The Wolverine Review

Hugh Jackman flexing in The Wolverine

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

The Wolverine

B+

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

The Wolverine is a great example of a right place right time film. So far in 2013 the Superhero genre of blockbuster films (which at this point is a genre) is growing stale. Films in the genre seem to be falling into similar formulas including the world is blowing up film and the world building film for the bigger world is blowing up film. Then The Wolverine, a more personal and character bases superhero film comes around to freshen the scene up. The Wolverine, despite having its share of bombastic action, is much a much more personal character driven film that relies more on the internal struggles of its title character than on its action or some overarching plot line. The result is a fresh take on a mostly mistreated character and the best of 2013’s crop of Superhero blockbusters.

The Wolverine picks up after the events of the third X-Men film where our hero Logan (Hugh Jackman) finds himself alone and troubled by the death of Jean Gray (Famke Janssen). Soon after a conflict in a bar Logan is picked up by a young Japanese woman Yukio (Rila Fukushima). Yukio wants to bring Logan to Tokyo so that he can meet up with a dying business tycoon Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi) who’s life Logan saved during the second world war. It turns out that Yashida wants more than just a simple good buy but instead wants to be granted Logan’s healing factor so his legacy can live on forever and Logan can die an honorable death. Unfortunately Logan doesn’t accept and Yashida dies just a day after. After Yashida’s death Logan, with a now suppressed healing factor due to the mysterious mutant Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), is drawn, out of guilt and respect, to protect Yashida’s granddaughter and air to the company Mariko (Tao Okamoto) from the Yakuza whom for some strange reason are trying to kill her.

Really the plot is simple (at least it’s simpler than it was to try and describe it) and provides a good mystery while leaving plenty of time for internal turmoil. The film’s overarching mystery, while intriguing and important, doesn’t dominate the film and allows for a good balance of character struggles and a tight knit plot. The film makes the viewer care about Logan’s struggles with eternal life and his past mistakes instead of glossing over it for the sake of plot and action. It makes for a fresh experience throughout most of the film and strikes a balance that few blockbusters have managed this year.

The problem with the film sadly lies within the last 20 minutes of the film. While it’s not a total anticlimax or a debacle like many other summer films have experienced this year the film goes a little cheesy and loses some of its previous freshness near the climax. All of a sudden there is a big robot that looks like it’s in the wrong film and a final battle that isn’t all the film’s best action sequence. Again not saying that the film completely goes off the rails it just looses what made it standout throughout the rest of the film.

Of all the superhero performances this year Hugh Jackman’s is easily the best. There is a certain investment that Jackman has in the role that is felt throughout the entire film. This is his role and his charisma really gets to shine here. Jackman proves that when done right a film with Wolverine at the center can be fun and interesting. The rest of the supporting cast is very solid here and all slide into their respective positions. Rila Fukushima is very solid as a sidekick and does a solid job going alongside the charismatic Jackman. The standout of the supporting cast is Yamanouchi who is very good in his brief time on screen as Yashida and plays a character who has enough to live for not to want to die. While Famke Janssen only appears in dreams she does also provide a good layer of internal conflict for Logan and she plays his conscience well throughout her brief screen time.

While the film is mostly a character driven mystery there is plenty of good looking action to be had. The Wolverine has the advantage of not having to have things blow up on massive scales and instead focuses on more melee action sequences. The action scenes are personal and exciting without relying on a huge amount of CGI. The action scenes feel like they’re taken from a Japanese ninja film instead of a modern superhero film. They mostly (with maybe the exception of the one near the end) work and even allow for some truly stand out sequences, like the fantastic bullet train battle. The film’s 3D isn’t very good as it makes a dark film darker, this is a film that should be seen in 2D and is another needless 3D conversion. The score works with what it’s trying to do and ultimately is pretty generic. The set and costume design are very good in this film and add to what is mostly a solid technical package.

The Wolverine adds a much needed boost of freshness for the superhero film. The film is a reminder to people who are getting burnt out on the superhero film (me being one of those people) that not every superhero film is the same. It provides a superhero film that’s less worried about world building and high stakes and instead focuses on the simple and personal. It’s not perfect but it is fresh, and in a year with a lot of action films that feel stale this is very welcome.

The Newsroom “Willie Pete” Review: The Problem with Political Campaigns

Jim being tired with all those campaigns on The Newsroom

Photo Credit: HBO

Bullet point thoughts on “Willie Pete” as soon as I remember that text message….

