Story
The Wolverine begins with Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) as a prisoner of war in Nagasaki at the end of World War Two. When the atom bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, Logan saves the life of a compassionate Japanese soldier named Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi). In return Yashida offers Logan his prized Samurai sword. Logan refuses the offer, telling Yashida to keep the sword safe for him.The movie jumps to the present day where Logan is in self-imposed exile. He is haunted by the ghost of Jean Grey (Framke Janssen). Logan’s reclusive life doesn’t last for long because he is sought out by a sword-wielding young woman named Yukio (Rila Fukushima). Yukio wants Logan to return with her to Japan so that the aged and dying Yashida (now the owner of Japan’s richest technology company) can give Logan a gift and thank Logan for saving his life 60 years earlier. When Logan meets Yashida, the gift Yashida offers is to relieve Logan of his immortality, enabling Logan to live a normal life. Logan refuses.After refusing Yashida’s offer, Logan finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy plot. Yashida’s granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto), who is in line to inherit Yashida’s empire, is at the centre of the plot. Logan is attracted to Mariko and decides to be her protector. Together with Yukio, Logan battles Japanese villains until he finds out who is really behind the conspiracy plot.
Themes
Mutants and special powers; immortality; Samurai warriors
Violence
This movie has extended sequences of intense violence and peril; some scenes showing emotional trauma; cruelty against animals; gruesome images; and blood and gore. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has some sexual innuendo. For example:
- After being forced to take a Japanese bath and washed with scrubbing brushes by three Japanese women, Logan jokes and says, ‘I feel violated’.
- Viper (a woman) walks past a group of men. One of them says, ‘How much?’
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some use of substances. For example:
- Characters including Logan drink Bourbon and champagne.
- In a couple of scenes a man dips an arrow in poison.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie shows some partial nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- A dream-like scene shows Logan lying in bed with a woman. She is wearing a low-cut light slip that shows bare shoulders and cleavage. Wolverine kisses her shoulder. In a similar scene the woman lies on top of Logan and kisses him on the lips.
- Logan lies naked in a large bath tub, being scrubbed clean in a traditional way by three clothed Japanese women. The scene shows his naked torso and back and part of his buttocks.
- Logan and Mariko kiss passionately on the lips. They lie in bed together.
- A man in underwear is in a room with two women. One woman wears lingerie while the other wears a revealing dress. The man is kissing one of the women on her neck.
Product placement
The following products are displayed or used in this movie: Nokia phones, brand-name cars and motorbikes. Merchandise associated with the movie is also being marketed to children.
Coarse language
This movie has a scattering of coarse language and name-calling throughout.
Ideas to discuss with your children
The Wolverine is a fantasy action adventure based on a Marvel Comics character. It targets teenage boys and adult men, as well as Hugh Jackman fans and followers of the X-men movies.
It has frequent and extended scenes of intense violence that become almost gratuitous towards the end of the movie. It isn’t recommended for children under 15 years and has many scenes and scary characters that would terrify younger children.
The main message from this movie is that all of our actions have consequences – nothing is without meaning.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include selflessness and bravery. For example, throughout the movie, Logan/Wolverine shows selflessness and bravery towards others by repeatedly putting his life at risk after he loses his immortality.
You could also talk about the lack of real-life consequences for much of the violence in the movie.