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‘Logan’
By Lucas Allen
After 17 years, Hugh Jackman is ready to hang up his metal claws for good as Wolverine with what could be his very last hurrah. Director James Mangold follows up his 2013 blockbuster “The Wolverine” with “Logan,” promising an emotional finish for a popular character, who led the X-Men series to box office gold. Whether you were a fan from the beginning or somewhere in the middle, you’ll find it an unforgettable experience in so many ways.
In the year 2029, almost all of the mutant population has been extinct. Logan (Jackman) is now on his own working between shifts as a Vegas limo driver, while caring for an ailing Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) down in Mexico with another mutant, Caliban (Stephen Merchant). One day, he meets Gabriela (Elizabeth Rodriguez), a nurse who wants him to take a young girl, Laura (newcomer Dafne Keen), to a safe haven somewhere in North Dakota. At first he refuses, but a group of ravagers after the little girl prompt him to undertake the task, with Xavier along for the ride.
It turns out Laura is part of an evil scientific experiment conducted by mad scientist Dr. Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant) to create a new generation of mutants. However, the children escaped and scattered before Rice’s band of mercenaries — led by the robotic-handed Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) — were sent to find them. Meanwhile, Logan feels the effects of aging, as his adamantium skeleton is killing him on the inside.
The X-Men movies has been through its shares of ups and downs (with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” being the lowest, but we won’t talk about that), so the makers of this movie had to work extra hard to give Wolverine a great exit. They not only succeeded but also gave the most mature fans an R-rated film they rightfully deserve. With his claws, Wolverine slashes and dices his enemies in bloody fashion not seen before in any of the other movies. The action scenes are very well done as the camera never holds back on the violence, giving viewers all of the action at different angles.
A realistic and dramatic story was needed to keep the audience invested in these characters so they continue to care about them all the way through. You can call it a modern-day Western –in the tradition of “A Fistful of Dollars” and “The Wild Bunch” — with mutants instead of cowboys. In a story filled with F-bombs and head decapitations, it’s easy to get lost in all the human drama. At two hours and fifteen minutes, it can be very slow at times; editing out some of that extra meat would have helped. When you get down to it, the story satisfies both superhero fans and fans of serious action thrillers.
Jackman remains consistent in his hard rocking performance as the once-ageless mutant, this time with more emotion, especially through his insane anger. Stewart is the film’s biggest heart ,as he gives a more tender performance as someone past his prime who knows the future could be better. Keen becomes the film’s greatest revelation, earning everybody’s laughs and tears with her mostly mute performance. Grant and Holbrook are obviously hamming it up as the villains, but it’s perfectly fine for this sort of movie.
Despite a long and sluggish runtime, Logan is still a reminder not all superhero stories are all explosions, Spandex and happy endings. It can offer relatable and tragic stories of misunderstood characters in a dark and grim world. If an R-rated superhero movie is what the world needs right now, then this movie delivers.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
(20th Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment)
