The Wolverine

TheMutt92

New member
Not a sequel to "Origins", directed by Aronofsky, written by McQuarrie, and featuring High Jackman once again...

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/11/15/wolverine-sequel-title/

Fans who were disappointed with the movie 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' received some relief in the news that director Gavin Hood would not be returning for another installment. Instead, acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky('The Wrestler') will be at the helm, in spite of his long ago claim to have no interest in superhero movies -- including a Batman adaptation he was temporarily attached to. This weekend Aronofsky revealed some additional reasons for us to think the next 'X-Men' spin-off starring a solo Hugh Jackman will be unlike the last. While doing an interview with HitFix to promote his upcoming 'Black Swan,' the filmmaker stated that his Wolverine movie will be titled 'The Wolverine,' and it will be a "one-off," not a "sequel in the conventional sense."
 

kongisking

Active member
Darren Aronofsky, one of my favorite directors, doing a superhero movie...on top of that, a WOLVERINE movie, in Japan? Can you say "dream come true?" :cool: :cool: :cool:
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
kongisking said:
Darren Aronofsky, one of my favorite directors...

...didn't want to spend a year in Japan. So, instead, James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) took over helming duties. And after months of radio silence, a full trailer has finally hit the 'net.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z-Yu9uwHLVI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


The international trailer has hit the 'net as well, and offers a decidedly different look.
 

kongisking

Active member
Yeah, shame Arronofsky didn't work out. But Mangold is a good replacement. His 3:10 to Yuma was a superb film.

Oh, and I like the trailers. :cool:
 

Joe Brody

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
...didn't want to spend a year in Japan. So, instead, James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) took over helming duties.

Love how he brazenly steals the night shot from Lost in Translation.
 
wait...he wants them to undo his healing/near immortality which are part of his mutant powers and not a result of weapon x....didn't we already go thru mutant cures in x3?

he wants to me mortal...but leave the mutant claws and the metal skeleton?
 

oki9Sedo

New member
I really think they should do X-Men 4.

X-Men is such a rich and varied universe, and also works best as an ensemble piece anyway.

Maybe Days of Future Past will open up such a possibility.
 

MinnesotaJones

New member
Hmm...I felt 'Origins' was a bit too over the top Hollywood action movie in a way that wasn't good...by looking at the trailer I'm not sure...but I'll stay optimistic...
 

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
Wolverine nukes the well at 1:03...

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/th1NTVIhUQU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

kongisking

Active member
Well, saw this last night, and I'm happy to say that, overall, it was an excellent movie. There were a few issues keeping it from greatness, mostly the unnecessarily-over-the-top climax, but nothing that utterly ruins the film. It's more of a character drama than a superhero movie, and that pleases me greatly. Recommended.

Oh, and stick around for the mid-credits scene. What happened got cheers in my theater. :D
 

Montana Smith

Active member
kongisking said:
Well, saw this last night, and I'm happy to say that, overall, it was an excellent movie. There were a few issues keeping it from greatness, mostly the unnecessarily-over-the-top climax, but nothing that utterly ruins the film.

For me it was the antics on top of the bullet train that almost derailed the film.

But that was quickly forgotten and the movie was soon back on track. In fact I thought the climax was surprisingly low key, and remarkably unconventional in that it's the two women who ultimately defeat the villains while Logan is helpless.

I really liked it.

kongisking said:
It's more of a character drama than a superhero movie, and that pleases me greatly.

And this is probably why I really liked it.

James Mangold told Jackman to think in terms of The Outlaw Josey Wales: where the west meets the ronin. That was definitely a good starting point. He also said he wanted to avoid the "hollow" kind of superhero movie - which is how I would describe The Avengers (which would have worked better if they'd kept in some of the deleted character building scenes).

The story of The Wolverine goes back to the Wolverine limited comic book series from 1982 created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.

Claremont: "He was a young character in terms of how long he?d been on sale. All we?d seen of him was the mad, dangerous, scary, violent thug. The whole heart of my pitch to Frank Miller was that this isn?t about the thug, but about the man, and the man?s struggles to dominate with his heart and his mind the animal passions in his soul. I think that?s a theme and a story that has struck a resonant chord with readers ever since."

There's more on that here.

Will have to look out for the 138 minute extended cut.
 

kongisking

Active member
You hated the bullet train sequence, Smiffy? And that single, brief setpiece almost ruined an entire movie for you? :confused: I'm really having a hard time getting a bead on your standards for a good action scene...

And yes, please get the extended cut. Adds even more of those strong character moments that made me love this movie, and for the Tarantino fan in us, adds more blood to the fights and extends the battle with the Black Clan.

In the end, this movie felt like Dirty Harry Goes to Japan. And it rocked. :D
 

Montana Smith

Active member
kongisking said:
You hated the bullet train sequence, Smiffy? And that single, brief setpiece almost ruined an entire movie for you? :confused: I'm really having a hard time getting a bead on your standards for a good action scene...

