No he didn't and no there isn't. It is a very, very self-contained thing.

No. I saw it yesterday having not seen either Wolverine solo film, and it didn't matter in the slightest. Best entry in the X-Men series by a country mile, by the way (though I don't really like the series much, it must be said).

It's absolutely terrible.

I figured out the deal with Bale's character pretty early on and became frustrated by the film for continuing to be coy about it. It's pretty much my only lasting memory: "Get on with it!"