The Wolverine does its very best to set itself apart from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but for all the nifty ninja-trickery and swordplay it is ultimately a disappointing film that doesn’t live up to the hype.

Potential for a proper decent superhero movie was there – Hugh Jackman back in growl-mode, a feisty female sidekick in Rila Fukushima and ninjas galore, but director Mangold didn’t have a clue what to do with any of them.

Clunky dialogue let The Wolverine down immensely; characterisation was weak, it’s at least forty minutes too long and scenes between Logan and Jean Grey – and later Logan and Yukiko – tried to bring the feels but were merely filler until the next character got their katana out. The final third was so horrendous it is genuinely worth giving Origins another watch instead.

The visuals are worthy of praise though: vistas of Tokyo from the leafy south to the frenetic urban areas looked incredible. However, none of this made up for the film’s many flaws. Bring on X-Men: Days of Future Past, eh?