The Wolverine (film)
The Wolverine | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | James Mangold |
Screenplay by | Christopher McQuarrie (uncredited) Mark Bomback Scott Frank |
Produced by | Lauren Shuler Donner Hugh Jackman Hutch Parker[1] John Palermo[1] |
Starring | Hugh Jackman Hiroyuki Sanada Tao Okamoto Rila Fukushima Famke Janssen Will Yun Lee Svetlana Khodchenkova Haruhiko Yamanouchi Brian Tee |
Cinematography | Ross Emery |
Edited by | Michael McCusker |
Music by | Marco Beltrami |
Production companies | Marvel Entertainment The Donners' Company Seed Productions Hutch Parker Entertainment Dune Entertainment Ingenious Media Big Screen Productions |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
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Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
Countries | United States Australia |
Languages | English Japanese |
Budget | $120 million[3] |
Box office | $156,639,523[4] |
The Wolverine is a 2013 American-Australian superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series and the second film headlining Wolverine. Hugh Jackman reprises his role from previous films as the title character, with James Mangold directing a screenplay written by Christopher McQuarrie, Scott Frank, and Mark Bomback, based on the 1982 limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. In the film, Logan travels to Japan, where he engages an old acquaintance in a struggle that has lasting consequences. Stripped of his immortality, Wolverine must battle deadly samurai as well as his inner demons.
McQuarrie was hired to write a screenplay for The Wolverine in August 2009. In October 2010, Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct the film. The project was delayed following Aronofsky's departure and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. In June 2011, Mangold was brought on board to replace Aronofsky. Bomback was then hired to rewrite the screenplay in September 2011. The supporting characters were cast in July 2012 with principal photography beginning at the end of the month in New South Wales before moving to Tokyo in August 2012 and back to New South Wales in October 2012. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.
The Wolverine was released on July 24, 2013 in various international markets; and was released on July 25, 2013 in Australia, and on July 26, 2013 in the United States.
Plot
In 1945, Logan, the Wolverine, is held in a Japanese POW camp near Nagasaki. During the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Logan rescues an officer named Yashida and shields him from the blast.
In the present day, Logan lives as a hermit in the Yukon, tormented by hallucinations of Jean Grey, whom he was forced to kill in X-Men: The Last Stand. He is located by Yukio, a mutant with the precognitive ability to foresee people's deaths, on-behalf of Yashida, now the CEO of a technology corporation. 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. There, Yashida offers to transfer Logan's healing abilities into his own body, thus saving Yashida's life and alleviating Logan of his immortality, which Logan views as a curse. Logan refuses and prepares to leave the following day. That night, Yashida's doctor Viper introduces something into Logan's body, but Logan dismisses it as a dream.
The next morning, Logan is informed that Yashida has died. At the funeral, Yakuza gangsters attempt to kidnap Mariko, but Logan and Mariko escape together into the urban sprawl of Tokyo. Logan is shot but his wounds do not heal as quickly as they should. After fighting off more Yakuza on a bullet train, Logan and Mariko hide in a local love hotel. Meanwhile, Yashida's bodyguard Kenuichio Harada meets with Viper who, after demonstrating her mutant powers on him, demands he find Logan and Mariko.
Logan and Mariko travel to Yashida's house in Nagasaki, and the two slowly fall for each other. Meanwhile, Yukio has a vision of Logan dying, and goes to warn him. Before Yukio arrives, Mariko is captured by Yakuza. After interrogating one of the kidnappers, Logan and Yukio confront Mariko's fiance, corrupt Minister of Justice Noburo Mori. Mori confesses that he conspired with Shingen to have Mariko killed because Yashida left control of the company to Mariko, and not Shingen.
Mariko is brought before Shingen at Yashida's estate when ninjas led by Harada attack and whisk her away. Logan and Yukio arrive later and, using Yashida's X-ray machine, discover a robotic parasite entwined around Logan's heart, dampening his healing power. Logan cuts himself open and extracts the device. During the operation, Shingen attacks but Yukio holds him off long enough for Logan to recover and slay him.
Logan follows Mariko's trail to Yashida's natal village, where he is captured by Harada's ninjas. Logan is placed in a machine by Viper, who reveals her plans to extract his healing factor and introduces him to the Silver Samurai, an electromechanical suit of Japanese armour with energized swords made of adamantium. Mariko escapes from Harada, who believes he is acting in Mariko's interests, and manages to free Logan from the machine. Harada sees the error of his ways and is killed by the Silver Samurai while helping Logan escape.
