?” “Not anymore.”) and the superhero who resents his powers is a story arc as old as time…or at least Richard Donner’s first Superman. But director James Mangold does a better job of guiding the material, allowing the fish-out-of-water scenario to develop between the required action scenes.

Speaking of which, The Wolverine has quite a few memorable ones, including a bullet-train sequence that tops the stunts in Mission Impossible and climactic ninja attack that is every bit as good as the comic book panels it was based on. Mangold’s film matches the intensity of Jackman’s performance at every beat, pushing the limits of what a PG-13 rating will allow (there’s little blood but constant impalements) and making a the Wolverine relevant once again.

Fox Home Video has made viewing the film at home a bit confusing. As is the current trend, there are several versions out there, including an unleashed extended edition on blu-ray, which adds 12 minutes of fighting, colorful language and, a good amount of CG blood spatters. The theatrical version and 3D upgrade are floating around as well, along with certain retailer exclusives (adamantium claw packaging, anyone?). But whichever route you choose, check to make sure you’re getting the extras you want. The theatrical blu-ray includes a digital copy, second screen app, Days of Future Past preview and a healthy amount of featurettes included on a second disc.