I've been a fair fan of the series of the whole. Even the weaker installments I thoroughly enjoyed, so my review is already weighed in favor of this film. I will say even from a critics point of view I thought it was really well done. It's not the standard comic book fairy tale, but more of an intrinsic study of the Wolverine character. He shows a lot of depth and vulnerability in this outing, far more than previous installments. It's a risky but necessary move to see him operate on a balance challenge where he really is prone to death at any moment. The humor is matched well with the drama for an interesting viewing all the way through. All the supporting roles I found interesting as well. I really enjoyed the presence of Yukio who provided invaluable aide despite Wolverine's incessant protests. I found it nice to see his character finally develop some closure after all the time we've get to see him in all his cinematic installments.

Despite the third act being drastically different in tone to the previous two acts (but it's still fun and enjoyable),The Wolverine is an incredible spin-off that's thrilling and emotional, showing the effects of the events of X-Men 3 on Wolverine/Logan. Hugh Jackman gives a reliably incredible performance as Wolverine once again. Hiroyuki Sanada and Rila Fukushima both give great supporting performances. James Mangold's direction is great and the action sequences are fantastic. The music by Marco Beltrami is really good.

I admit I was entertained and enjoyed the characters and the locations. The fight on top of the train was a cliché, but very well done. I guess I was conditioned to like this film from the beginning when Wolverine gave the grizzled hicks at the bar a severe punishment for hunting the poor beast.

Good, but not enticing me to go and watch more of this franchise.