Meanwhile, Yukio arrives and kills Viper as Logan fights the Silver Samurai. The Silver Samurai severs Logan's adamantium claws and begins to extract Logan's healing abilities, revealing himself to be Yashida, who had faked his death. Yashida starts to regain his youth, but Mariko intervenes and stabs Yashida with Logan's severed claws while Logan regenerates his bone claws and finishes off Yashida. Logan collapses and has one final hallucination of Jean, in which he decides to finally let go of her.
Mariko becomes CEO of the Yashida Corporation and bids farewell to Logan as he prepares to leave Japan. Yukio vows to stay by Logan's side as his bodyguard, and they depart to places unknown.
In a mid-credits scene, Logan returns to the United States after two years and is intercepted at the airport by Magneto and Professor Xavier, who warn him that a grave new threat to the mutant race is coming.
Cast
- Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine, a mutant whose prodigious healing abilities and adamantium infused skeleton, combine to make him virtually immortal. Jackman, who portrayed the character in the previous X-Men films, also produced the film via his company Seed Productions.[5] Regarding Logan's struggle with immortality, Jackman said, "He realizes everyone he loves dies, and his whole life is full of pain. So it's better that he just escapes. He can't die really. He just wants to get away from everything."[6] Jackman stated that he ate six meals a day in preparation for the role.[7] Jackman contacted Dwayne Johnson for some tips on bulking up for the movie. Johnson suggested that for six months, he gain a pound a week, by eating 6,000 calories a day which consisted of "an awful lot of chicken, steak and brown rice".[8]
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Shingen Yashida, Mariko's father and corporate rival.[9]
- Tao Okamoto as Mariko Yashida, Yashida's granddaughter. Logan protects Mariko as her life becomes threatened as a result of her grandfather's will. About her character, Okamoto said that Mariko is no pushover and is proficient in karate and knife-throwing.[10]
- Rila Fukushima as Yukio, a precognitive mutant and one of the deadliest assassins in Shingen’s clan.[9][11] Fukushima said, "My character's very physical. Yukio and Wolverine have a lot in common. She really takes care of him and he also cares about her."[10] Mangold described Yukio as a lethal fighter who is "both sexy and almost kind of sprung from the anime world."[6]
- Will Yun Lee as Kenuichio Harada, a former lover of Mariko and head of the Black Ninja Clan, sworn to protect the Yashida family. Lee said that he underwent rigorous sword training for the film.[10][12]
- Haruhiko Yamanouchi as Yashida, the head of the Yashida corporation, a technology zaibatsu.[9]
- Brian Tee as Noburo Mori, a corrupt minister of justice who is about to marry Mariko.[12]
- Svetlana Khodchenkova as Dr. Green / Viper, a mutant, who has an immunity to toxins.[13][6] About her character, Khodchenkova said "Viper doesn't really have many people that she cares about, most of them she just uses for her own purpose."[10] Mangold said, "as her name would imply, she's kind of snakelike," and that Viper views Logan "like a great hunter might view hunting a lion in his quarry."[6]
- Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who Logan killed at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand. Jackman said, "There’s no doubt that the most important relationship in his life is—we’ve seen through the movies—is his relationship with Jean Grey. Yes, we saw her die at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand, but in this movie, she has a presence which I think is vital to the movie, particularly for him confronting the most difficult thing within himself."[14]
Additionally, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen reprise their roles as Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto in cameo appearances during the mid-credits scene. Ken Yamamura plays a young Yashida.
Production
Development
"There are so many areas of that Japanese story, I love the idea of this kind of anarchic character, the outsider, being in this world - I can see it aesthetically, too - full of honor and tradition and customs and someone who’s really anti-all of that, and trying to negotiate his way. The idea of the samurai, too - and the tradition there. It’s really great. In the comic book he gets his ass kicked by a couple of samurai - not even mutants. He’s shocked by that at first."
