The Wolverine (2013)

For most of The Wolverine, Logan’s healing is turned way down, which is like buying a sports car and leaving it in second gear. Weirdly, that’s the good part. Hugh Jackman plays Logan as a tired drifter who has outlived everyone he cared about, and James Mangold shoots Japan like a moody crime movie instead of a comic book. The fight on top of a bullet train is the highlight, Logan clinging to the roof at full speed while a henchman tries to finish him off. Rila Fukushima’s Yukio steals every scene she’s in with a sword and zero patience. Then the last act shows up with a giant silver robot samurai and a villain plan that falls apart if you think about it for a second, and the movie forgets what made it work. A 5.8 because the lonely, grounded version was right there and the studio still wanted a boss fight. $956 says you skip straight to the train scene on a rewatch and call it a full viewing.

What works: Jackman’s weary, lonely Logan, the moody Tokyo setting and a bullet train fight that still holds up.

What doesn’t: The final act trades the quiet character story for a giant robot boss fight and a villain plan that makes no sense.

Who it’s for: Wolverine fans who want him sad, sweaty and mortal for once, and anybody who likes samurai movies with a side of claws.