I held off posting a review for this film, thinking it best to reflect on it for a while.
I’ve always dug Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.  Frankly, I think a person would have to be nuts to think Jackman doesn’t bring an extra helping of awesome sauce each time he wears the claws.  Since this was his swan song for Wolverine–and because Logan had been getting crazy-good reviews–I went into the theatre with high hopes.  And I didn’t come out thinking it was bad.  I just didn’t come out thinking it was great either.
Again, no problems with Jackman. Furthermore, Keen and Stewart were exceptional. Â The set pieces were fantastic. Â The R-rating finally gave us a more realistic look at how a fight with claws would play out.
I just have a hard time buying a whiny Wolverine.
And before you raise your eyebrows at me, think about this flick for a long moment.  Because a whiny Wolverine is exactly what we got.  A character–known for his drive, for a genuine, animalistic force of will–was constantly badgered into doing the right thing by characters around him.  At one point, the girl even punched him in the nose because she got so tired of his shit.  Most heroes deny their calling in one way or another, but to continue doing so throughout the course of the story just makes your plot lose momentum.  Joss Whedon argued the Hulk works best when he’s not looking for a cure, when he’s not putting his own interests ahead of others.  The same can be said for a lot of characters.  The same can DEFINITELY be said for Wolverine.  And the fact we’ve already seen this character interpretation struggle and move past similar funks before certainly didn’t help.
My other big problem with the film? Wolverine is the best at what he does.  And what he does isn’t that nice.  Which means when he falls, he falls in the worst way.  At the very least, he might become a mercenary or some other type of violent antihero.  At the very most, he’s going to rip off all his clothing and go screaming into the woods.  I don’t know what falls in the middle, but it sure as hell isn’t driving a limo for money.  Jesus Christ.
If you’re a fan of Jackman’s Wolverine, you’re going to see this movie.  Period.  And if you’re like most everyone else, you’re probably going to love it.  If you’re like me, you’re going to walk away from it with a gentle shrug.