—Hugh Jackman[15]
In September 2009, Gavin Hood, director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, speculated that there would be a sequel, which would be set in Japan.[16] During one of the post credits scenes Logan is seen drinking at a bar in Japan. Such a location was the subject of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's 1982 limited series on the character, which was not in the first film as Jackman felt "what we need to do is establish who [Logan] is and find out how he became Wolverine".[17][18] Jackman stated the Claremont-Miller series is his favorite Wolverine story.[19] Of the Japanese arc, Jackman also stated, "I won’t lie to you, I have been talking to writers… I’m a big fan of the Japanese saga in the comic book."[15] Before X-Men Origins: Wolverine's release, Lauren Shuler Donner approached Simon Beaufoy to write the script, but he did not feel confident enough to commit.[20] On May 5, 2009, just four days after its initial weekend run, the sequel was officially confirmed.[21]
Christopher McQuarrie, who went uncredited for his work on X-Men, was hired to write the screenplay for the Wolverine sequel in August 2009.[22] According to Lauren Schuler-Donner, the sequel would focus on the relationship between Wolverine and Mariko, the daughter of a Japanese crime lord, and what happens to him in Japan. Wolverine would have a different fighting style due to Mariko's father having "this stick-like weapon. There'll be samurai, ninja, katana blades, different forms of martial arts - mano-a-mano, extreme fighting." She continued: "We want to make it authentic so I think it's very likely we'll be shooting in Japan. I think it's likely the characters will speak English rather than Japanese with subtitles."[23] In January 2010, at the People's Choice Awards, Jackman stated that the film would start shooting sometime in 2011,[24] and in March 2010 McQuarrie declared that the screenplay was finished for production to start in January the following year.[25] Sources indicated Darren Aronofsky was in negotiations to direct the film[26] after Bryan Singer turned down the offer.[27]
Pre-production
In October 2010, Jackman confirmed that Aronofsky would direct the film.[7] Jackman commented that with Aronofsky directing, Wolverine 2 will not be "usual" stating, "This is, hopefully for me, going to be out of the box. It’s going to be the best one, I hope... Well, I would say that, but I really do feel that, and I feel this is going to be very different. This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He’s kind of dark... But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure”.[7] Also in October it was reported that the film would begin principal photography in March 2011 in New York City before the production moves to Japan for the bulk of shooting.[28]
While Jackman in 2008 characterized the film as "a sequel to Origins",[29] Aronofsky in November 2010 said the film, now titled The Wolverine, was a "one-off" rather than a sequel.[30] Also in November, Fox Filmed Entertainment sent out a press release stating that they have signed Darren Aronofsky and his production company Protozoa Pictures to a new two-year, overall deal. Under the deal, Protozoa would develop and produce films for both 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures. Aronofsky’s debut picture under the pact would have been The Wolverine.[31]
In March 2011, Darren Aronofsky bowed out of directing the film, saying in a statement, "As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of The Wolverine would keep me out of the country for almost a year.... I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time. I am sad that I won't be able to see the project through, as it is a terrific script and I was very much looking forward to working with my friend, Hugh Jackman, again".[32] Fox also decided to be "in no rush" to start the production due to the damage incurred in Japan by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[33] Despite this, Jackman said the project was moving ahead. "It's too early to call on Japan, I'm not sure where they're at. So now we're finding another director, but Fox is very anxious to make the movie and we're moving ahead full steam to find another director".[34]
In May 2011, Fox had a list of eight candidates to replace Aronofsky, including directors Jose Padilha, Doug Liman, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Romanek, Justin Lin, Gavin O'Connor, James Mangold and Gary Shore.[35] In June 2011, Fox entered negotiations with Mangold and intended to start principal photography in fall 2011.[36] In July 2011, Jackman said he planned to begin filming in October 2011 and that he'll fight the Silver Samurai.[37]
In August 2011, The Vancouver Sun reported that filming would take place from November 11, 2011, to March 1, 2012, at Canadian Motion Picture Park in Burnaby, British Columbia.[38] Almost immediately, filming was postponed to spring 2012 so Jackman could work on Les Misérables.[39] In September, Mark Bomback was hired to rewrite McQuarrie's script.[40] In February 2012, a July 26, 2013, release date was set,[41] and in April, filming was set to begin in August 2012 in Australia, which would serve as the primary location due to financial and tax incentives.[42]