Alright another bullet point review so I don’t keep repeating myself. So the review and other musings:

• So arguably the biggest talking point of this episode is Jim covering the Romney bus. As much as I agree with everything Sorkin is trying to say through Jim the character of Jim himself comes off as a huge jerk. Not even an endearing jerk but in fact an annoying one. I don’t really know how much Sorkin feels that these characters are good people or if he thinks they are just crusading morons who are right but go along the wrong way about it. To me he just comes off very obnoxious and makes the message that Sorkin is trying to get across about political campaigns (which is a good message ultimately) seem preachy. In other words when Sorkin is trying to get across the message I feel bad for agreeing with it. That should never happen.

• The men got to have tech blunders in the Charlie and Will tried to blackmail the head of the network to stop famous gossip columnist Nina Howard from running the 9/11 coverage story. They couldn’t get the voice recorder to work and ultimately Will had to rely on Nina’s goodwill for her to not run the story. It works mostly (save for the romantic part which we’ll get to briefly) and it provides a somewhat humorous and somewhat heartfelt end to an originally boring subplot.

• The romantic comedy that ensues with Will and Mac, like most other romantic comedy on the show, doesn’t work all that well. It’s nowhere near as mindboggling and awful as the Jim and friends (because there are so many players in that one it’s not worth typing all the names) but it’s still not all that interesting in almost any way. I care the slightest more about Will and Mac but only because I don’t want to throw the remote at the television as I watch it.

• That leaves us with the final big tidbit which is the ongoing Genoa screw up set up. It’s the one exciting thing about the show at this point and watching the steps towards the screw up (and how it actually almost got pulled) is actually very good. It provides not only tension but the chance to make these characters go into actual interesting places, something of which doesn’t happen too often. It works and works well and I’m actually curious to see where it’s going.

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?

Mad Men Rewatch 2013: Season 1 Ep. 7 “Red in the Face” Childish Instincts

 Don and Roger waiting for an elevator on Mad Men

Photo Credit: AMC TV

It’s rewatch time!! For the first time ever this summer we will be watching an old season of a television show over the course of several weeks. Installments will be posted Sundays and Wednesdays with the posts spoiling only the episode that is being talked about. This summer the rewatch is on the first season of Mathew Weiner’s 1960’s period piece Mad Men, one of the great first seasons of television.

Some thoughts on “Red in the Face” as soon as I explain what a chip and dip is…

“At some point we’ve all parked in the wrong garage.”

-Roger

The main conflict throughout Mad Men’s excellent seventh hour involves both the battle of the era through childish means. In a meeting about the Nixon campaign early on in the episode Pete is told off by Bert Cooper for being young after he ways the positives of Kennedy going into office. Throughout the episode the old and new generations clash for superiority and the childish instincts of both parties begin to come out in many different ways.

One of the more comedic areas of childish thoughts is Pete’s manliness as personified through a rifle. After getting rid of a chip and dip (which he is forced to explain many times hilariously) Pete uses his garnered store credit to buy a ridiculous looking hunting rifle, which he proudly parades in the office and gets into big trouble for back at home. The scenes with the rifle (epically the very hilariously creepy fetishistic description to Peggy) are on the one hand absolutely hilarious and on the other hand telling of Pete in general. All Pete wants to be is wanted and desired and it seems that with his little piece of manhood (the gun) he feels that way. The look of both creeped out shock and potential awe that  Peggy gives him after the hunting story provides him with a strange sense of self worth and dignity. It’s clear that Pete, despite getting yelled at at home that Pete gets more joy out of the rifle than that chip and dip (you put chips on either side and dip in the middle…).

The more disturbing example of childish thoughts comes on Betty’s end. The opening of the episode continues Don’s spying on Betty via her psychiatrist and while it continues to be wrong it does provide potential insight into Betty’s character. Being stuck in the same routine for years with little support at times from Don it seems no wonder that Betty is trapped in a bit of a rut emotions wise. Mind you that doesn’t make the sequences any less disturbing, in fact it makes it even more so during the sequence when she goes directly to slapping Helen Bishop in the supermarket. It’s even worse when Betty is trapped admiring Roger after Roger’s drunken run-in (more on that in just a sec). She just seems trapped in these routines and thus her emotions and thoughts seem to be trapped in childish routines as well.

