Logan

Released: March 2017

Director: James Mangold

Rated R

Run Time: 137 Minutes

Distributor: Fox Studios

Genre: Action/Drama

Cast:
Hugh Jackman: Logan/Wolverine
Patrick Stewart: Charles Xavier
Dafne Keen: Laura
Boyd Holbrook: Pierce
Stephan Merchant: Caliban
Richard E. Grant: Dr. Rice

When the original X-Men hit theaters back in 2000, one of the biggest surprises of the film was Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.  Some people thought that he was too tall for the role, but it was soon agreed that he was absolutely perfect.  This was the role that made Hugh Jackman a world-wide phenomenon.  Over the course of many movies and spin-offs, Hugh Jackman’s take on the classic X-Men character has evolved in more ways than anybody could have imagined.  Of all the X-Men characters, whether they were in the comics, the TV series or the movies, the Wolverine was always my favorite.  Why?  Because I can somewhat identify with the character.  He’s a lone-wolf; he doesn’t like or trust people, but beneath that gruff exterior he’s a good guy.  The character’s been through more hell than almost any character in the X-Men universe.  After 17 years of playing Wolverine, Hugh Jackman decided to do one last movie before hanging up his claws for good.  Thus, we come to Logan, the final film in the Wolverine spin-off trilogy.

The year is 2029.  There hasn’t been a mutant born in 25 years.  We catch up with Logan as a limo driver so he can buy medication for the ailing Charles Xavier.  After waking up after a drinking episode, Logan stumbles on a couple of thugs trying to steal his car.  After getting shot and beat up, Logan unleashes his rage and slaughters the crooks.  During one of his trips, he comes across a woman that’s begging him for help, and he just shrugs her off.  After heading back to Mexico, Charles is unable to convince Logan that there are more mutants out there.  Turns out, that the woman begging for help, is trying to save what appears to be her daughter, Laura.  The story is pretty straight-forward, with a few surprises here and there.  Still, it’s a very compelling story about an aging mutant who is no longer in his prime and has been beaten down by the world with no hope and no sign of redemption.  It’s tragic and heartbreaking to see a hero like Wolverine brought down like this, and yet, Laura may be the key to his redemption.  It is a fantastic story, that feels like it has elements of The Unforgiven thrown into the mix.  It’s pretty solid.

The heart of this story are the characters, and there isn’t one character that’s really overlooked here.  Yeah, the focus is obviously on Logan, but other characters like Charles, Caliban, Laura and Pierce all get their moments to shine.  Special mention has to be made for Dafne Keen’s Laura.  This character, who is more like Logan than he thinks, holds her own against a multitude of villains.  She doesn’t just have claws in her hands, but her feet as well.  This is a character that a lot of people have been anxious to see, and Dafne Keen just tears it up, both figuratively and literally.  Boyd Holbrook plays Pierce, a mercenary who is on Laura’s trail.  The character has a bit of charm, but he’s not a good guy.  In fact, he’s pretty damned evil.  The best villains often think that they are doing the right thing.  Patrick Stewart IS Charles Xavier.  There’s no doubt in my mind about that.  The character, much like Logan, is extremely ill, and suffers from a debilitating brain disease, which is a problem considering Xavier’s unique gift.  Now let’s get to Hugh Jackman as Logan.  There’s nobody else quite like Hugh Jackman.  He knows the character inside and out, which allows him a bit of freedom in how to interpret the character.  The character of Wolverine is a tragic one.  This is a guy that’s lived nearly 200 years, been brainwashed and had adamantium grafted to his skeleton.  He’s been put through the grinder, and it really shows.  He’s older and in pain.  Hugh’s performance is quite frankly, Oscar-worthy.  This is probably the best performance that Hugh Jackman has ever given for this character.  The acting is really, REALLY strong across the board.

Let’s talk about the action here, since this IS an X-Men movie.  Holy.  Shit.  This is easily one of the most violent and brutal movies I’ve seen in theaters in a long time.  Like DeadpoolLogan is rated R for a reason.  Unlike Deadpool, however, Logan is deadly serious.  Unlike the other X-Men films, which were by and large, bloodless, Logan is covered head to toe in the red stuff.  Blood flows freely here.  Limbs are sliced off, people are decapitated and shot to hell and back.  This is NOT a movie for kids.  It really isn’t.  There were scenes in this movie that I didn’t expect to be as brutal as they were.  No punches are pulled.  When Wolverine goes berserk, it’s unlike anything that I’ve seen before.  Yeah, we got bits and pieces of his rage in previous films, but not like this.  The rumor is that Hugh Jackman took a pay cut to make sure that this story was done right.  Not all stories have to be PG-13.  Some need to be unrelenting and as vicious as Logan.  I think the lack of restrain when it comes to the violence helps make Logan a much more compelling and visceral experience.  We finally see what the Wolverine is truly capable of.  THIS is what many people have been waiting for.

If there’s really a negative for me in this film, it’s that certain scenes run a little too long.  Honestly, though, that’s just a minor nitpick.  Everything else about this movie is absolutely phenomenal.  The sets, the make-up, the fight scenes and the story all come together in a very compelling, albeit bleak, package.  If you’re a big fan of the Wolverine and Hugh Jackman in particular, there is NO excuse to miss this movie.  For the Wolverine spin-off trilogy, the first movie was absolute garbage, the second film was really good, but Logan is quite frankly one of the best movies of the past few years.  I can’t recommend this enough.  I can definitely see that there is a lot of potential for Dafne Keen’s character in future movies.  It’s clear that due to the success of both Deadpool AND Logan, that there is a place for R-rated X-Men movies.  Do they all need to be R-rated?  No, but the rating shouldn’t scare off the studio from telling stories that are.  This is highly recommended.

Final Score: 9.5/10

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