RANTS & RAVINGS ABOUT HORROR - "Disney For the Mass Hysteria"

For this return to "Rants & Ravings About Horror" I decided to tackle instead my misgivings about the Disney Corporation but be on the look out for new and exciting "rants" coming throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond!

Most people know I’m generally not a fan of the Disney Corporation.  I’m not going to lie.  I didn’t grow up on Disney animation and I generally have no fondness for most their films post Beauty & The Beast (1991) which I still think is their last great masterpiece.  I’m an animation lover and studied animation from all over the world in college and therefore I’ve eventually watched most of what Disney has produced but their films just aren’t really all that good either for children nor “family” audiences.   They generally appeal to all audiences while at the same time never appealing to any one audience.  This is not the main reason why I just don’t care for Disney product.  This is just one of the many reasons and it came up recently (again)in conversation that I just “hate” on Disney which isn’t entirely true but I thought it would be a great time (again) to give a voice to my opinion.

First off, the Disney Corporation is an amazing corporation that engulfs hundreds of different and diverse companies that keep artist and creatives with steady jobs, fair wages, and places of advancement.  While in college (and when I was studying animation) I even wanted to apply to the Disney Animation internship program in California that fosters the future of animation and where most of the interns end up with a job at the studio.  I didn’t turn my application in but I still have it (stuffed in some box somewhere).  If you’re a hard worker and dedicated I’ve heard that it is a place that keeps people employed but like all corporations it really cares about the bottom line which is maximizing profits.

There is nothing wrong with maximizing profits.  It’s the way of all big businesses and the rule of capitalism so you can’t fault anyone for that.  But what you can fault them is the way they flaunt this to the world and how they want to protect their “family” image at the cost of everything else.  They hide their dirty secrets under red tape or subsidiaries or they bury them altogether and never acknowledge their existence.  It is no secret that the Miramax owned company refused to release David Cronenberg’s film Crash (1996) because the director refused to make the necessary cuts to get to an R-Rating.  Instead the company dumps the film in limited release (meaning specialty theaters) as if it never existed with a rating of NC-17 (the dreaded rating).  Also, for the longest time the Disney Company refused to release their WWII propaganda animated films to the public as it would hurt their “family friendly” image.  These films were a testament to the time in which they were made and every major studio was producing these types of films to boost morale at home and abroad.  Just look at the “Why We Fight” film series that had such a luminary visionary like Frank Capra (director of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It’s a Wonderful Life) at the forefront.  You also will never see Disney give an official release for Song of the South (1946), the less said about the history of this debacle the better.  This is a small sampling of the films Disney has buried.

This brings me to Studio Ghibli which for a time the company distributed in the US (and some other territories).  Studio Ghibli is one of the premiere animation studios in the world producing some of the best films that don’t rely on anthropomorphized characters, musical numbers, and CGI animation and technology.  They create brilliant works of animation that rely on original stories with captivating characters in unique worlds of wonder and imagination.  Everything that the Disney studio lacks.  Studio Ghibli being a major competitor, Disney bought up the distribution rights and released their films in limited capacity even after dubbing them all in English and never giving them the due respect they earned.  I was lucky enough to have seen most all of the Disney released Studio Ghibli films in art-house theaters.  These are films that have garnered awards throughout the entire world yet here in the US were treated as the bothersome stepson.  I was glad when the rights were sold to GKIDS in 2011 (when Disney was pretty much done with them) and they’ve given all the films in the library substantial re-releases that continue to this day.

Now I could also go into the huge Pixar/Disney debacle which is more closer to home for most Americans but for the longest time Pixar films were only distributed by Disney until the two corporations came to a mutually beneficial agreement whereby Pixar is a subsidiary of Disney and that Pixar is now obligated to produce two sequels in their catalog of films for every one original film.  This has cheapened the brand whereby Pixar used to produce one film every few years and each film was simply amazing but now for every Brave (2012) you get a Monsters University (2013) and Cars 2 (2011) or for every Coco (2017) there is a Incredibles 2 (2018) and Toy Story 4 (2019).  Now some of these sequels are good but to be honest, did we really need a Toy Story 4 after the amazing way Toy Story 3 (2010) ended and the less said about Cars 3 (2017) the better.  Pixar has produced some genuine masterpieces in Toy Story (1995), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009) and Finding Nemo (2003) but pretty much everything else is meh.