Despite the gravity of both those subplots the true focus was the generational battle between Don and Roger. Sure they are in a way friends but lines were crossed and a test of might must be had. Yes at their unfortunate drunk dinner Roger believes to be picking up vibes from Betty and in his drunkenness came on to her while Don went into the garage to grab more boos. Don clearly notices the flirting and even after Roger’s maybe heartfelt apology Don must take Roger to task. Thus the childish drinking and stairs competition begins! Don and Roger, after trading war philosophies go head to head in a high class oyster and martini battle. Things work out just fine for the both of them until they have to take the (gasp) stairs where Roger loses his grip on the boos and throws up right before the Nixon campaign people. Don’s boyhood since of victory is a triumphant feeling for him. Don has always seemingly had to prove his might against certain people and the one against Roger is another notch in his belt. The behavior, like most in “Red in the Face” is childish and provides Don with momentary (and potentially permanent) since of victory.

“Red in the Face” continues Mad Men’s midseason run of amazing episodes with one that finds similar inner emotions within its characters. Not only that but the seventh hour of Mad Men provides its ideas in all sorts of different ways from the humorous to the downright disturbing. It’s a fine hour of television, one that keeps on analyzing the depth and complexity that each of these characters are developing.

Some other musings:

• Peggy is gaining some weight. The reactionary snack cart scene is when it becomes increasingly noticeable.

• Man is Pete’s hunting story creepy, but at the same time hilarious. Vincent Karthiser has his moments of comedic brilliance and the intensity in which he told that hunting story gets lots of laughs out of me.

• Roger has the best drunken stories! Not only that but this is the first time where John Slattery really gets to be a bigger part of the show! He’s fantastic throughout all of this episode!

 Coming up on Wednesday: "The Hobo Code" staring some big revelations from the past...

That's just me though. What did everyone else think?

Mad Men Rewatch 2013: Season 1 Ep. 6 “Babylon” Forbidden Love

 The women of Mad Men brainstorming for the Men

Photo Credit: AMC TV

It’s rewatch time!! For the first time ever this summer we will be watching an old season of a television show over the course of several weeks. Installments will be posted Sundays and Wednesdays with the posts spoiling only the episode that is being talked about. This summer the rewatch is on the first season of Mathew Weiner’s 1960’s period piece Mad Men, one of the great first seasons of television.

Thoughts on Mad Men’s sixth episode “Babylon” after giving you the gift of physical comedy for mother’s day…

“The Greeks had two meanings for it: “eu-topos” meaning the good place and “ou-topos” meaning the place that cannot be.”

-Rachel

Now things begin to get very interesting. Not that the first four episodes aren’t very good to great hours of TV but the show seems to take a turning point for the darker after last week’s phenomenal “5G” and the sixth episode “Babylon” seems to continue that darker spin. The episode revolves mostly around the emotional factor of the extramarital affairs that the men and women are involved in as well as the potential emotional fallout of what they are doing.

Let’s start with Don. It’s good to know that the fallout from last week’s meet with his brother are ringing true for Don as he literally falls down the stairs while hallucinating a flashback of his brother being born. It’s great to know that letting his brother (or half brother or something) go is having a profound emotional impact on Don; one that seems to take him away from the real world. It’s a great reminder that actions have real emotional consequences and that Don is going to have a harder time than he thinks leaving his brother (and his former life in general) behind.

On the other end of the fence, Don really likes going after Rachel. She seems to present a new challenge to Don one who is playing hard to get. The internal conflict within Rachel about fighting her feelings for Don is a struggle that Don is enjoying trying to win. The conversation about Jews is much more about trying to flirt with Rachel rather than actually accomplishing research. The scene itself is fantastic and allows for the want on both sides to grow deeper as the relationship continues to get more and more complicated.

The other part of Don’s affair life is Midge who grows a little more complex in this episode. It could be assumed before that midge was a bit of a hippy but it is driven home a little here. Don doesn’t like the fact that she’s going out with other men (like another affair that we’ll get to briefly) and especially doesn’t like the contemporary hipness of all of it. We can see Don begin to draw away from Don in this episode which explains is continued attraction to the seemingly simpler Rachel.

