Wolverine (4 Stars)

I went to the cinema tonight (July 31st) with low expectations. The last Wolverine film was disappointing, to say the least. Added to that I've heard mixed critical responses, people complaining about the film being set in Japan with giant robots and samurais, etc.

I won't say too much about the plot for now. I'll describe it more next time I review it, i.e. when I buy the DVD. Basically, it begins in World War 2. When the atom bomb is dropped on Nagasaki Wolverine saves the life of a Japanese officer. The story then flashes forward to the present day. The officer has gone on to be the owner of Japan's biggest company. He is now on his death bed and wants to see Wolverine one last time before he dies.

The film made an immediate good impression on me. The action was fast and thrilling. I enjoy Japanese fighting films. Rila Fukushima is stunningly beautiful. And the robot wasn't really a robot, as you'll know when you see it. It's worth watching on the big screen. But please remember not to run out as soon as the credits roll. By now you should know that Marvel films always have important after-credits footage.

Rila Fukushima as Yukio

America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan on August 6th 1945 (Hiroshima) and August 9th 1945 (Nagasaki). Germany had already surrendered on May 7th 1945. After the first atom bomb was dropped Japan was asked to surrender, but refused. After the second bomb Japan surrendered immediately.

Opponents of atomic weapons point to the death toll of the two bombs (120,000 in Hiroshima, 80,000 in Nagasaki) as the pinnacle of human destruction. But let's put things in perspective. In June 1945 America was planning to invade Japan. They delayed the invasion to see if their new bombs would work. Japan was expecting an invasion, so every Japanese civilian from the age of 12 upwards was issued with a gun. The American armed forces estimated that the invasion would cost about 500,000 American lives and up to 12 million Japanese lives. The success of the bombs made the invasion unnecessary. This means that over 11 million lives were saved. In fact, no invention has ever saved as many lives as the atomic bomb.