The Wolverine (7/10)

After the disastrous X-Men Origins and even The Last Stand, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be happy that they are making a new one.

Finally, this movie was a worthy effort for one of the most popular Marvel characters ever created. Finally, there is hope again for better Wolverine sequels.

But then again, Hugh Jackman is no longer the man he was when he first played Wolverine in X-Men back in 2000. Thirteen years has gone and it really showed in the action scenes, especially when he's running. He looked slow, sad to say.

And with James Mangold directing, the "berserker barrage" never came. This Wolverine looked too careful, always getting hit, slow, unexciting, and less ferocious than he once was. Perhaps action sequences were never Mangold's strong point, and I don't know how much help he had gotten here; but I'm just wondering if it was helmed by someone else, could the action be better?

There was also that scene when he was running toward the tower and ninjas were shooting arrows at him, he's got the sharpest claws attached to his knuckles, why didn't he use them? That, I thought, was a silly scene.

Also, how was it that the Wolverine couldn't see the Viper's spit coming and yet young Yukio was able to dodge it so easily? Or, why did Wolverine decide to leave Mariko (who became one of his greatest love in the comics) in the end without even staying a while? It made zero sense, and it's these unexplainable plot revelations or turn-of-events that really get to me.

But the casting was brilliant. Rila Fukushima as the somewhat clairvoyant Yukio really had the face of someone who was been tortured by her own dreams. Tao Okamoto was brilliant as she even stole my heart bringing Mariko to the silver screen. Here's where Mangold got the right touch directing a fresh new actor and getting her to look right on screen.

And the geek in me was happy to see Jean Grey once more. Even more glee in the short scene after the credits started rolling!

Jackman looked seriously good in this movie. And he still has what it takes to play Wolverine. I'm going to have to blame the director on this one because I thought it could have easily been a better movie.