In July 2012, actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima had been cast as Shingen, Yashida, Mariko and Yukio, respectively.[9] Additionally, Will Yun Lee was cast as Harada, and Brian Tee as Noburo Mori.[12] Also in July 2012, it was reported that Jessica Biel would play Viper.[43] However, at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International Biel said her role in the film was "not a done deal", explaining, "People keep talking about this. I don't know anything about it. It's a little bit too soon for that kind of an announcement".[44] A few days later, negotiations between Biel and 20th Century Fox had broken down.[45] Later in July, Fox had begun talks with Svetlana Khodchenkova to take over the role.[13] Somewhat unusually for action movies, The Wolverine features four female lead roles and "passes the Bechdel Test early and often", according to Vulture. Director James Mangold noted that he wrote his heroines so that "they all have missions. They all have jobs to do other then be the object of affection", intent of avoiding the "worn out" trope of the woman in jeopardy.[46]
In August 2012, Guillermo del Toro revealed he had been interested in directing the film, as the Japanese arc was his favorite Wolverine story.[47] After meeting with Jim Gianopulos and Hugh Jackman, del Toro passed, deciding he did not wish to spend two to three years of his life working on the movie.[47]
Filming
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/The_Wolverine_Crew.jpg/220px-The_Wolverine_Crew.jpg)
On a budget of more than $100 million,[48] principal photography began on July 30, 2012.[49] Some of the earliest scenes were shot at the Bonna Point Reserve in Kurnell, New South Wales, which doubled as a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.[49] Filming there ended on August 2, 2012, with production scheduled to continue around Sydney followed by a few weeks in Japan before wrapping up in mid-November.[50] On August 3, 2012, production moved to Picton, which doubled as a town in Canada's Yukon region.[51]
On August 25, 2012, director James Mangold said on Twitter that production moved to Tokyo and began shooting.[52] Scenes were shot at the Tokyo Tower and the Zojoji Temple, which was used for a funeral scene.[53] On September 4, 2012, filming took place outside Fukuyama Station in Fukuyama, Hiroshima.[54] Filming in Tomonoura, a port in the Ichichi ward of Fukuyama, concluded on September 11, 2012.[55]
On October 8, 2012, production returned to Sydney with filming on Erskine Street near Cockle Bay.[56] The following week, the film shot in Parramatta, which doubled as a Japanese city.[57] Also in October, Mangold revealed that the film follows the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, saying, "Where this film sits in the universe of the films is after them all. Jean Grey is gone, most of the X-Men are disbanded or gone, so there’s a tremendous sense of isolation for him [Wolverine]."[58] Mangold later stated that in the fight scenes, "there's an urgency and a kind of intensity and hand to hand physicality that I hope is a little different than everything else out there."[6] On October 25, 2012 production relocated to Sydney Olympic Park in western Sydney.[59] The set was made into a Japanese village draped in snow with filming beginning on November 1, 2012.[60] On November 10, 2012, filming took place on a back street in Surry Hills. The set, constructed on Brisbane St., was transformed to look like a Japanese street with Japanese signage and vehicles scattered throughout.[61] Principal photography concluded on November 21, 2012.[62]
Post-production
In October 2012, it was reported that The Wolverine would be converted to 3D, making it the first 3D release for one of Twentieth Century Fox's Marvel films.[63] Visual effects for the film were done by Weta Digital, Rising Sun Pictures, Iloura, and Shade VFX.[64]
The original assembly cut of the film ran around two hours and 35 minutes.[65]
Music
In September 2012, Marco Beltrami, who previously collaborated with director James Mangold on 3:10 to Yuma for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, announced that he had signed on to score The Wolverine.[66] Following Mangold's noir and Spaghetti Western inspirations for the film, Beltrami explained, "I think I do every movie as a western whether it is or not, so there’s definitely some of the spaghetti western influence on my music throughout the score, and I guess throughout a lot of my work. I wouldn’t say there was a particular movie that influenced me more than something else. There was nothing that I was trying to mimic or anything."[67] On associating sounds with the film's primary location, Beltrami said, "I think the last thing that Jim [Mangold] and I wanted to do was Japanese music associated with Japanese places. There's a reference; I do use Japanese instruments, [but] not really in a traditional way."[68]
Untitled | |
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Track listing
All music is composed by Marco Beltrami
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Walk in the Woods" | 1:02 |
2. | "Threnody for Nagasaki" | 1:15 |
3. | "Euthanasia" | 1:36 |
