Logan - movie review

Logan

Plot: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X somewhere on the Mexican border. However, Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant arrives, pursued by dark forces.
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen
Director: James Mangold
Certificate: 15 (strong bloody violence, strong language)
Runtime: 2hrs 17 mins
Release Date: Wednesday 1st March 2017

"And now, the end is near. And so I face...the final curtain. My friends, I'll say it clear. I'll state my case, of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full. I've traveled each and every highway. But more, much more than this...I did it my way." The words of Frank Sinatra could not be more appropriate for what I assume was Hugh Jackman's thought process into Logan. Yes, unfortunately the speculation is true. Logan serves as the final outing for Jackman as Wolverine. After seventeen years of total dedication to the role, the claws are being retracted for the final time in a film that is unlike any comic book movie ever made and is the perfect conclusion for this character and actor.

Can we just take a moment to fully understand the excellency that is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? I've been on record saying that Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is the best incarnation of a superhero ever. That guy lives and breathes the character of Deadpool both inside and outside the tight red Spandex however, Jackman truly gives a better performance and in Logan, this is the best we've ever seen him. As emotional as it may be, if this really is the final time Jackman will star as Wolverine, he could not have concluded his time in a better fashion. Logan was a film that Jackman campaigned to make, not only to be his swansong, but also to provide the official Wolverine movie that fans have been dying for rather than one where his origin is completely bastardised or one which starts with great intentions and then descends into CGI chaos. Logan serves as a film for Jackman to go fully berserker mode and give a performance that might just be the best he's ever done in his illustrious career. No joke, I think it's high time someone in the Academy wakes up and looks to see how revolutionary the superhero genre is becoming. Deadpool was overlooked for this years awards despite it being one of the best scripts and performances on show. Hopefully, Logan will not suffer the same fate specifically for Jackman. This is not just the best performance in any X-Men film but it rivals Heath Ledger's outing as The Joker for the greatest performance in any superhero film ever. What I'm trying to say is, Hugh Jackman is giving an Oscar-worthy performance. The pain, anguish and sheer desperation contained within Logan is beautifully depicted throughout. Logan isn't as spry as he once was. He's slower, not healing as quickly and lashing out unpredictably. From the opening scene alone, it's immediately clear that the Logan we once knew and loved has slowly faded away. That's the tone of this whole film. Depressing. Hope has entirely departed from Logan's body and Jackman takes the ability to revolutionise this character with both hands. He's emotional, hardened but best of all, savage. He has the most amazing chemistry with all of his co-star's so when the deep and heartfelt interactions come, Logan excels.

Alongside Jackman giving an equally sensational performance is Patrick Stewart, who recently has revealed that this will serve as his final outing as Professor Charles Xavier. What makes that so special is that both of these actors started together so it seems tragically poignant that they end together. Stewart is using all of his classical Shakespearean training to change Xavier and make him a character we never thought we'd see. Like Logan, Xavier isn't well and his illness has a detrimental effect upon his mutant power. Logan cares for him but when we initially see these two for the first time in this film, it's devastating to witness how far they've fallen. As I've said, Logan is by no means your casual, colourful and uplifting superhero film. It's dark, brooding and tremendously lachrymose. Stewart is operating on another level with the aim of furthering the character of Xavier rather than satisfying the needs of comic book fans. It's also hilarious to see Xavier swear like a whore who hasn't been paid. 

Jackman and Stewart are the only returning cast members but that doesn't stop the newbies becoming instant classics. Laura, or as the comics identify her as, X-23, is perfect. Played by Dafne Keen, Laura is an exquisite blend of adorableness and violent beast. Keen doesn't speak for most of her screentime but her ability to act through her eyes is fantastic. Without uttering a single word, I care more for Laura than I ever did with any characters from X-Men Apocalypse. Not to mention, she is the biggest, yet also smallest, badass we've seen on the big screen since Hit-Girl. I love her. The relationship she shares with Xavier is quite interesting but most of all, her bond with Logan feels authentic and beautiful. Imagine the most dysfunctional father-daughter relationship just with an addition of mutant powers but believe me, when Laura throws down, it's like a musical concerto of blood and gore. Boyd Holbrook stars as one of the films villains and he's as charismatic as the film needs. The smarmy personality works brilliantly but Holbrook manages to perfect the cocky yet disturbing attitude that makes the character of Donald Pierce so compelling. Unfortunately, Pierce is only one piece of the jigsaw when it comes to Logan's villains. Ultimately, this film was never going to be about having the most amazing supervillain because it would overshadow Jackman's final outing. That being said, apart from Pierce, the other villains were horrendous. There's one inclusion that hasn't been revealed at all, and for good reason, but whilst on paper and metaphorically, I understand the reason for this villain, in regards to how it fits in with the film, it seemed like the obvious choice. As another lesser villain is Richard E. Grant who feels completely pointless. I never found him to be interesting and his backstory is so wafer thin, it's explained in one throwaway line of dialogue. In an ideal world, Grant and his entire plotline could have been gotten rid of entirely and Logan would have been better for it. You could just have Pierce and his fellow Reavers pursuing Logan, Xavier and Laura for his own personal agenda. As soon as Grant is introduced, Logan began to lose the originality that I was hoping for.

