I saw The Wolverine. Twice.
I'm gonna start by spoiling the major, major twist:
This was a good movie.
I don't think any of us could have seen that coming.
That said, if you're really attached to the characters, I don't think you're gonna like it. They've really rolled the dice on how to put the characters together; Silver Samurai was the worst hit (more later).
The movie wants to be the Claremont / Miller miniseries; but it isn't. The changes don't suck, though (although it's been a while since I read it).
They do the thing from Spider-Man 2 and Superman 2 of taking away the hero's powers. You got that from the ads, right? Unlike those two movies - and the ads imply - it isn't voluntary. They're trying to do this thing throughout where they want Wolverine to give up his powers for the sake of mortality, but they do nothing to sell it.
They do a good job of an action movie, with an emotional connection to its characters. It's just enjoyable.
There is absolutely no reference to Alpha Flight; but we weren't expecting that, were we? (It's sad that the closest thing we've had to a live-action Alpha Flight is that horrible reference in the sub-par Wolverine: Origins.)
The characters.
Wolverine is Wolverine.
Machiko doesn't really have the presence to convince me of their great love, but she's okay. She fights for herself from time to time, which I like to see.
Her father and fiancé are hardly in there, but they have their parts to play.
It took me a while to figure it out, but Yukio is basically Psylocke; she's tougher, lacks the joie-de-vivre, has the purple (pink) hair, and psychic powers. She doesn't look all that much like her comic-book version; the actress looks a little strange. But I love it! I could look at her all movie.
With Viper they did that horrible thing of taking her name literally; they made her into a half-snake mutant. And blonde, instead of a greenhead.
Still, I thought the actress made an excellent Viper.
Silver Samurai.
Silver Samurai was put in a blender of at least three characters and hit frappé; then put together what was left.
Kenuichio Harada had the 'outsider on the rooftops watching' of Yukio. But he still works with (not for) Viper; though in this version, they don't get along. He was human, too, no powers.
The Silver Samurai armour went to Machiko's father.
Little thing: twice, they pull out the Yashida ancestral sword and re-sheathe it, without drawing blood. [-X
The movie is not without its flaws, but it's good. Infinitely better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but not for those who are really attached to their characters.