You wrote:

There were a few issues keeping it from greatness...

My reply was that the bullet train sequence was such an issue for me. I couldn't avoid using the puns "almost derailed" and "back on track". :D

I didn't say I "hated" it. You see, this is where you and I are going wrong. ;)

The action on top of the train felt like an homage to a 1980s side scrolling video game. Plus Logan was ripping quite deep holes in the tops of the carriages, yet nobody inside notices. Once he's back inside the film is set back on course again.

It just felt out of place. That's all.


kongisking said:
And yes, please get the extended cut. Adds even more of those strong character moments that made me love this movie, and for the Tarantino fan in us, adds more blood to the fights and extends the battle with the Black Clan.

I loved the snow covered village at the foot of Yashida's castle. It's classic Japanese imagery, but it also made me think of the garden at the House of Blue Leaves in Kill Bill.

kongisking said:
In the end, this movie felt like Dirty Harry Goes to Japan. And it rocked. :D

Or Blood Work goes to Japan!

It's my favourite entry in the X-Men series. Maybe because the hero was so vulnerable, yet always so determined.
 

kongisking

Active member
Montana Smith said:
I couldn't avoid using the puns "almost derailed" and "back on track". :D

...Oh. I misread them as literal. Whoops.

Montana Smith said:
It's my favourite entry in the X-Men series. Maybe because the hero was so vulnerable, yet always so determined.

X2 is still the standard for this series IMO, but The Wolverine is a damn good movie on its own terms, and rivals that one for my favorite. The biggest compliment I can give it is that it made me, someone who liked the character but had never truly gotten the appeal of him and was tiring of him being the focus of this series, actually care about him more than I ever have, and finally grasp the appeal. Now, I have no qualms about him headlining the upcoming Days of Future Past.

This movie made him compelling to me, for the first time. And for the first time, I'm eager to see him again. That's this movie's triumph.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
kongisking said:
The biggest compliment I can give it is that it made me, someone who liked the character but had never truly gotten the appeal of him and was tiring of him being the focus of this series, actually care about him more than I ever have, and finally grasp the appeal.

...This movie made him compelling to me, for the first time. And for the first time, I'm eager to see him again. That's this movie's triumph.

(y)

Wolverine was always my favourite character in the X-Men comics. He got even better when his long backstory opened up and he went solo in the Wolverine mini series and then the full series.

kongisking said:
Now, I have no qualms about him headlining the upcoming Days of Future Past.

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I liked the Wolverine...aside from the "big dumb ending" that comic movies feel obligated to do (did the Silver Samurai need to be 15-20 ft tall?!). Oh, and Viper...worthless. Other than those 2 things it was an engaging breath of fresh air.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
featofstrength said:
I liked the Wolverine...aside from the "big dumb ending" that comic movies feel obligated to do (did the Silver Samurai need to be 15-20 ft tall?!). Oh, and Viper...worthless. Other than those 2 things it was an engaging breath of fresh air.

The Silver Samurai in this film owed more to the suits in the Iron Man films than to the character in the comics. Ironic that Harada the comic book Silver Samurai is killed by the movie Silver Samurai.

I suppose it's to be expected now that these films will blow the finale up in scale. But at least this one didn't go the normal 'heroic' route.

Just watched Iron Man 3, which had a similar ending: a vulnerable Stark saved by Pepper.
 

kongisking

Active member
Montana Smith said:
Wolverine was always my favourite character in the X-Men comics. He got even better when his long backstory opened up and he went solo in the Wolverine mini series and then the full series.

It may just have been the really grounded, gritty tone they went with this time out. Without so much silly costumes or outrageous superpowers or diabolical threats to take over the world...it allowed the movie to focus on Logan properly, to explore who he is as a person, and use the plot as a vehicle to give Logan a genuinely poignant and gripping arc, unlike Origins which used Logan as an action-scene puppet as part of a larger story. This movie well and truly is Wolverine's story, his character study, and I love that.

I did buy the original limited series after seeing the movie, and am very nearly done reading it. I certainly agree, it's an excellent story in its own right and I can see how it elevated the character's popularity if before then, he really had been a savage thug with little layers. That said...I actually really prefer a lot of the decisions made with the film, such as the total re-do of Yukio's character (seriously, she better come back as his sidekick in the next solo Logan movie, or I'll be livid), and the whole element of Logan having known Yashida from Nagasaki.

Really, the entire theme of exploring Logan's immortality and how it's kept him from wanting to truly connect to people since he knows he'll inevitably outlive them, was a masterstroke. That made the character gripping and sympathetic to me.

featofstrength said:
I liked the Wolverine...aside from the "big dumb ending" that comic movies feel obligated to do (did the Silver Samurai need to be 15-20 ft tall?!). Oh, and Viper...worthless. Other than those 2 things it was an engaging breath of fresh air.

