SandwichJohnFilms Attends The THE WOLVERINE: Unleashed Extended Edition Screening & Q&A With James Mangold
First I want to thank Tiffany Vogt for covering this event for SandwichJohnFilms. You can follow her on Twitter and see her handy work over at TV addict.com.
For fans who saw the theatrical release of the film THE WOLVERINE last summer, they may wonder what the extended edition has to offer that they have not already seen. A lot apparently. The extended version offered by director James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma”) includes two key fight/action scenes with Logan (Hugh Jackman), as well as scenes fleshing out Logan’s female companions, Yukio (Rila Fukusima) and Mariko (Tao Okamoto), both heroines in their own right.
For THE WOLVERINE: Unleashed Extended Edition, director James Mangold had a very specific vision of Logan and the type of hero he is as the Wolverine. By adding the two extended fight sequences back into the film, it helped illustrate the tenacity and sheer determination that Logan will fight to the bitter-end, even when he is losing. The fight sequences are also quite stunning to watch and well choreographed. (Though it should be noted that both are a bit bloodier and more graphic than the theatrical release was allowed to display.)
One of the central themes of THE WOLVERINE was exploring who Logan is both with and without his supernatural powers. The film does not entirely strip him of his ability to regenerate and heal, but with that ability impeded, it shackles our hero for a good portion of the film. But that handicap makes it easier to see Logan’s soul. He is who he is, regardless of his abilities.
In addition, including the new scenes where Logan is nearly incapacitated and receives assistance from the women he has come to protect is also fun in allowing the female characters a chance to shine and to makes it easier to see why Logan cares for each. It also serves as a reminder that both Mariko and Yukio are born of a warrior family and they were raised to fight and to protect. They are not mere damsels in distress and that makes them more of a complement to Logan and the journey he finds himself entangled in. Also added are a few scenes that also help establish why their family is at war with itself and the motivations driving each towards their fateful destinies.
But from beginning to end, THE WOLVERINE is the story of Logan and how he saved a young Japanese man in World War II, and what that act of compassion meant many years later. It is a legacy of sorts. It also served to remind a hero the important part he has to play throughout his extended life. God does not create mere mortals and men; he will also create heroes – men destined for great things and who must step up when needed, even if they are needed many times throughout their lifetimes. THE WOLVERINE picks up the story directly following X-MEN: THE LAST STAND with Logan a haunted shell of himself. Thus, the trip back to Japan to revisit his past helps sooth his tortured soul and gives him a renewed sense of purpose in life.
THE WOLVERINE: Unleashed Extended Edition is a fine film. It keeps the fun quotient and fleshes out its characters in ways that strengthen and entertain. It also helps keep the film more grounded. It provides a layer of realism that makes one think that Logan could exist in our world today. Hugh Jackman shines in the Wolverine role and never more so than in this film, as James Mangold’s Unleashed Extended Edition serves to showcase Logan’s ferocious humanity and soul, while still allowing him to connect with the world around him.
During a press screening, Mangold talked about some of the specific characteristics he tried to strengthen and the joy of working with Hugh in this iconic role:
Why did you decide to pick up the story in this film with Logan in the Yukon?
MANGOLD: The reality is that it struck me that the reason he’s there is that he doesn’t want to have any more contact. He wants to be alone. So it raised questions of, “Why would this journey to Japan become important? What has he been avoiding? What is he running from?” And it occurred to me that he’s running from the fact that anyone he cares for dies -- either from the curse, and that’s the dark side of immortality, which is that you are forced to ride this very slow train in which you’re watching everyone you care about die; or the most aggressive version, which is that people who want to get at him kill the people he loves. Then you have the added juice of the fact that he [killed] someone he loved in a previous film. So I was the one who decided to take this narrative and put it after "X-Men 3" -- and in a way make it a sequel to the X-Men films as opposed to a sequel to the “Origins” film.
You also made some changes as to the look of the character, like his hair and the claws. What made you want to do that?
MANGOLD: They were all part of a general strategy I had to make the kind of movie I’d want to see. I looked at images of Hugh in the previous movies and I felt like he looked like he was wearing a wig. . . For me, you’re always trying to walk that line between some kind of relationship to the existing comicbook art and at the same time having to physically make it work on human flesh. So there’s my own barometer of what I’ll reject and I didn’t want Wolverine to look like a Flock of Seagulls. . . Honestly, since [Logan] let his hair grow so long in the beginning and there’s people cutting it who may not know the official Marvel style, then maybe I can just credit it to what happened in the room with those two ladies in the tub. (Laughs) But, for me, I think he looked fantastic in the movie and I think anytime you can allow your actor to be comfortable within their own skin and their own scalp to be their character and not be separated by layers -- everything separates you from authenticity – and that’s what I was after. And that relates to the claws as well, where I felt like some things got over-designed. I literally just pulled a page from Marvel comics where I said, “Make these.” I think that the claws had looked so fake in some other shots and movies, and since in this film that wasn’t going to operate on the “will the world be saved?” question, it was going to live and die by whether you’re interested in him as a character. The stakes were completely different. It may not seem gigantic from the outside, but from the inside it’s an entirely different construction where there really is not central-villain out to hurt millions. The whole thing is operating from a different architecture, and from that point of view, you’re kind of like, “How can I make the humanity of this character and his whole reality come to life?”