Disney’s biggest live action competitor was probably 20^th Century Fox’s Star Wars franchise which they never released a film against at the Box Office (except for maybe an animated film as counter programming which works in a business sense).  When George Lucas sold Disney all of Lucasarts (and its subsidiaries) it was like Christmas forever for the company!  One of their chief competitors at the Box Office was gone and now in their own hands.  And the first thing that came to Disney’s mind is to franchise.  Let’s make a new sequel trilogy, spin-off movies, television series, new toys, and of course a Baby Yoda!  Now, there have been questions from fans about just how good the last five films released by Disney actually are.  I loved The Force Awakens (2015) and enjoyed the hell out of Solo (2018) but there wasn’t anything original, captivating, or awe inspiring in any of them as they borrowed so heavily from other films in the franchise.  They had better actors, better CGI, and better action but they all were kind of “hollow” which is what happens when you try to appeal to everyone while appealing to no one.  There is a sense that these films need only to merely engage and entertain while presenting nothing new other than introducing lens flare to the universe.  Now the one thing I did love about the franchise is how inclusive the films have been to all races, genders, etc. and as an African American I can appreciate that as the original trilogy pretty much only had Billy Dee Williams.  Unfortunately, I haven’t bothered with The Mandalorian as when I heard mention of a Baby Yoda the only thought I had was of Ewoks and Gungans and I said, “No thank you.”

The same can be said in regards to the MCU.  If these films had come out in the ‘90s I probably would have taken to them more but I’ve not read a Marvel or DC comic in almost thirty years and therefore I have an image in my brain of what I remember what these characters were and not how much they’ve been re-invented in the last three decades.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) & Captain America: Civil War (2016), Captain Marvel (2019), and both Guardians of the Galaxy films (which are the best in the entire franchise) but pretty much everything else is meh.  I hate the Iron Man and Thor films (although the 3^rd Thor film is very fun), Doctor Strange was visually stunning but hollow, Black Panther had one of the greatest ensemble casts of all the films but it’s over reliance on CGI killed it for me (although it has one of the best openings of any of the MCU films), Homecoming was inspired but man did I hate Far From Home and let’s be honest – did we really need yet another reboot of Spider-Man this soon?  Ant Man was completely forgettable except for Michael Pena who makes the film work although Ant Man & Wasp was a great recovery film.  I know there was a Hulk film somewhere but I remember nothing about it.  The greatest thing about the MCU franchise is the Agent Carter show which I loved and all the Netflix shows in The Defenders universe (which Kevin Feige wants to claim are no longer in the same universe any more).  The MCU is now like a one-stop shopping for candy-colored, delicious confections whose taste lasts for but a few moments before leaving  you hollow afterwards.  Infinity War and Endgame were not that bad but that’s because of Josh Brolin.  The one thing I have to give it to Disney in regards to the MCU is the inclusivity of the entire franchise but I also blame them (and Feige) for cancelling all the Hulu, Freeform, and Netflix shows as they weren’t created by Feige so therefore don’t belong in his MCU.

