There was a time, brief though it was, when the posters being produced for James Mangold’s The Wolverine were stylish, tasteful and actually made us want to see the movie. That time was October 29, 2012. Now, with the superhero sequel’s release looming on July 26, we’re treated to a pair of conventional, kind of hilarious one-sheets that show Hugh Jackman screaming and showing off his ripped chest for either no reason at all, or because he just woke up surrounded by ninjas.
In any case, when do you scream with your arms crossed your chest like that? Seriously, hold your arms across your chest like Wolverine is in this poster. Don’t clutch your chest, because Jackman’s hands are clearly a few inches away from his body. Now, imagine being so mad you would actually scream about it. Does that feel natural to you? Have you ever done that? If so, we’d love to hear about it.
As for the ninjas themselves, they don’t really seem to give a crap, or actually be doing anything. Some of them are mugging for the camera, looking right out at the viewer. Are they working for Wolverine, and if so, why is he so pissed? They showed up for their photoshoot in full costume. They’re doing their jobs. Meanwhile, other ninjas have their swords drawn against Wolverine, but if you look at their size and positioning, they’re either really short and standing on an unseen table for no reason, or several feet behind him, also for no reason.
Which leads us to the international poster for The Wolverine, also just released on Coming Soon (click the poster for a larger version). Usually the international versions of movie posters are more dynamic, more interesting and tell you more about the story than the American versions. The Wolverine seems to be bucking that trend with an uninspiring shot of Hugh Jackman screaming “STELLAAAAAAA!!!” in the middle of a city street. If you pay close enough attention to look at the signs in the background, only then can you tell that he’s in Japan.
We are supposed to glean from this one-sheet, apparently, that Wolverine will visit Japan, and get so angry in the street that is only recourse is to fall to his knees and yell about it. Not do anything, mind you, and heaven forfend that we actually know what it is. But it’s important that audiences know that The Wolverine will feature its title character belting from the diaphragm. Maybe they’re going for that illusive Les Miserables crossover audience? Do they want musical theater lovers to think there’s something for them in The Wolverine?
Closer inspection – really, really close – reveals that the tops of a couple buidlings in the background of this poster may be losing their structural integrity a little bit. Was the idea supposed to be that the city is being attacked? If so, they didn’t sell it very well.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel, co-host of The B-Movies Podcast, co-star of The Trailer Hitch, and the writer of The Test of Time. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
