While “The Wolverine” is a better example of the super hero genre, and a more than passable action film, I was initially let down by it. I think it was a case of elevated expectations. I look to James Mangold for films that have a lot to say, and “The Wolverine” is a little light in that area. Not that it is message-less. There is a lot about life-weariness, and how immortality can be a curse rather than a gift. Logan has to overcome his regret and loss and find new reasons to live his elongated life. This is something that can speak to even the mortal likes of us normal humans. However, we usually want a little more form our dour, loner, heroes. Batman, for example, is always about righting some wrong or, even better, defeating an outright evil. Logan is a loner who reluctantly reacts to things that upset him. He is not the quest sort.
And that is the one real problem with this otherwise very entertaining flick. Our main character, The Wolverine, is—if not completely passive—at best reactive. Everyone else in this movie controls the action and the plot, and push Wolverine around like a puppet, albeit a strong, hard-to-push-around one.
As far a Super Hero films, and more specifically X Men ones, this is about as good as you get, but don’t go looking for anything too deep to fit in your run-of-the-mill action piece.
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