Logan Review
Logan is a very intimate film. Let me repeat that, Logan is a very intimate film. I know this will surprise some of you, but it’s the truth. While there is plenty of violence in this film, and there are lives to be saved, Logan does something that few superhero movies ever do: they put the true focus of the film on the characters, rather than the conflict.
In case you haven’t heard or seen the trailer, Logan takes place in the year 2029, where mutants are basically all gone. And Logan, actually using his real name of James Howlett, has gone from proud warrior and traveler, to a limo driver who’s just trying to make by. Logan is visibly older looking, and as we see after the first fight scene, something is very wrong with him. His healing factor isn’t working like it should, his claws aren’t acting like they should, and he’s constantly in pain.
In case you haven’t heard or seen the trailer, Logan takes place in the year 2029, where mutants are basically all gone. And Logan, actually using his real name of James Howlett, has gone from proud warrior and traveler, to a limo driver who’s just trying to make by. Logan is visibly older looking, and as we see after the first fight scene, something is very wrong with him. His healing factor isn’t working like it should, his claws aren’t acting like they should, and he’s constantly in pain.
To add to his problems, he’s one of the sole caretakers of Charles Xavier, who is losing his mind, his health, and his control over his powers. Together with another mutant named Kaliban (different from the version in Apocalypse) they live south of the border, out of sight, out of mind, and trying to survive.
It becomes painfully clear how bad things have gotten for Logan and for all of mutantkind. Logan refuses to help anyone but himself and his friends, and even then, he isn’t as kind to Xavier and Kaliban as he ought to be. Yet, you understand perfectly why he acts this way. This is a man who thought he would never die, and was part of a team that would save the world no matter what. Now, all that is gone more-or-less, and he’s the one who has to pick up the pieces, again.
The story focuses on the three for a while, until a woman comes along and asks for Logan’s help to take her and her “daughter” to North Dakota. While vehemently refusing at first, circumstances change his mind, and along with Xavier, they take the girl named Laura on a journey.
Laura of course is the live-action debut of X-23, a clone of Wolverine from an animated series that was brought into the comics lore, and now the films. Played by Dafne Keen, the character both very primal, yet very emotional. In fact, she doesn’t speak for most of the film, which actually helps with the character and the dynamics between her, Logan, and Xavier. And then when she does talk, she carries a certain weight to her words, a weight that even Logan can’t deny.
One of the things that really separates this film is that while the villains in this movie are certainly villainous, they’re not “worldly villains”. They aren’t like Magneto, or Apocalypse, or the Dark Phoenix, or even William Stryker. They’re simple men who changed the world, and are now changing it again, and they don’t want to let Logan, Laura, or anyone to stop them. That’s a big difference from things that happen in regular Marvel or DC Comics movies. Again, you’re not going to be sad when they fail or die, but you do understand that they are a threat, and need to be dealt with.
This issue actually gets very meta in how Logan finds literal X-Men comics (made specifically for this film by Marvel’s own Joe Quesada) in Laura’s bag, and he regales her with how none of what she read actually happened. Or at least, not to the glamorized style the comics depict. “In the real world, people die.” he notes to her. It’s something that’s small, but it makes you think, as does a lot of what happens in this film.
I can’t talk enough about the performances in the film. This is a very well built film with great characters. Patrick Stewart shows us a side of Xavier we’ve never seen before. One who’s lost within his own mind, but still has that hope for the future. It’s through him we get a lot of the comedy in the film, and yet, it’s laced with tragedy as a certain revelation about him comes to life.
Then there’s Laura, who is but a child, but is also a killing machine. She at times just looks at the characters, and you can’t help but wonder what’s going through her mind as she stares on. She rarely smiles in the film. But when she does in a key scene, you know it’s genuine.
The villains are well done too, especially Donald Pierce, head of the Reavers, who are from the comics. He is both black ops leader and kid in a candy store, and plays it very well. The more stoic villain Zander Rice also is played well, and serves a purpose that is both fitting, and ironic as the movie ends.
Then of course, there’s Logan. You’d think after playing the character for 17 years, there’d be nothing new to show for the Wolverine. And yet, like comics prove time and time again, there’s also another level of depth to go to. This is a man who is not “the best he is at what he does”, Hugh Jackman plays him as a broken man, a very sad and lonely man, a man filled with pain and hate and tragedy, all of which he can’t shake. It’s a very powerful performance, and though I don’t think he’ll be nominated for an award for the performance, I think it could at least get a once over, because Jackman did spectacular in his seemingly final performance as the character.
As I stated earlier, there is plenty of action and violence in Logan. Between the fight scenes and the language, it earns its “R” rating in spades, yet, it doesn’t seem out of place. In fact, this is the way many feel Logan should be portrayed. He is a foul-mouthed man with a temper, his blades do slice through people and don’t just impale them like previous movies have shown. He is violent, he is rage-filled, and he is merciless at times. Numerous scenes throughout the film give fans the action they deserve, but to its credit, none of it is forced, all of it is laced perfectly throughout the film.
The word “legacy” is one that could be used to define the film both in terms of the story and those who played roles in the film. Logan is wondering in some ways what his legacy will be, and finds it in Laura in parts. Laura wants to know if she can be more than the weapon she was created to be, and receives an answer by the end. Then of course, Hugh Jackman wanted to send the character of Logan out in a big and emotional way, and he succeeded.
There are slow parts of the film, and certain scenes you know aren’t going to go well when they happen, but it doesn’t weigh down the film too much. This isn’t a typical superhero film, so if you go and see it, please keep that in mind.
Logan is a powerful telling of one of comics most beloved characters. Is it a fitting ending? I feel it is, but as in all things, it’ll be up you to determine what it means to you. If this is truly the end, it’s one you’ll want to experience.