FACT: The comic books that Logan flicks through in the film are not actual old issues, the artwork was created by Dan Panosian specifically for the movie.

Tone is a big deal with Logan. Actually, I believe that making Logan a 15 (or an R for those in the USA) was more necessary than it was for Deadpool. Deadpool needed that rating for the language and obscene humour. Logan earns the rating because of the dark tone and the extreme violence. Logan was never a happy-go-lucky character so the shift in rating to suit adults makes sense. Plus, it also means that studio heads aren't likely to interfere with the creative process thereby meaning that directors can make the film they want rather than having to obey the convoluted laws of canon and continuity. James Mangold, who has clearly been inspired by Westerns, has a terrific understanding of the character of Logan and uses this film to delve into his psychology. He throws all of the confusing timelines out of the window (which is great because they were driving me insane) and makes a film that stands on its own. It should also be noted that Logan isn't really a comic book film. It plays out more like a low budget, science fiction thriller that just so happens to contain characters with superpowers. The story begins like a breath of fresh air with it following in the footsteps of Deadpool that not every superhero film needs to have end of the world stakes. It slips a little in the second act with the pace dragging as we are introduced to a family with the sole purpose of showing Logan what family life is like but as the third act comes about, the intensity and emotion is as high as could be. Logan is extremely personal for all of its characters and is perhaps the most grounded superhero film since The Dark Knight. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if alterations were made to the villains, Logan would be nearing the same calibre of The Dark Knight. Sadly, those villains do exist and having seen the film twice now, I still find the pace of the film slowing as we begin to understand their motives and plan. For a film boasting a gritty tone and showcasing a Johnny Cash song in its trailer (love me some Cash), the antagonists (excluding Holbrook's Pierce) are cookie-cutter and dull cardboard cutouts for Logan and Laura to slice and dice. Speaking of slicing and dicing, the violence in Logan is magnificent. For so long have I been wanting to see limbs, heads and other such things be brutally removed from a human being through the use of adamantium claws.

When Logan fights, it's hardcore. There's nothing stylish to his fighting style like when Jackman appeared in Singer's films. In Logan, he's wild, unhinged and finally shows what the Wolverine can do when he's unleashed. If you've ever played the video game adaptation of X-Men Origins (the far superior version of that film), the violence is very similar to that. There's a hallway sequence that genuinely had me jumping up and down in my seat with sadistic glee. Laura, on the other hand, is a whole different kettle of fish because she's agile, athletic but even more violent. Being a kid, she's still confused about how the world works so lashes out at whoever's nearby. In summary, she's an absolute beast. 

Another minor complaint I have with Logan is the score. Apart from not being memorable, during the fight sequences, it sounds like it's just a bunch of instruments being played without consideration of whether they work. It's distracting. Also, is it too difficult to ask for a Wolverine theme? Superman. Batman. Even Spider-Man had one once and that guy's been recast more times than I can count. Surely Wolverine has earned his own musical theme that people can hum along to. It's the least he and Jackman deserve after his remarkable run. However, despite those issues, Logan delivers 110% on the emotion. Come the end of the film, I was a wreck. Obviously there is the knowledge that this is Jackman's final time (fingers double crossed for a small cameo in Deadpool 2), but come the end credits and the realisation sinks in that you will never seen Jackman reprise this role for another time, it's heartbreaking. Not to get all soppy, but in a roundabout way, I grew up watching Jackman as Wolverine. Many people grew up with Christopher Reeve as Superman but I was always a Wolverine guy. I was born in '98, raised in a prominently sci-fi household and brought up on all things Star-based (Wars, Trek and Gate). Seeing the 2000 X-Men was inevitable, almost like a rite of passage, but I clearly remember seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for the first time and knowing that he was special in the role. Up until then, my only experience with Wolverine was the old '90s cartoon with the amazing theme song. From then on, it always felt like a privilege to watch Jackman. Now, seventeen years later from his first appearance and for me, being nineteen years old, there is something so incredibly emotional seeing this farewell for Jackman. A lot of people can say they are connected to Jackman's portrayal but there aren't many people that have the emotional bond that comic book and film fans my age, share.

Remove Grant and his entire plotline and replace it with villains that serve a greater purpose then Logan immediately becomes one of the best superhero films ever made. That's my only major flaw. Everything else is millimetres away from perfection. Laura is amazing, Xavier is heartbreakingly tragic but this is Jackman's film through and through. He will not be forgotten in this role and he's made sure of that with this film. Logan does what I think other superhero movies should learn from. It focuses on making a brilliant movie first and then shifts its attention to satisfy the comic book fans. Hugh Jackman, I thank you on behalf of all comic book fans and the human race for the absolute impeccability you exude as Wolverine. You were truly flawless.

My Verdict: 8.5/10

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