THE WOLVERINE - Reviews and Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Dream, Jul 22, 2013.

?

Rate The Wolverine

  1. Excellent

    20.5%
  2. Above Average

    44.6%
  3. Average

    30.1%
  4. Below Average

    3.6%
  5. Poor

    1.2%
  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2008
    My only real gripe is the lack of Ninja fight. I suspect it's because it would have been hard to edit to a PG 13 rating.
     
  2. bullethead

    bullethead Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2008
    I dunno, they had Logan stab Shingen through the neck and hung Lady Viper with an elevator lift cable. It seems like they could've filmed it as bloodlessly as possible and stuck it in the movie unless they were worried it would make the movie too long.
     
  3. Set Harth

    Set Harth Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2010
    Location:
    Annwn
    My overly cynical side makes me speculate that maybe the studio forced Mangold to take it out so that they could boost sales of the unrated DVD/Blu-ray. But I hope not. :klingon:

    I don't think it would have really needed to be any more "R" than the rest of the film.
     
  4. sttngfan1701d

    sttngfan1701d Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2003
    The MPAA is so hypocritical about the line between PG-13 and R though. Fifteen years ago any sort of decapitation would get you an R; now they're fine for PG-13. Same for scenes showing people getting shot in the head. Titanic's frontal-boobs scene with Kate Winslet would've been R in any universe, and it would be today, but James Cameron is special and can achieve whatever rating he wants....yet two brief shots of George Clooney's butt meant that Solaris was originally rated R, but had to be appealed to PG-13.

    And how many people get killed/maimed in the average PG-13 disaster movie? Is it just the presence of blood that merits an R? Or is it just the ratings boards' mood on the day that they screen it?
     
  5. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2005
    From the seven year old, but still relevant documentary, This Film is Not Yet Rated, it is clear that the MPAA doesn't have any consistent set of ratings guidelines.
     
  6. Set Harth

    Set Harth Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2010
    Location:
    Annwn
    Copious amounts of blood usually merits an R. That's why these superhero films are relatively bloodless. It's the same way in the video game realm - if your Star Wars game, for example, shows what appears to be dismemberment of limbs, but there's no blood, it gets a T rather than an M rating.
     
  7. Ensign_Redshirt

    Ensign_Redshirt Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2007
    The warped moral values the MPAA has been imposing on society for years can only be the result of a true sociopath's mind.

    Being nude is worse than shooting someone in the head? Is this really a message which should be taught to children? :p

    (Ah, and as for the movie: I voted "Average".)
     
  8. Pauln6

    Pauln6 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2009
    Location:
    Bristol, United Kingdom
    Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. For me at least, it had the right level of action and angst. The casting was impeccable and I absolutely loved the cameos by returning actors. This was a far superior movie to the last wolverine movie. I felt that Jean was given a little more of the respect she should have been afforded in X3. I'm very happy for this one to sit in my collection.

    Minor gripes are that I didn't really see the need to try and jazz up the Viper or the need for boy on boy / girl on girl action. I also didn't really see the need for Mariko to have any kind of combat skill at all but it wasn't overdone so I could live with it. I did miss Yukio throwing her knives though and while the actress looked fabulous I wanted Yukio to be just that little bit more daring - just a bit crazier.

    Famke made it all worthwhile.
     
  9. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2008
    The amount of screen time Jean has was very pleasant surprise. Unlike most people I did not hate The Last Stand. But it was very frustrating. It seemed we would never see any of those actors, outside of Jackman play their parts again. Now with this and Days of Future Past we are seeing most of them back.

    The big exception is Cyclops. I hope there is a surprise reveal at the end of the new movie of a cameo by James Marsden alive.
     
  10. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    Where? I know a spot where they could've added her in.

    You said character piece. I see you are either adding to your definition of that or are moving the goal posts. Possibly just didn't get the depth added to much of the characters in The Avengers. Black Widow alone is more fully explored. Great character moments for Banner as well. If all you saw were 'spolsions I submit you didn't see the same movie everyone else did.

    Your 'splosions fest was Man of Steel, depth there was kiddie wadding pool compared to what was in The Avengers. The Wolverine is a stronger whole film than MoS, whose first hour was awesome but quickly deteriorates into an orgy of destruction, whereas The Wolverine does not. It stays focused on letting the characters instead of carnage.
     
  11. trekkiebaggio

    trekkiebaggio Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2004
    Location:
    Dancing to the Jailhouse Rock
    Here's my full review.