Now that I’ve touched on Disney’s handling of Pixar, propaganda films, MCU, Star Wars, and Studio Ghibli, I could go into more but I think you’re seeing the picture.  This hasn’t even touched the 20^th Century Studios acquisitions which has both good and bad vibes.  For MCU fans they love the fact that The X-Men and Fantastic Four and other Fox properties can now be incorporated into the MCU.  But what does that mean for the hugely successful Deadpool franchise which was Rated-R and other properties like the Alien and Predator franchises which don’t fit into the Family Friendly Disney image; I guess there is always Hulu.  For comic fans, what will happen to Boom! Studios (which Disney has a minority stake in) and will that be incorporated into Marvel comics and/or will Feige try to incorporate those characters into MCU as well or simply ignore them altogether? Will 20^th Century Animation and Blue Sky Studios be integrated into Walt Disney Animation Studios or shuttered altogether?  How will FX Networks be integrated into Disney/ABC/A&E or will its contents be dumped to Hulu (which is majority owned by Disney now)?  Will National Geographic Partners become part of Disney Nature and/or be re-branded?  The only thing that seems safe and untouchable is ESPN Inc. and everything included with that.   I’m not going to even touch the music and media publishing accounts.  What Disney sees as competition they either acquire or they destroy or sometimes both.  The danger is that the more assets that Disney acquires the less diversified the product for the consumer to choose from.

It’s like a town that has no Mom & Pop stores but only a Super Walmart and a Super Target.  You have two chooses to choose from that give you the same exact products with no variety but at a cheap cost so everyone can afford them.  Great cost!  Low prices! Cheap products!  Maximum profits!

Now, still, there is nothing inherently wrong with this as that’s what the consumer sometimes wants and they don’t mind paying for the same thing each year as long as it’s dressed up in a new pretty color.  If this is all that you have in your town then that’s all you ever want but you have to acknowledge that that is not all you NEED.  You need a choice.  You need variety.  You need diversification.  What we don’t need is the appearance of something we need which is a hollow and insincere gesture, which is what the Disney Corporation provides.  What we need is a genuine offering that is honest and truthful.

Right now, people are claiming they want this through our politics, a transparent police department in every city, a genuine health care plan that actually works for the people, the end of racism, ageism, and sexism.  These are the things people need.  People don’t need Disney, which encompasses almost every facet of our daily lives in some form or fashion, to continue slamming the same trash time and time again down our throats through their business practices, their politics, and their treatment of their employees (because they aren’t transparent when it comes to their own internal systematic racism, sexism, ageism, etc.); they’re just better at covering it up like candy-colored, delicious confections.

Now none of this minimizes the fact that the Disney Corporation is the most successful film studio in the world (probably cruise line and theme parks as well, just to name a few) but this shouldn’t blind you to everything else that they do as well behind closed doors and hostile take-overs.

***

Now getting back to my original opening whereas I mentioned I didn’t grow up on Disney.  That’s not entirely true.  We had the Disney channel in our home because my parents (like most parents) thought they needed to have it because of the four children in our house hold.  My siblings and I could care less about watching Disney, so my parents stopped paying for it.  I actually got much of my animation culture from public television and HBO (back in the day when they acquired content to distribute).  I grew up on the more profound animated films of Animal Farm (1954), Charlotte’s Web (1973), The Camel Boy (1974), Dot & the Kangaroo (1977), The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Hobbit (1977), The Snowman (1982), and many, many more.  HBO had some of the most diversified animation available as they acquired stuff from all over the world and being a military brat I was also exposed to the Black & White Speed Racer and AstroBoy (which played on every public television everywhere on base) so that was my early exposure to Japanese anime.  I didn’t grow up with the musicality of Disney animation and therefore don’t believe I really missed out on anything.  I’ve seen maybe 85% of all the Disney/Pixar animated films and still believe this as I just think other countries were more diversified in their offerings then and especially now.

Now, I don’t expect anyone to go out there and stop watching Disney product or boycott their films (as I’m sure they are doing right now with the live action Mulan film - #BoycottMulan) but if I’ve informed just one person about Disney practices and or made one person understand my thoughts on the whole thing than it will have been worth it.

In fact, I’m looking forward to an X-Men Vs Avengers film and think that if Disney can find a way to do a sequel to Aliens that doesn’t involve the Ripley character and isn’t a remake/reboot then I’m there!  

