Finally. For years any fan of Wolverine has been dying the see an R rated film that really demonstrates his rage. Logan is the movie that fans have been waiting for, and it does not disappoint. The story, the acting, the cinematography, and the score are all just phenomenal. The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs, but Logan truly delivers. Personally, I didn’t want it to end.
“In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.”
There are so many things to love about Logan. First off, Hugh Jackman is incredible. You can definitely tell that he gave it all he had in, what is said to be, his final performance as Wolverine. As an audience member, you can really just relate and understand his pain and hatred for the world throughout the film. The guy has been through a lot. At this point in his life, he’s hiding out near Mexico with Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart, X men: Days of Future Past). Charles is in poor health and cannot control his powers anymore in his old age. Logan is caring for him and trying to save up money so they can go live on a boat together in the middle of the ocean. I found myself feeling sorry for Charles frequently throughout the film. You can tell he cares about Logan deeply, and seeing him in this delicate state truly hurts. His performance was great.
Laura (Dafnee Keen, The Refugees) enters Logan’s life and changes it forever. Keen gives a great performance as Laura. She is a young girl of few words, but definitely can hold her own in a fight. At first, Logan is very angry that she has shown up. He’s always had trouble being the “good guy”, even though you know deep down he wants to be. The progression of the dynamic between Laura and Logan throughout the film is executed so well. You could feel the connection between them even when Logan’s anger would try to hide it.
One of the most satisfying things about Logan was the pacing. The movie did a great job at having some down time for fantastic character development and unforced exposition. That was such a breath of fresh air because so many movies in this day and age feel the need to force exposition down the audience’s throat. That being said, Logan really doesn’t feel like a comic book or superhero movie. Overall, it’s a drama. It has themes from classic western films as well, which was unexpected but very nice.
The action scenes in Logan were shot, choreographed, and edited so well. When the action happened, you were 100% in it. There was no way to turn from the screen. They were simply phenomenal and extremely violent. Seeing Logan at an old age run at full speed with his claws out covered in blood was simply great. It wasn’t overdone either. The movie did a great job of not having too much action or being too over the top. The action scenes were spaced out very well, which made them more meaningful and memorable.
The cinematography was very enjoyable as well. It mainly paid off during the fight scenes. Often times in other action movies, its hard to tell exactly what is going on because of a shaky camera. Thankfully, Logan did not suffer from this. The action scenes and dialogue scenes looked great.
The story and performances are really what carried Logan. It was so simple, and that is what made it so great. This is Jackman’s best performance as Wolverine, hands down. It may even be one of the best performances of his career.
Overall, Logan was simply incredible. It had light comedy, great action, great drama, and some very emotional scenes. Nothing felt forced and the movie flowed so well. Hugh Jackman gave his all and fans will not be disappointed. Logan is right up there with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Just as The Dark Knight felt like a dramatic crime film with Batman in it, Logan felt like a dramatic action film with Wolverine in it. Both films just felt human and real. Go see Logan in theaters. You will not be disappointed.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]