This was better then the wretched "Origins" movie. But that is damning with feint praise.
On the positive side, it did move well. The pacing was good, the action well directed, and Hugh Jackman has the Logan character down pretty solidly.
On the other hand, this movie has a plot with more holes then a decent piece of swiss cheese. The motivations of most of the characters are murky and just seem off. Yashida-san senior's emotional motivations never seem clear. First, he is ready to commit seppuku, then he is over flowingly grateful to Logan for preventing that. THEN he is ready to steal from Logan powers Logan is unwilling to give. In an occidental character I could almost forgive such capriciousness and weakness but it was totally out of character from a highly traditional upper class Japanese man. Especially one with the strength of character to forge an empire.
Yashida-san Junior tells us his father bankrupted his company with his obsession with obtaining mutant powers... and yet is willing to murder his own daughter to obtain the inheritance of that company.
In one of the smallest but oddest inconsistencies, Logan refers to the silver samurai at the end as "bob", a name he gave Yashida senior during the war. Yet is somehow surprised when its head pops off and who is inside but Yashida senior? (Something which I would imagine surprised no one in the audience over the age of 8.)
The main mutant villain, the Viper, remains a mystery as to any of her motivations. About the only clues we see are a homicidal disdain for men and her self description as a "mutant, nihilist and capitalist." We can suppose her motivation was pay, but she seems awfully committed to the job for a hired hand employed by an icon of male economic power.
Mariko is basically the McGuffin. Everyones chasing after her for better or worse reasons. She herself is pretty much passive. But she too is strangely inconsistent. She tells Logan that she is marrying a man she despises because to not do so would "dishonor her father"... and then within 10 minutes is jumping into bed with Logan. Now, I am not an expert on Japanese culture by any means, but this doesn't seem to me to do much in the "honor" department for her.
Yukio is Logan's reliable right hand from beginning to end. A fairly amazing transition of loyalties for someone who tells us her entire life is owed to the Yashida clan. Yes, Junior is a bastard and acts like it to her, but her primary loyalties are to Yashida senior who has almost no interaction with her in the film at all.
I could go on, but you get the idea. The characters in this movie are so shallowly drawn as to be indecipherable and motivated so poorly as to be totally uninteresting.
The sad fact, is I found the hint of what the NEXT movie will be about after the credits to be the most interesting part. But I always did like the Sentinels. (Note however that this creates a serious continuity error in the original XMen movie series, where we see them fighting a undersized Sentinel in a danger room exercise.)
On the positive side, it did move well. The pacing was good, the action well directed, and Hugh Jackman has the Logan character down pretty solidly.
On the other hand, this movie has a plot with more holes then a decent piece of swiss cheese. The motivations of most of the characters are murky and just seem off. Yashida-san senior's emotional motivations never seem clear. First, he is ready to commit seppuku, then he is over flowingly grateful to Logan for preventing that. THEN he is ready to steal from Logan powers Logan is unwilling to give. In an occidental character I could almost forgive such capriciousness and weakness but it was totally out of character from a highly traditional upper class Japanese man. Especially one with the strength of character to forge an empire.
Yashida-san Junior tells us his father bankrupted his company with his obsession with obtaining mutant powers... and yet is willing to murder his own daughter to obtain the inheritance of that company.
In one of the smallest but oddest inconsistencies, Logan refers to the silver samurai at the end as "bob", a name he gave Yashida senior during the war. Yet is somehow surprised when its head pops off and who is inside but Yashida senior? (Something which I would imagine surprised no one in the audience over the age of 8.)
The main mutant villain, the Viper, remains a mystery as to any of her motivations. About the only clues we see are a homicidal disdain for men and her self description as a "mutant, nihilist and capitalist." We can suppose her motivation was pay, but she seems awfully committed to the job for a hired hand employed by an icon of male economic power.
Mariko is basically the McGuffin. Everyones chasing after her for better or worse reasons. She herself is pretty much passive. But she too is strangely inconsistent. She tells Logan that she is marrying a man she despises because to not do so would "dishonor her father"... and then within 10 minutes is jumping into bed with Logan. Now, I am not an expert on Japanese culture by any means, but this doesn't seem to me to do much in the "honor" department for her.
Yukio is Logan's reliable right hand from beginning to end. A fairly amazing transition of loyalties for someone who tells us her entire life is owed to the Yashida clan. Yes, Junior is a bastard and acts like it to her, but her primary loyalties are to Yashida senior who has almost no interaction with her in the film at all.
I could go on, but you get the idea. The characters in this movie are so shallowly drawn as to be indecipherable and motivated so poorly as to be totally uninteresting.
The sad fact, is I found the hint of what the NEXT movie will be about after the credits to be the most interesting part. But I always did like the Sentinels. (Note however that this creates a serious continuity error in the original XMen movie series, where we see them fighting a undersized Sentinel in a danger room exercise.)