“Rants & Ravings About Horror” - Week 2

 “Universal Horror”

By the time you read this you should already be aware that Universal studios has decided to reboot all their classic Universal Horror films and characters (i.e. Dracula, the Mummy, the Creature, Van Helsing, etc,) into an inter-connected universe and franchise (ala the Marvel Universe and X-Men Universe films).  With the crazy success that Marvel Studios has had with their inter-connected franchise of films (i.e. Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Marvel’s The Avengers, etc.) every Hollywood studio has decided it’s a good idea to think bigger with their franchises to maximize profits.  Warner Bros. has started their offensive with DC characters after the success of Man of Steel (2013) and have released a huge slate of films forthcoming until 2018 (for the moment) and Sony has The Amazing Spider-Man (and its sequels and spin-offs) and 20^th Century Fox has the X-Men franchise, not to mention the Disney with their Star Wars films.  Universal has decided to jump on the band wagon by rebooting all their iconic horror monsters.  

Now there has already been a franchise with The Mummy (with 2 sequels and The Scorpion King spin-off films).  The Wolfman (2010) remake was less successful but still an update on their character.  The Wolfman focused more on horror whereas The Mummy (and Scorpion King) franchises focused more on action and adventure and because of the success of the latter films the new Universal horror films are focusing more on action and adventure and less on horror.    I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this…yet.

I remember before director Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy (1999), director George A. Romero was developing a horror version of the iconic monster.  There are concept drawings and artwork for what could have been an excellent horror film version of The Mummy but all that was dropped in Sommers’ fast paced, CGI-filled film which went more for the Indiana Jones vibe (and for the most part achieved it extremely well).  Sommers’ The Mummy was a film safe for the whole family that had action, adventure, comedy, and even a few horrifying moments (mostly before the Mummy is restored to human form).  It was a film that became a huge success for Universal who then immediately expanded on the universe with the sequels and spin-off films and even an animated series.

I enjoyed the first film and there are some great moments in the sequel The Mummy Returns (2001).  I kind of ignore The Scorpion King franchise but they are more of the same on a smaller budget (of which Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock is only in the first film).  After the lukewarm reception of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) the franchise was more or less declared dead.   Sommers even tried his hand at resurrecting Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man and Van Helsing in the ill-fated film Van Helsing (2004), which suffered from a poor script in addition to mediocre CGI FX and poorly executed comedy.  There are some great action sequences in the film and the Brides of Dracula steal every scene they are in but it’s a film over-stuffed with too many chaotic and unrealized ideas.

The Wolfman was resurrected under the guidance of Benicio del Toro, who has claimed that this was his favorite of the Universal monsters, but this new version didn’t sit well with audiences or critics and died a quick death at the Box Office.  For the most part, I enjoyed this film until it relies too much on the CGI werewolves in the third act.  The Wolfman contains a lot of action adventure but more importantly plays up the horror more than all The Mummy films combined.  I believe this is one of the reasons why there was such a lukewarm reception to the film.  I’m sure most audiences were expecting more of The Mummy’s action, adventure and comedy rather than the gothic horror film that was on display.

After The Wolfman failed to jumpstart a new franchise the Universal monsters more or less went back into hiding, again.

Most recently Universal and Legendary Pictures produced Dracula Untold (2014), which takes the Dracula story back to his origins.  This was an exciting action-war film that just so happened to have horror overtones in it but little to no humor as it takes the story very seriously.  This film was released before Universal released its plans to create an inter-connected universe for their monsters, so, it is really anyone’s guess if this film will actually be interconnected with the upcoming films.  Dracula Untold was a financial success and a sequel is in the works so at least for the moment this Dracula is here to stay.

Now why have I delved so deeply into all this background info?  Because in order to have a sense of where Universal plans to take their monster universe I have to first take a look back at what they’ve tried to accomplish thus far.

