Got to see a pre-screening of Wolverine, thanks to AMC and their fan event. Hugh Jackman was there to walk the "red" carpet and take pics and autographs with fans before the movie screenings. Love! <3
I stupidly didn't ask for a photo due to what I thought was a time constraint but people after me on the sidelines did it, as well as my friends who were also there but in a different area. But I got Hugh's autograph!
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| Hard to see but Hugh Jackman's autograph is on his stomach. |
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| All the swag! tee, foam claws!!!, lanyard and my printout that I got autographed. |
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| Back of the lanyard is awesome. Bub |
After the hoopla we got to see the Wolverine movie.
And let me tell you, it was amazing. Other than the plot about taking away Wolverine's powers, it was pretty much what I expect from a Wolverine movie to be - action-packed, kickss women, some heart/romance, and full of Hugh Jackman who commands the role of Wolverine. The U.S. trailers skew what the story is really about. So I was happy that I liked the film and my true expectations were filled.
The U.S. trailers show you the action-packed hero movie that it isn't. Whereas Japanese trailers give them a sense of the Asian culture, the love story, the heart behind Wolverine and some action. Very different views. Wolverine is set in Japan so it makes sense that Japan would show a different side of the story. The real story. Not just Hugh without his shirt on and losing his powers. (More on that in a moment). Japan shows what the movie truly is about, tradition and honor. Something every Asian I know, including myself, understands and is born with, even if you never lived in an Asian country.
And yes, this movie is titled Wolverine, but we find out more about the other characters than we do about Wolverine in this film. But it works. The women are so bad-ass. At first one of the main characters seems to be meek, Mariko, played by Tao Okamoto. But living in a house with Japanese warriors, we soon see that she is not the weak or meek woman we thought she would be. She knows martial arts and how to use it. Yes, she gets tripped up a little here and there and still needs to be "rescued" by Logan but ok fine, small plot hole. The fact that she can temporarily hold her own, is fantastic.
The main woman character, Yukio, played by Rila Fukushima, plays her part beautifully. She's a warrior, a sister, a humanitarian full of honor and devotion. And of course, can kick butt! She's trained in the martial arts and can take care of herself. She even saves Logan a few times.
Wolverine losing his powers, is in itself, a falsity. It's explained that his powers get suppressed not taken away completely, which the trailers make you believe. This I can believe a little more than the cop-out of taking away his powers completely. Tho I still don't totally agree with the notion in the first place... And there are reasons for taking his power away or wanting to, again, the trailers give you a false sense of that. There's no reason in the trailers -- they make it seem like well, Wolvie is sick of not dying so here's my offer. But the movie is so much more than that and gives so much more reasoning behind trying to take his powers away. It's not a selfish thing for Wolverine. He's just the puppet.
The scientist, Viper played by Svetlana Khodchenkov, in the movie reminds me too much of Uma Thurman and her version of Poison Ivy. I don't think it fit well here. Even her outfits were very much reminiscent of Poison Ivy. Wrong universe! But I digress. I know the character of Viper played a decent role in the comics though I'm not sure to what extent as I never read those.
The one thing that really bugged me, was Jean Grey. Her "ghost" kept coming back and it was just annoying after awhile. I get the metaphors but I don't think it was really necessary or that much of her presence was necessary.
The traditions, honor and respect come into play a lot having been set in Japan. As an Asian person, I appreciated the film that much more for keeping that as part of the story and history. A few lines were more metaphoric but others were more literal. An example (non-spoilery), Logan puts his chopsticks standing straight up in his bowl of rice. He is immediately reprimanded for doing so because in any Asian culture (not just Japanese), it is bad luck or a bad omen as explained in the movie. It is what we do for funerals and shrines - it looks like the incense we burn to honor our ancestors. There is a metaphor that Mariko explains to Logan within the context of the story, but it is a tradition and respect to not make this gesture.
The respect the women have for the men in the movie is rich and deep as well. Not subservient perse, you must understand there is a difference. And the women do stand up for themselves from the men once in awhile. Respect for the family and the traditions of the country are steeped in the film. The respect they have for the land and its people is seen throughout the film, in a funeral scene, in the martial arts and choreography, the wardrobe, the interior sets... It's all there.
In the the film, it's almost as if Wolverine is secondary in the film. Yes, he is the main character of course, but it's between him, Mariko and Yukio that the plot really unravels and Logan becomes a side character almost. Again, it works though. You'll have to trust me on that... But it's a great mystery for a plot. I enjoyed the ride.
The bullet train fight scene is so different I loved it. You think it will just be another top-of-the-train-fight-scene but it's not. Because it's a bullet train going 200 miles an hour, the choreography of it, s stunning and brilliant!
I think other than the minor plot hole of trying to take away Wolverine's power, the movie really was great. It really help up with all the action, the love stories, the strong females, the twists and turns of the plot... I definitely give this three claws up!
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