“You’re a solider, and you seek what all soldiers do.”

“An honorable death, an end to your pain”
 

Logan (Hugh Jackman) is having trouble coming to terms with his choice to kill his love, Jean Gray (Famke Janssen), in order to save the world. She now haunts him in his dreams, telling him to just let go and join her. However, this is easier said than done for Logan as experiments performed on him decades earlier have left him with the ability to rapidly heal, making his death nearly impossible. Logan has vowed never to hurt or kill anyone. He has become a bit of a hermit, growing out his beard and hair, and living alone in the mountains on Canada. That is, until one day when a young woman named Yukio (Rila Fukushima)—a mutant with the ability to foresee people’s deaths—finds him and tells him that her boss, Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi) is on his death bed and wants to give him something. Logan reluctantly agrees to see Yashida—a Japanese soldier whom Logan saved from the Nagasaki bomb blast during World War II. However, when he arrives in Japan, Logan discovers that the gift he is offering is one of mortality—Yashida offers to transfer Logan’s immortality to himself so that Logan can end his eternal torment.

As Logan continues to battle his inner demons, he soon finds himself mixed up in trying to protect Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) from the Yakuza, her over-bearing father Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada), her corrupt fiance Noburo (Brian Tee), and Yashida’s bodyguard—and Black Ninja Clan leader—Harada (Will Yun Lee). To make his mission even more difficult, the mutant Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) has stolen Logan’s ability to heal.

This film has a very different feeling than the other films in the franchise. It is much more grounded in the real world, and while there are still plenty of exciting action sequences, it is more of a character study of Logan. The film is more focused on Logan’s personal and emotional journey as he learns to re-accept his role as Ronin and “The Wolverine”. For fans of the Marvel films, it bridges the gap from the dejected Logan from the end of X-Men: The Last Stand to the justice-seeking “Wolverine” for the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, it is very much a standalone story that can also be enjoyed by folks who are unfamiliar with the other films—though I think those viewers may need a little more setup on Logan’s background.

I found the film to be a little slow at the start, until about a half-hour into it when the action really kicks in. There are some really exciting sequences, including chases through the streets of Tokyo, a fight atop a fast-moving bullet train, battles with swarms of ninjas and other foes. While I enjoyed the overall arc of Logan’s inner journey, it’s those action sequences that I look for in these Marvel films, and these are really well done!

Hugh Jackman delivers an excellent performance in the film, not only in the choreographed fight and stunt scenes but also in the dramatic scenes where you can really see that pain Logan is going through. The supporting cast is also excellent and also hold their own with Jackman, despite many of them being newcomers.

The film looks amazing on this Blu-ray release—the blending of downtown Tokyo with the Japanese countryside makes for some really beautiful landscapes that are captured in great detail. And the DTS-MA soundtrack helps bring the viewer right into the action. As for the bonus features, there’s a really interesting 53-minute behind-the-scenes feature, a brief look at the set of X-Men: Days of Future Past, and a slightly different alternate ending. Plus, there’s a free second-screen app that provides even more bonus material.

This Blu-ray release presents the film in its theatrical version only, but Fox has also released the film in an “Unleashed Extended Edition” Blu-ray that also includes a longer, unrated cut of the film (with optional director commentary) as well as a 3D version of the theatrical cut. Fans of the film or franchise will probably want to pick up that version of this release.

What’s Included:

Film (Theatrical Cut, 126 min):

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1, English DD 2.0, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1, French DD 5.1, Portuguese DD 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese

DVD:

• Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital Copy: (Redemption Deadline 12/3/2015)

• iTunes Digital Copy
• UltraViolet DigitalHD Copy redeemable via Flixster, Google Play or Vudu

Extras (Blu-ray only):

• The Path Of a Ronin (53:44)
  Collection of extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes. Play All or select from:
  • “Inspiration: A Ronin’s Journey” (11:26)
    The creators talk about the original Wolverine comic by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller that inspired the story of the film, and the writing/adaptation process.
  • “Design: Mastering the Arc” (15:42)
    The creators, cast and crew talk about the film’s Japanese setting, the culture of Japan and the challenges and joys of filming there. They also discuss the heightened-reality look of the film, mixing Japan with the ancient, the use of color, the costumes (with footage of the costume tests), a look at the sets, building the Silver Samurai, and bringing the Yashida company brand to life.
  • “Execution: A Killer Team” (19:04)
    The creators talk about casting the film focusing on fresh faces, and choosing the director, while the cast and crew talk about working with one another. Includes a look at the choreography and stunt sessions, and a look at the weapons (and claws) used in the film.
  • “Hugh Jackman: The Man Behind the Mutant” (6:19)
    The cast and creators talk about working with Hugh. Plus, a look at the training and choreography sessions.
  • “Reflections: The Evolution of Wolverine” (1:56)
    Hugh Jackman and the creators talk about their goals in making this film.

  The featurettes interviews with cast members Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto (“Mariko”), Rila Fukushima (“Yukio”), Famke Janssen (“Jean Grey”) and Hiroyuki Sanada (“Shingen Yashida”); director James Mangold; producers Hutch Parker and Lauren Shuler Donner; director of photography Ross Emery, ACS; second unit director David M. Leitch; production designer François Audouy; co-writer Mark Bomback; Wolverine comic book writer Chris Claremont; Wolverine creator Len Wein; supervising art director Ian Gracie; costume designer Isis Mussenden; stunt coordinators Kyle Gardiner and Allan Poppleton; and armourer John Bowring .

• Theatrical Trailer (2:28)
• Alternate Ending (1:36)
  The alternate ending is not a huge difference from the existing ending, but it provides a tiny extra little treat for fans of the franchise.
• X-Men: Days Of Future Past Set Tour (2:47)
  Bryan Singer gives viewers a glimpse of the sets for the upcoming film—both completed and some still being built. We also get a glimpse of Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Jackman on set.
• Second Screen App
  This free app gives the viewer access to even more bonus material, including pre-vis featurettes, visual effects sequences, costume tests, story boards, concept art, behind the scenes footage and more. Explore the archives on your own using your mobile/tablet device, or access the material in sync with the movie. Available in iTunes, Google Play and Amazon App stores.

Final Thoughts:

Fans of the X-Men or Wolverine franchise should enjoy this latest entry. While it serves as a great standalone character exploration that bridges the gap between X-Men: The Last Stand and the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past for the character of Logan/Wolverine, it also has some amazing action sequences. The Blu-ray includes almost an hour of interesting behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, and even more material via the second-screen app. However, the director commentary is reserved for the unrated cut, which is only available on the “Unleashed Extended Edition” release of the Blu-ray. That release includes the 3D version of the theatrical cut, making that the release I recommend for purchase if the price difference isn’t very high.