Frankly, I don’t really think there needs to be another Mummy movie at this time but that seems to be the first film they plan on rebooting.  The Wolfman just had a film and Dracula (or vampires in general) are all over the place.  Personally, I’d rather see them develop a new Creature From the Black Lagoon or Invisible Man or even Frankenstein film since they are characters and monsters that haven’t been revisited to death.  I have to commend the studio for trying to do an inter-connected world as it would actually allow audiences to finally see new interpretations of some of their most iconic characters (and thus explore their universe more) but is the world (and more importantly audiences) ready for another universe of characters and films that they need to follow beyond The X-Men, Marvel’s Avengers, Warner Bros. DC, Disney’s Star Wars, and the countless others being developed?

Only time will tell…

“Top 15 Films of 2014…So Far…”

I watch a lot of films every year (as any good screenwriter and film maker should do) and a friend of mine asked me about what were some of the best films I’d seen lately.  That got me thinking about “what” are some of my favorite films of this year so I decided to put together a list.  The following is a list of my favorite films starting at the bottom of my list with number fifteen all the way to the top.  This list only includes films released theatrically in 2014 (or the list could have been longer).  Enjoy. 

15. GODZILLA - a highly entertaining and well executed film that has a strong opening but a weak follow through.  The humor story gets lost (and is sometimes nonexistent) in the latter half of the film.  The creature effects are amazing (especially in 3D and on the IMAX) but you miss the monsters every time they are off screen which is why the film doesn’t place further up on the list.

14. ROBOCOP (2014) – a remake that successfully takes (what is now considered campy) classic sci-fi & horror hybrid and makes it relevant to modern audiences while retaining the original plot but changing it enough to call itself its own.  The film is anchored by great supporting turns of Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman, Jackie Earl Haley and Samuel L. Jackson and some great special visual FX that won’t disappoint.  All this plus it takes the transformation of Alex Murphy and makes it more personal by also focusing on his family (something none of the previous trilogy did).  This was a stand out sci-fi film of the year despite carrying a Rated-PG 13 status.

13. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST – seven films into the franchise and I was completely surprised by how good this film actually is.  It took the core characters of the First Class film and added there modern day counterparts and crafted a film worthy of being called an “X-Men” film.  Bringing director Bryan Singer back into the fold was a stroke of genius as he gave us a film and story in which we still care for the characters despite being the seventh film into the franchise.  It also helps that this film has the best cast of any of the other films and allows them all to give some powerful performances that resonate not just with each individual character but the franchise (and the future thereof) as a whole.

12. OCULUS – a modern day tale of the Boogeyman if trapped inside a mirror.  This is a very moody and atmospheric film about siblings trying to prove that they’re not crazy but in the process may be driven crazy in the process.   There is no masked man or zombie trying to get at these siblings.  By trying to prove that the mirror in the film is deadly they are forced to deal with past trauma and the only way to do that is to trust each other which may become deadly.  It’s a well done tense and suspenseful horror thriller.

11. EDGE OF TOMORROW – a surprisingly entertaining and well executed sci-fi film starring Tom Cruise of all people.  I’m not one of those people on the “Tom Cruise Hate Wagon,” I just don’t watch his films all that often.  I found this film entertaining and full of interesting ideas and the “ground hog day” theme was a brilliant stroke of cinematic magic.  This is a film that’s one of the sci-fi highlights of the year.

10. SNOWPIERCER – based on the classic French graphic novel from director Joon-ho Bong (director of the Korean films The Host and Mother) making his English language début with a post-apocalyptic nihilistic action film.  It takes the basic story of the graphic novel and vastly improves upon it with bigger ideas and themes and places them in a superb film that also happens to be an action film.  As with his other films, Bong has bigger ideas for his audience to think about and this ended up being the perfect vehicle for them.

9. BAD WORDS – Jason Bateman’s directorial debut also happens to be extremely funny and poignant at the same time and one of the best comedies of the year.  The film goes from having Bateman being one of the most hated men to someone who both learns something and teaches something to his young protégé.  The film is better than expected because of the whip smart dialogue and the perfect execution from the very talented cast.    My pick for best comedy of the year.

