The Wolverine (2013)
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The story
Following the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan travels to Japan, where he engages an old acquaintance in a struggle that has lasting consequences. Stripped of his healing powers, Wolverine must battle deadly samurai while struggling with guilt over Jean Grey's death. He is located by Yukio, a mutant with the ability to foresee people's deaths, on behalf of Yashida, now the CEO of a technology zaibatsu. Yashida, who is dying of cancer, wants Logan to accompany Yukio to Japan so that he may repay his life debt. In Tokyo, Logan meets Yashida's son Shingen and granddaughter Mariko, leading to a conflict involving the Yakuza and a conspiracy to steal his healing abilities.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1945, Logan saves Ichirō Yashida during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In the present, Logan lives as a hermit in the Yukon, haunted by hallucinations of Jean Grey. He is recruited by Yukio to accompany the dying CEO Yashida to Japan to settle a debt. In Tokyo, Yashida offers to transfer his healing powers to himself; Logan initially refuses but is later poisoned by Yashida's physician, Dr. Green. After Yashida's 'death,' Logan and Mariko (Yashida's granddaughter) flee from the Yakuza. They discover a robotic parasite is suppressing Logan's healing. During a confrontation with Shingen, Logan removes the device. Later, Logan is captured by Harada's ninjas and placed in a machine by Dr. Green to extract his healing factor. He faces the Silver Samurai, a high-tech suit of armor. Mariko manages to free him, and he eventually defeats the Silver Samurai, who is revealed to be the real Yashida. Mariko becomes the CEO of Yashida Industries, and Logan departs with Yukio as his bodyguard. A mid-credits scene shows Logan in the U.S. two years later, where he is confronted by Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier regarding a threat to mutants.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; Japanese
- Directors
- James Mangold
- Writers
- Mark Bomback · screenplay; Scott Frank · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Hugh Jackman · Logan / Wolverine; Tao Okamoto · Mariko Yashida; Rila Fukushima · Yukio; Svetlana Khodchenkova · Viper / Dr. Green; Brian Tee · Noburo Mori; Will Yun Lee · Kenuichio Harada; Famke Janssen · Jean Grey; Hiroyuki Sanada · Shingen Yashida
- Genres
- superhero; action; adventure; science fiction
- Themes
- Isolation; Mortality
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Dark; Atmospheric
- Premise and plot tags
- Superhero; Samurai; Ninja; Survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- X-Men
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praised for its action, production design, and performance, though the final act received some criticism.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 46
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be R-rated but was rejected by the studio.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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