Totally agree. Viper felt totally redundant once you learned who the true mastermind of the movie was, and not only that, failed to really be sexy or seductive (I think it's her laughably-breathy voice and silly wardrobe that does it). I'm tempted to actually say she's what Spalko should have been, as this kind of character is more befitting an Indy movie, and Spalko could have used some of Viper's "personality."

And I deeply disliked the giant robot samurai. Smacks of "Oh, right, this is a superhero movie! Gotta have something big and over-the-top or it just won't feel comic-booky!" Which, sadly, is actually dead-on: The director's commentary on the Extended Edition basically admits that was his logic behind it. Ugh. I would have preferred the Samurai be normal sized, and an actual person in a suit, to do a real, gritty physical sword duel with Logan. Bam: you keep the essentials, but it's still faithful to the movie's gritty, less-goofy tone it had before then.

Montana Smith said:
But at least this one didn't go the normal 'heroic' route.

Just watched Iron Man 3, which had a similar ending: a vulnerable Stark saved by Pepper.

Judging from fan outrage over similar situations in this, Iron Man 3 and The Dark Knight Rises, they seem to disapprove of their hero not only having their bacon saved by the main female supporting lead, but having them take out the main villain too. At least this one had Logan do the actual finishing move...hence, I've heard little complaints about this instance. But boooy howdy, the hate over Selina Kyle killing Bane and Pepper killing Killian...
 
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Montana Smith

Active member
kongisking said:
It may just have been the really grounded, gritty tone they went with this time out. Without so much silly costumes or outrageous superpowers or diabolical threats to take over the world...it allowed the movie to focus on Logan properly, to explore who he is as a person, and use the plot as a vehicle to give Logan a genuinely poignant and gripping arc, unlike Origins which used Logan as an action-scene puppet as part of a larger story. This movie well and truly is Wolverine's story, his character study, and I love that.

And with that you've just explained why The Avengers didn't work for me. Some stories don't translate as well to the screen, yet they work fine on the pages of a comic book.

kongisking said:
I did buy the original limited series after seeing the movie, and am very nearly done reading it. I certainly agree, it's an excellent story in its own right and I can see how it elevated the character's popularity if before then, he really had been a savage thug with little layers. That said...I actually really prefer a lot of the decisions made with the film, such as the total re-do of Yukio's character (seriously, she better come back as his sidekick in the next solo Logan movie, or I'll be livid), and the whole element of Logan having known Yashida from Nagasaki.

I have the original four-issue mini series bagged up. Comics are yet another area of junk I've accumulated when I could get them in bulk, but I long since gave up buying them (and went the digital route to save space, get early issues and fill in gaps).

It's great every now and then just to flip through the comics, or just to look at the covers. There's no substitute for the real thing.

kongisking said:
Really, the entire theme of exploring Logan's immortality and how it's kept him from wanting to truly connect to people since he knows he'll inevitably outlive them, was a masterstroke. That made the character gripping and sympathetic to me.

I found out what the kanji on the katana meant yesterday:

On this page a Japanese speaker writes:

....It reads, "不老不死不滅", which I'd translate as "Not aging, not dying, immortal" (滅ぶ horobu means "perish", so "Fumetsu" means "not perishing, "Immortal" would be as close as I could get in one word)..

"Destroy" is a little off, because it implies an external action, whereas perishing is something done naturally....So it's a touch off in that regard..

That would be a little closer to the Japanese for me....

13602446354_de77250575_o.jpg



kongisking said:
And I deeply disliked the giant robot samurai. Smacks of "Oh, right, this is a superhero movie! Gotta have something big and over-the-top or it just won't feel comic-booky!" Which, sadly, is actually dead-on: The director's commentary on the Extended Edition basically admits that was his logic behind it. Ugh. I would have preferred the Samurai be normal sized, and an actual person in a suit, to do a real, gritty physical sword duel with Logan. Bam: you keep the essentials, but it's still faithful to the movie's gritty, less-goofy tone it had before then.

It would have been better if the Silver Samurai hadn't been a giant robotic suit, but you rarely get everything you want with these films. I learnt that back in 1989 when Tim Burton gave us Nicholson's manic Joker, but then proceeded to kill him off at the movie's end! Nooooooo!


kongisking said:
Judging from fan outrage over similar situations in this, Iron Man 3 and The Dark Knight Rises, they seem to disapprove of their hero not only having their bacon saved by the main female supporting lead, but having them take out the main villain too. At least this one had Logan do the actual finishing move...hence, I've heard little complaints about this instance. But boooy howdy, the hate over Selina Kyle killing Bane and Pepper killing Killian...

I quite like it when the expected pattern is shaken up. But if this trend becomes a new pattern then they'll have to shake that up too!
 
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