8. NOAH – there are many grand ideas in Darren Aronofsky’s Biblical epic that is both controversial and inspiring at the same time.  In less capable hands the story of Noah and his Ark could’ve been a preachy mess or an artistic statement.  Aronofsky balances the themes of the story while also presenting his own ideas in a unique and creative way that will have you thinking about what you’ve seen long after the End Credits roll.  The film is also anchored by some powerful performances from Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, and Ray Winstone.

7. THE ROVER – hands down actor Robert Pattinson’s best performance to date because it’s so far removed from everything thing else he’s ever done.  Guy Pearce also gives and equally compelling performance (which is expected) but his character’s transformation is one of the most poignant since he goes through so many changes in the film.  By the time you get to the end of the film and you realize why his character is so desperate to get his car back from common thieves you will be left in tears.  This is a desolate and uncompromising post apocalyptic film that great from beginning to end.

6. THE RAILWAY MAN – one name – Colin Firth.  I’ll say it again COLIN “F*^king” FIRTH.  He’s amazing in this film as a man who finds solace in his knowledge of trains that keeps him sheltered from a past of torture from the war.  When he falls in love with Nicole Kidman’s character he also discovers that the man responsible for his torture in the war is still alive and it leads him down a dark road that he may not be able to come back from.  Firth ignites the screen in this film (as he always does) and it also helps that he brings Kidman and Stellan Skarsgard along for the ride.

5. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE – my choice for best most unusual film of the year.  Written & directed by Jim Jarmusch this modern day vampire “fable” is anchored by some of the best performances of any film this year from Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and the phenomenal Tilda Swinton (one of the greatest actresses alive who can do no wrong – also see her performance in Snowpiercer).   This film that mixes the past with the present about a vampire on the verge of suicide (Hiddleston) and his forever lover (Swinton) trapped in a world of excess of “zombies” (as the humans are referred to) also has some remarkable comic performances from Anton Yelchin and Jeffrey Wright.  Jarmusch has a talent for mixing the weird with the sublime.

4. LOCKE – another film anchored by a phenomenal performance by Tom Hardy.  This is a far different role than what Hardy did in The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, This Means War, and any of his other films.  It’s about a man (Hardy) who has everything until he discovers that everything is crumbling down around him and he’s just trying to do the best that he can.  Hardy carries the entire film which is in a single location (a moving car) but he is given an equally magnificent screenplay by Steven Knight (who also directs).

3. MALEFICENT – the “true” story of fairy queen Maleficent could have turned out so very wrong but in the hands of Angelina Jolie it becomes one of the finest films that re-imagines a fairytale.  Not only that but the screenplay by Linda Woolverton is spot on perfect as it parallel’s Maleficent’s journey of finding love, losing love, and then finding it again with that of Aurora herself making the whole film resonate with audiences.   It’s hard to take what has always been a villain and make her journey seem personal and resonate and seem poignant to an audience and they achieve that with this film.

2. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER – considering that I just thought the first film was an adequate “by the numbers” film my expectations for this film were very low.  What truly saves this film is the great screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (and the concept & story by Ed Brubaker).  This film takes a different approach by presenting our hero as a man lost in time just trying to find his place in a world which has lost its values.  It’s also a film about a man trying to discover who his real friends are and who he can really trust amidst a conspiracy of corruption and terrorism.  An espionage film within a comic book superhero film that actually works and is better than expected with some terrific action sequences and CGI effects that don’t overcome the story of film (like the Thor and Iron Man films which have all been uneven at best).

1. THE RAID 2 – an action film is my choice for best film of the year (so far).  The first film was good but this film (armed with a bigger budget and a wider canvas to explore) blows the previous film out of the water.  It’s not just a gangster film and not just a martial arts action film.  This is the film about a man trapped in a world he can’t find his way out of just trying to get back to his family without getting killed.  The icing on the cake is the fact that it also contains some of the best choreographed action sequences committed to film in the last decade as well as so little (to no) CGI effects that the whole film has a freshness to it not seen in years.  It’s a comfort to see a film not reliant on CGI effects which makes all the fight sequences all the more impressive.  The film also excels in presenting action sequences that propel the story forward and develop character at the same time (a rarity in most action films).  This is an amazing film from beginning to end that will amaze because you’ll leave the theater not believing what you just saw.

