WOLVERINE: ONE RONIN

Fans of the comic books involving the X-Men and in particular Wolverine were not quite happy with the first solo film involving the character. As a fan of both, I wasn't disappointed but the outcry when it was released garnered quite a bit of attention. Fortunately one group paying attention was the makers behind the new DVD release THE WOLVERINE. They've made a grittier and more true to the source film that makes up for those who were upset.

Fans were well acquainted with the characters of Yukio (Rila Fukushima) and Mariko (Tao Okamato). The first was an ally of Logan aka Wolverine (a returning Hugh Jackman) and the latter the love of his life in the comic books. Both were given plenty of time to be fleshed out in the comic series RONIN done by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Fortunately both are given the proper treatment here in this movie.

We start with Logan hallucinating following the last X-MEN film, still haunted by the death of Jean Grey. Logan is alone in the woods camping and drinking. A turn of events leads him to town and an encounter with Yukio. She tells him she is here to take him to meet her employer, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi). In a short opening piece to the film we witnessed Logan save him while a prisoner of the Japanese during an atom bomb attack. Now Yashida is dying and wants to give a gift to Logan.

When he arrives in Japan, Logan eventually meets his old friend. Dying of old age and more, Yashida offers Logan a gift that he was never able to attain, the gift of death. If you've followed the films involving Logan you know that his main mutant ability is to regenerate his cells making him invincible and also unable to die. With his current state of mind this seems like a genuine gift. All Yashida needs to do is have his doctor use a new technique on Logan. They start but before all can go according to plans Yashida passes away, leaving behind not only Logan but his power hungry son Shingen, Shingen's daughter Mariko and a group of yakuza assassins intent on taking over his company.

During the funeral these yakuza assassins make an attempt on Mariko's life during which Logan is shot and realizes for the first time pain and the seriousness of wounds inflicted upon him. As the yakuza try to kidnap the young woman, Logan goes into full battle mode and rescues her. Included in this rescue is one of the most hair raising fight sequences atop a speed train that will leave your palms wet with sweat.

Logan and Mariko retreat to a small village where she feels safe, a secret hideaway. While there the two fall in love but Logan remains constantly vigilant for fear of harming Mariko. Their romance is cut short when the bad guys finally catch up to them taking Mariko with them and leaving Logan behind. With the help of Yukio, Logan begins putting together the pieces of the puzzle as to who is behind it all. At the same time he reverses the experiment done to him giving him the strength and resilience he needs to come to the rescue. Trust me when I say having Wolverine unhappy with you is not a pretty picture.

Battles with a band of master ninjas know as The Hand and a final confrontation with comic book character the Silver Samurai and this is bar none a movie that is filled with action. But that's not what makes it special. Along with all that action are a love story and the tale of a man trying to redeem himself for the sins of the past, a man who is not only a warrior but a man of honor, a ronin or samurai warrior with no master seeking retribution.

Each actor brings a seriousness to their character that one wouldn't expect from anyone portraying a comic book hero/heroine. They flesh out their performances to make them believable in the most unbelievable world you can imagine. Jackman was born to play this role and we can only hope another fantastic script will lead him into this role once again (other than the soon to be released X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST).

The action is well done, well filmed and helps to carry not just the film but the story as well as opposed to just being tossed in for the sake of action. And the story is perhaps the best thing found in this film. It isn't just men in tights flying across rooftops but a serious tale of Logan finding his path once more as well as the love of his life. Go into this one knowing ahead of time that their is more story than usual and you'll find a great movie this time around.

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