What do you think keeps Hugh Jackman coming back to this role?
MANGOLD: I think he’s phenomenal in the role. I made “Kate & Leopold” with Hugh after he’d made the first “X-Men.” So to me it doesn’t seem like the same. He was part of an ensemble in that first film and I don’t think he had any idea, even after completing it what was happening. It’s easy to look back and go, “He’s made seven movies. He’s been the Wolverine.” But in the beginning he was part of a crew. I think that the evolution of what’s happened with it is the natural evolution of a great character and a great actor. It’s one of those really rare moments where it’s an alignment of the right person for the right job and I think when that happens – like with Sean Connery as Bond -- I don’t think there’s any reason that it should stop. . . I think that he’s incredible and versatile. There’s a reality to Hugh Jackman, in terms of his own versatility, that is really uniquely equipped to both eclipse and live within the world of the character he’s created. . . When you find that vein of gold, that connection with an audience, there’s no reason to abandon it . . . I think when you find a groove, you can stick with it.
To see this fascinating and thrilling version under Mangold’s masterful direction, be sure to check out THE WOLVERINE: Unleashed Extended Edition after its release on DVD/Blu-Ray on Tuesday, December 3rd. The digital HD version is also available as of November 19th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. (Note: While not rated, the Unleashed Extended Edition does include stronger, adult language and a healthier display of blood and gore than its PG-13 rating may suggest.)
Digital HD™ on November 19 and 4 Disc Unleashed Extended Edition Blu-ray and 2 Disc Blu-ray December 3.
Bring home the 4-Disc Unleashed Extended Edition featuring the Extended Unrated Cut
packed of bonus material including immersive second screen viewing experience.
The year’s most action packed blockbustercomes home as THE WOLVERINE debuts its 4 disc Blu-ray Unleashed Extended Edition, 2 disc Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on December 3 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Directed by James Mangold (Knight and Day, 3:10 to Yuma, WalkThe Line), THE WOLVERINE inspired by the celebrated Marvel comic book arc and featuring Hugh Jackman, in the title role takes the hero to a Japan he hasn’t seen since World War II – and into a shadowy realm of ninjas, mutants, and a brand new class of villains. To date the film has topped over $371 million in the worldwide box office becoming the highest grossing film in the franchise internationally.
Jackman returns as The Wolverine and faces his ultimate nemesis in an action-packed, lifeor-
death battle that takes him to modern-day Japan. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed
to his limits, Wolverine confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle
against his own immortality; an epic fight that will leave him forever changed.
THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray will allow fans to sync with the Second Screen app where
viewers can immerse themselves in the world of The Wolverine, including a synced viewing
experience, concept art, and many more cool and interactive bonus materials! The Unleashed
Extended Edition will feature an extended cut of the film for the first time ever in
the entire X-Men franchise, allowing viewers to go further into the creation of the darker
Wolverine and the journey that he undertakes.
THE WOLVERINE Unleashed Extended Edition Blu-ray includes 3D Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD™, complete with exclusives that make it the perfect gift for the holidays.
THE WOLVERINE Unleashed Extended Edition – Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD
• The Extended, Unrated Cut – the first for the X-Men franchise!
• THE WOLVERINE Unleashed – more violent and hardcore than ever before
• The Path of the Ronin – an immersive feature following the journey of a hero without a past
• Alternate Ending
• Audio Commentary by Director James Mangold (only on the unleashed extended)
• Sync with The Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen experience
• X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour
• Theatrical Trailer
THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray
• THE WOLVERINE – Theatrical Version with special features:
• Alternate Ending
• X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour
• The Path of the Ronin – an immersive feature following the journey of a hero without a past
• Sync with Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen experience
• Theatrical Trailer
THE WOLVERINE DVD
• THE WOLVERINE – Theatrical Cut
• Inspiration – A Ronin’s Journey
ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution
company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each
year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment
content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital HD™. Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.
THE WOLVERINE 4-DISC UNLEASHED EXTENDED EDITION BLU-RAY
Street Date: December 3, 2013
Prebook Date: November 6, 2013
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: 1-English DTS-HD MA 7.1
Spanish 5.1 DD
French 5.1 DD
German DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English/Spanish/French
U.S. Rating: PG - 13
Total Run Time: 165 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes
THE WOLVERINE 2-DISC BLU-RAY COMBO PACK
Street Date: December 3, 2013
Prebook Date: November 6, 2013
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English DTS-HD-MA 7.1
Spanish 5.1 DD
French 5.1 DD
German DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English/Spanish/French
U.S. Rating: PG - 13
Total Run Time: 125 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes
THE WOLVERINE DVD
Street Date: December 3, 2013
Prebook Date: November 6, 2013
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Spanish 2.0 Surround DD
French 2.0 Surround DD
German DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English/Spanish/French
Please Leave A Comment-
Comments