Now that you have my list of great films, the following is a list of films released this year that I have yet to see but wanted to (which is why they didn’t make the cut).

*The Signal (2014)

*The Immigrant

*Ida

*Under the Skin

*Draft Day

*The Lego Movie

*The Sacrament

*Chinese Puzzle

*Cold in July

*Dom Hemingway

*Jodorowsky’s Dune

*Nymphomaniac Part I & II

*Begin Again

*The Wind Rises

*Belle

*The Grand Budapest Hotel

*22 Jump Street

*The Fault in Our Stars

*Divergent

*The Monuments Men

*Jersey Boys

*Million Dollar Arm

*Chef

*Winter’s Tale

Film Review: THE WOLVERINE (2013)

I’m not a big fan of the X-Men films.  The only one that I thought was remotely good was X2: X-Men United (2003) which I thought was the only film that truly captured the ensemble spirit giving each of the characters in the film an actual story and through line.  This being said, I do think that what the films in the franchise did get right is the casting for most all the characters both good and bad and it is to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine who truly grounds the films (as evidenced in the fact that he is the only actor who has appeared in all the films), so it is no surprise that the latest film in the franchise The Wolverine (2013) focuses on Jackman’s character after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). 

Logan (Jackman) is haunted by Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), the woman he loved and whom he killed, so he has disappeared into the wilderness away from society.  During an altercation at a bar, he encounters Yukio (Rilia Fukushima) who tells him Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), a man he saved during WWII in Japan, wants to see him before he dies.  Logan decides to go to Japan to honor the request of the Yashida.  Upon reaching Japan, Logan soon discovers that Yashida (who also has become one of the wealthiest men in Japan) may hold the secret of taking his immortality from him and allowing him to live a normal lifespan and maybe be reunited with Jean in the afterlife.  Before Logan can truly make a decision that will disrupt the rest of his life war breaks out between the Yakuza who decide to kidnap Yashida’s daughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto), who holds the secret to controlling the future of Japan.  Now Logan finds himself protecting Mariko at all cost.  

This film is a far improvement over the previous solo Wolverine film X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) as it goes back to the basics of the character.  It delves into Logan’s grief of not being able to save Jean Grey while paralleling that with his trying to protect and save Mariko, whom he also falls in love with.  The film explores the nature of honor as filtered through Logan’s eyes and through the Japanese culture.  When Logan loses his invulnerability by Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), another mutant like himself, he must contend with his newfound humanity but there is an even deeper conspiracy at hand for Logan that even he may not be prepared for.

As directed by James Mangold this film is smaller in scope that the previous films which works in this film’s favor as it becomes more of a character film as Logan grapples with vulnerability, guilt, redemption, honor and indeed love.  If there is one thing that the X-Men films have gotten right it is that of Logan’s hidden love and inner demons as it pertains to Jean Grey.  In this film she is a personification of his guilt not just emotional but physical as it reminds him that he is practically immortal and may never be reunited with her in the afterlife.  Yashida’s deal to strip Logan of his immortality is profound in that it forces him to see life in a finite way which can be enticing for an immortal that has nothing to live for.  When Logan falls in love with Mariko it allows him to come to terms with his grief of Jean’s death while also allowing him to find a reason to go on living and allow him to find his purpose in an immortal life.

This is not to say that the film is without its faults.  There are some amazing action sequences especially the one of the bullet train and the invasion of Yakuza gangsters at Yashida’s funeral but the third act seems overly big with the Silver Samurai only showing up in this sequence and whereas most of the film’s action was very Japanese in look and nature this final sequence is very modern and metallic which takes away from the grandeur of the Japanese local and culture of everything that came before it.  This is a small gripe as this film improves upon the previous films in the franchise by returning to focusing on character which is why I liked X2: X-Men United.