    I enjoyed it. I thought the first 2 acts dragged a little bit but I really enjoyed the last act, I think once he got his healing factor back the film felt a lot more fast-paced.

    I thought at first some dialogue seemed to imply that his healing factor had been completely taken away, which made me think 'why isn't he suffering from adamantium poisoning' but I suppose it was just weakened.

    The bit where he lost his claws made me gasp. I hope he gets adamantium back, bone claws won't do much against sentinels.

    The extra scene was great, I had been spoiled about Prof X but not Magneto, so that was a pleasant surprise. I really liked the fact that it still tied in with the other films but it didn't feel dominated by them, like XMOW seemed to be dominated by trying to fit in everything, whereas this was a lot more intimate.
     
  12. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2008
    No one has committed on the 2 year gap between the main story and last scene. Its possible he already has had the Adamantium on his claws replaced. But more importantly they likely did that for possible Wolverine standalone films in that gap. It seemed to be setting that up with Yukio leaving with Logan.
     
  13. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2001
    Location:
    On the run.
    He still had bone claws in the bonus scene.
     
  14. Obiwanshinobi

    Obiwanshinobi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2003
    Location:
    ObiWanShinobi
    I thought it was pretty good for a standalone movie. It was definitely better than Wolverine Origins. I enjoyed the first 2 acts, but it fell apart in the third act for me. Although, the final reveal turned out to be very cliche. I am also confused on how
    Mariko's father survived after being poisoned by Viper.
    I also think they could have used a better villain, than Viper. Speaking of Viper, were those ninjas apart of The Hand? Or just standard ninjas serving Yashida.
     
  15. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    While some explanation would've be nice for us the viewer I don't know where one would've been inserted. I'm fine with the assumption that Viper didn't fully intend for that "poison pen" to kill him. More that she left him there to suffer and/or serve as interference should Logan show up there.

    The end credits he still has bone claws, so for 2yrs he's had bone claws and not sought to get adamantium back on them.

    I feel the pacing of the whole movie is great.
    I personally would've liked some nod to Origins. I get the internet hates it and I admit it's flawed but I've seen worse movies and think it's overly hated. Perhaps having Kayla in one of the dream moments. That way it kinda becomes a "women Logan's loved" type thing. Maybe the Kayla dream could even warn Logan not to love this girl(Mariko), bad things happen to women you truly care for.
     
  16. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2008
    I am going to check out Origns again. I am usually very forgiving for movies other fans hate but not with that. I am willing to give another try.

    The big problem I had with that was the Weapon X sequences. That should have been a very dramatic moment. Yet it seemed to have very little compared to the flashbacks in X2.
     
  17. Set Harth

    Set Harth Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2010
    Location:
    Annwn
    There was, you hear Logan reacting to Kayla at one point, I don't remember precisely when. Some time when Logan is not fully conscious.

    And I still don't get how the bone claws themselves are not a nod to Origins, or his service in WWII.
     
  18. Captain Craig

    Captain Craig Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    I saw it twice so if you could narrow down which moment you mean. Every time he went unconscious we got a Jean moment. The only time he was knocked out that didn't happen was during the Black Ninja Clan rooftop harpooning of him. He blacks out, fade to black, open up on him being in Lady Viper's chair.

    The bone claws are too subtle if you want to count those.
    Kayla seen talking to Logan, at least once, would've been clear.
    Some line of dialogue when he's cutting the fallen tree down to size, perfect opportunity for a lumberjack reference.
     
  19. DarthPipes

    DarthPipes Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2006
    Well, it was a lot better than the first film. Jackman was good and the two actresses playing Yukio and Mariko were really good as well. The movie did themselves proud with those too female characters. I wish Yukio would stick around for DOFP. Strong action and I liked how they adapted the opening sequence from the original Wolverine mini-series.

    I thought that it got nonsensical and incoherent as it went along though, especially at the end. The villain presence in this film was really lacking and they just weren't any good. Some characters I really didn't understand, like the archer guy.

    Still, that scene a minute into the credits more than made up for things.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2013
  20. DarthPipes

    DarthPipes Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2006
    3) Part of the film's deflation in the third act is an unfortunate effect resulting from its plot structure. What makes the film unique among the others in its franchise is the plot device of taking away Logan's indestructibility. However, once this is resolved midway through the film, the factor which really made the film interesting and made Logan's battles more difficult is no longer in play[/QUOTE]

    Agreed. Wolverine wasn't going to get killed but once he got his healing factor back, it kind of takes the suspense out of things.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2013