4. | "Logan's Run" | 3:56 |
5. | "The Offer" | 3:15 |
6. | "Arriving at the Temple" | 2:10 |
7. | "Funeral Fight" | 4:22 |
8. | "Two Handed" | 4:04 |
9. | "Bullet Train" | 1:31 |
10. | "The Snare" | 1:32 |
11. | "Abduction" | 2:11 |
12. | "Trusting" | 1:54 |
13. | "Ninja Quiet" | 3:40 |
14. | "Kantana Surgery" | 3:50 |
15. | "The Wolverine" | 2:21 |
16. | "The Hidden Fortress" | 5:02 |
17. | "Silver Samurai" | 3:27 |
18. | "Sword of Vengence" | 4:32 |
19. | "Dreams" | 1:21 |
20. | "Goodbye Mariko" | 1:01 |
21. | "Where To" | 2:25 |
22. | "Whole Step Haiku" | 2:08 |
Release
The Wolverine was released in 2D and 3D theaters on July 24, 2013, in various international markets, on July 25, 2013 in Australia, and on July 26, 2013 in the United States.[69] The film was titled Wolverine: Immortal in Spanish-language markets.[70]
Marketing
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Hugh_Jackman_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg/250px-Hugh_Jackman_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg)
On October 29, 2012, director James Mangold and actor Hugh Jackman hosted a live chat from the set of the film. The chat took place on the official website and the official YouTube account of the film.[71]
The first American trailer and international trailer of The Wolverine were released on March 27, 2013.[72] Empire Magazine said "This is all very encouraging stuff from director James Mangold, a man who's obviously not afraid of tweaking the original source material to serve his own ends."[73] The trailer was later attached to G.I. Joe: Retaliation.[74] The second American trailer was then released on April 18, 2013 and was screened at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.[75]
The third American trailer was released on May 21, 2013[76] and then on June 13, 2013, the second international trailer was released.[77]
On July 20, 2013, 20th Century Fox presented The Wolverine along with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: Days of Future Past to the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con with Jackman and Mangold in attendance to present new footage of the film.[78]
20th Century Fox partnered with automobiles and motorcycles company Audi to promote the film with their sports car Audi R8 and their motorcycle Ducati. [79] Other partners included sugar-free chewing gum brand 5 and casual dining restaurant company Red Robin.[80]
Reception
Critical response
As of July 29, 2013[update], the film has received generally positive reviews among critics. Template:Rotten Tomatoes score The site's consensus reads; "Template:Rotten Tomatoes score" It currently has a score of 60 out of 100 on the aggregator Metacritic, based on 40 reviews. Audience reviews listed on the site have been positive with an average score of 7.5 out of 10 based on 93 user ratings.[81] CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade cinemagoers gave for the film was an "A-".[82]
Richard Roeper gave it a grade of "B+", praising Jackman's performance, calling it "strong, solid entertainment" and "a serious, sometimes dark and deliberately paced story."[83] Christy Lemire, writing for the website of the late Roger Ebert, said that the film "features some breathtakingly suspenseful action sequences, exquisite production and costume design and colorful characters, some of whom register more powerfully than others."[84] David Blaustein of ABC News gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating, "The Wolverine is comparable to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, though it’s not as good as either of those movies. It’s a bit unwieldy but its moral complexity, Jackman’s acting and an absolutely stunning sequence that manages to turn the overdone top-of-the-train chase scene into something we haven’t seen before, puts The Wolverine in the upper echelon of super hero summer blockbusters."[85]Variety film critic Peter Debruge called the film "an entertaining and surprisingly existential digression from his usual X-Men exploits. Though Wolvie comes across a bit world-weary and battle-worn by now, Jackman is in top form, taking the opportunity to test the character’s physical and emotional extremes. Fans might’ve preferred bigger action or more effects, but Mangold does them one better, recovering the soul of a character whose immortality made him tiresome."[86] James Buchanan of TV Guide.com gave it 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "A rare comic-to-film adaptation that doesn't sacrifice substance for the sake of thrilling action."[87] Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood gave the film a positive review, calling it "the superior stand-alone effort that the last one should have been, which also succeeds as a smart, exciting, engaging and superbly-crafted action thriller that even non-X-Men fans will enjoy.[88] IGN praised the film giving it an 8.5 out of 10[89] and stated, "The Wolverine is a stand alone adventure for the classic character that reminds us that there's more to this genre than universe-building and crossovers. ... [The] story paints a deep and compelling portrait of Logan, a haunted character that Jackman still finds new ways to play all these years later."