The other affair which is given time this episode is the one between Joan and Roger. By the look given to Roger this episode it seems that he is slowly separating from his actual family (he continuously reminisces about older times and doesn’t seem to get along with his daughter) and moving more towards Joan herself. Both Roger and Joan have to enjoy the love only in the brief moments though as their sneaking and separation outside of the hotel doesn’t allow it. The use of the caged bird symbolism allows us to clearly see the inability for the relationship to bloom into anything else as Roger is stuck in his married life and really has no way out. The last shot of the episode with both parties standing a ways apart outside also drives home the point of the realities of the connection Joan and Roger happen to share.

The happier subplot in “Babylon” has to do with Peggy. During a lipstick trial it’s beginning to become apparent that Peggy is the smartest of the women in the office (whom all seem to come off as complete dummies in this one) and can actually deliver useful advertising ideas; which provides great shock to the men in the office but little shock to the audience watching. Peggy knows very well what a more contemporary woman wants and unlike the floozies in the room along with her has an idea how to produce that idea. She’s smart and capable and ultimately it seems that her idea may begin to take her places.

“Babylon” continues Mad Men’s ability to dig into deeper emotional places with its characters. It’s the beginning to the analysis of what the true emotional thoughts and conciquences that an affair in the Mad Men world has or will have. It shows who these characters are in different aspects of lives and the emotional output that these events have.

Some other Musings:

• Man are the office men sure pigs, especially in this one.

• Good parallel between Don and Roger here as both men seem to have the same idea of what they want (or have pipe dreams of) in their affairs.

• A basket full of kisses actually sounds like a good add! Good job Peggy!

Coming Up on Sunday: “Red in the Face” where we shift our focus onto Roger!

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?

Halftime 2013: Top 5 films of 2013 so far

You can most likely guess where Before Midnight lands on this list

It’s past halfway through 2013 (a while past I apologize for the lateness I had some films I’ve had to catch up on before writing this list) so it’s time to look back on the year so far. On the movies side this year hasn’t been very great at all. While there have been some good films there has only really been one amazing film with the rest being good at best. I guess after the amazing run at the end of 2012 there had to be a bit of a fall although I didn’t think it would be this drastic.  It’s been a lackluster start to say the least. Still there have been some good films this year and enough to fill this list. Other than the number one film I hope that these films don’t end up on my end of the year top 10 (and I don’t think that any of them will considering the trend of great movies hitting only at the end of the year). The one rule is that the film had to come out before June 30^th commercially (because it’s the halfway point of the year). Unfortunately most of these I saw on dvd or weeks and weeks after release so I haven’t had the chance to review almost most of these (although there will be a mega reviews recap coming in a week or so). With all that being said here are the five best films of 2013 so far:

5. Much Ado about Nothing:

After taking the helm of the largest grossing film of last year it just seems like Joss Whedon needed a break from all the bombast. Out of this break comes a simple yet elegant and hilarious rendition of an often filmed Shakespeare play.  The film is impeccably acted and simply, yet wonderfully directed for a beautifully pleasant film going experience. With a summer of failed bombast continually rained overhead it’s nice to have a film that basks in its simplicity very effectively.

4. Mud

Another classic moved into modern times Mud took the idea of Huckleberry Fin and Tom Sawyer and turned it on its head. Dirven by a fantastic performance by Matthew McConaughy and a thrilling plotline Mud provided a very solid thriller experience that is worth seeing by any standards.

3. The Bling Ring

One of the many films that took an introspective look into the life of the modern American young person The Bling Ring took an aggressive look at the life of the spoiled teens in Beverly Hills. It’s aggressive attack along with Sophia Coppola’s great eye for the visual made for one enjoyable film to sit through. The Bling Ring was an emotional rollercoaster ride with intricate thriller like pieces along the way. It’s a polarizing addition to Sophia Coppola’s library of films but for my money it’s a very good one.

2. Spring Breakers

The other main film that took a introspective look into the life and American dream of the modern American young person, Spring Breakers took a even more aggressive trans like nightmare look at the spring break of four College age women. Their adventure of sorts leads to a strange trance of mystical montages and an art film level of hidden depth that from first glance the average filmgoer would have never gotten. This is no average party film instead it’s the nightmare of what is actually going on with society.

1. Before Midnight

Easily the best film of the year Before Midnight has so much going for it. It’s emotional depth and beautiful dialogue, not to mention the chemistry that has been developed between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make this film an instant classic. The rest of the films on this list borderline at the high end of good and the low end of very good, but Before Midnight is great. Not only is it great but it’s easily one of the best films to come out in at least a year. The best compliment I can give Before Midnight is that ultimately I don’t expect to see a film that is any better than Before Midnight.