Man, Wolverine is a boring character. Never has that been made more apparent than in “The Wolverine.” Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine with the personality of a waffle, and rather than playing the character as a man in his element, like in the comics, Wolverine is a fish out of water. He can’t speak Japanese, nor can he understand it. So he needs a Japanese character to hover around him lest he become trapped in a hilarious misunderstanding. Like the scene where he’s being scrubbed by a group of bath women.
“The Wolverine” doesn’t do much to make Wolverine in to an action hero worthy of his own movie series. Again, Wolverine is just boring, and his character manages to do nothing but scowl, grimace, and growl, every single chance he gets. It’s embarrassing when the supporting characters are much more entertaining in a movie about a mutant with metal claws. The comics played Wolverine as a man who could adapt to the Asian culture well, but here he’s just another American moron who seems to approach Asian culture with an undertone of mockery. Director James Mangold plays the character much too seriously, to the point where the film is dull. Granted, I didn’t like the camp from “Origins,” but the writers seem to be anxious to depict Wolverine as some complex individual.
Rila Fukushima is a scene stealer as the red haired warrior Yukio, who forms a sisterly bond with Logan. Will Yun Lee is also rather fantastic as the ninja Kenuichio, the Yashida’s bodyguard torn between his loyalties to the Yashida’s and Mariko. Their plights and conflicts are so much more exciting and compelling most times, as Logan really offers nothing of real interest to the narrative beyond giving Mariko someone to fawn after. The choreography and sword play are also quite dazzling to watch. “The Wolverine” is yet another vehicle for a character that still hasn’t garnered any depth, complexity, or interesting personality traits since we last saw him in “Origins.” I bemoan future Wolverine movies that are sure to plague the box office, soon.