[90] Coming Soon.net also gave the film an 8.5 out of 10, saying, "Fans of the character disappointed by X-Men Origins who have been clamoring for a great Wolverine movie, one that lives up to Bryan Singer's early X-Men movies, should be thrilled. Those just wanting a solid, well-made action film might be surprised by how much depth Mangold brings to the mix. The results are the best comic book movie of the summer and one that rarely feels like a comic book movie."[91] SuperHeroHype.com gave the film 8.5 out of 10 stating "The film feels like a comic book mini-series, fitting given its basis, and that's not something other films have been able to accomplish. Though it takes bits and pieces of the mythos from previous films, and uses them as influence for the character, the telling of this story is totally self-contained. The Wolverine might be the best X-Men movie ever. It doesn't rely on the hokiness of the previous films, and while it respects the previous canon to a degree, it does a wonderful job telling its own story. This is the Wolverine movie fans have dreamed about for decades. Jackman has once again proven that he understands Wolverine and is one of the most perfect fits for a character since Christopher Reeve as Superman. When you watch Jackman on the screen, you believe it. There's never a doubt in your mind that he IS Wolverine. Much like the title that accompanies the character, Jackman is the best there is."[92] Tom Russo of the Boston Globe gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating "The Wolverine is sliced just right."[93] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone felt that despite the film's final act "sink[ing] into CGI shit", Jackman's performance "still has the juice" and Mangold's directing "shows style and snap."[94] SFX gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised Jackman's performance calling him "impressive as this haunted, conflicted figure, delivering a darker, more internalised take than we’ve seen before" and calling the film "a sturdy, grounded film, handsomely assembled".[95]
Chris Hewitt of Empire Online gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and called it "[a]n improvement on the last outing for Jackman’s not-so-merry mutant. If only it trusted enough in its unique setting to forgo a descent into aggressively awful formula."[96] Total Film, giving the film 3 out of 5 stars, called it "[a]n improvement on Origins" but "[n]ot as big an improvement as you were hoping for: perfectly decent, but ponderous, too."[97] The Guardian blasted the film, giving it 2 out of 5 stars and stating, "Hugh Jackman's sixth time out in the claws and hair combo is looking increasingly wearied, as the backstory gets more complicated and the action gets duller and flatter."[98] The New York Daily News offered a similar view, saying "Hugh Jackman has the role of the mutant superhero down pat, but the rest of the film is the same old slice and dice."[99]
Box office
As of July 29, 2013[update], The Wolverine has grossed $68,986,397 in North America, and $91,993,104 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $160,979,501.[4]
Outside North America
International, the film open at the top of the box office its opening week, with $86.4 million from July 24-26, 2013 in 42 countries. The film made the highest opening of the franchise, passing X-Men: The Last Stand opening week sales of 76.2 million.[100]
North America
In North America, the film opened at the top of the box office on its opening day, with $20.7 million, with $4 million coming from Thursday night showings.[101][102] It held onto to the number one spot through its first weekend, with $53,113,752, which is the lowest opening of the franchise.[103]
References
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- ^ "Hugh Jackman's 'The Wolverine' to Stop the Bleeding at the Box Office". July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- ^ a b "The Wolverine @ Box Office Mojo". Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (May 4, 2009). "Hugh Jackman, Seeds planting pics". Variety. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
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- ^ a b c "Hugh Jackman Promises Aronofsky's Wolverine 2 Will Be 'Thoughtful,' 'Meaty'". New York. October 19, 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (December 7, 2010). "Hugh Jackman exclusive: How 'The Wolverine' director Darren Aronofsky got the star calling up The Rock". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d "Exclusive The Wolverine Casting News!". Superhero Hype!. July 9, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
{{cite web}}
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ignored (|url-status=
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- ^ Trumbore, Dave (July 9, 2012). "'Wolverine' Adds Japanese Actors". Collider.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Borys, Kit (July 9, 2012). "'Wolverine' Sequel Casts Two Villains". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b Brown, Todd (July 19, 2012). "20th Century Fox in Talks with Svetlana Khodchenkova for Viper in 'The Wolverine'". Twitch Film. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
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