Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the first things that comes to mind when someone thinks of comic book movies. He has been the face of the X-men franchise for 17 years. This is the role that propelled Jackman into the superstar he is today. When Jackman announced he was ready to retire the claws, he set a big task for himself; to send the beloved character out with a film worthy of being the last hoorah.
In the not so distant future, mutant kind is all but extinct. Logan (Jackman) is hiding out with Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) just below the U.S.-Mexican border when a young mutant girl enters their lives. Logan’s attempts to hide the girl and his past from the evil doers after her will change his life forever.
Logan is the final installment in the X-Men franchise to feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. The X-Men franchise has not always been a winner. Back in the early 2000s, the franchise started off strong with X-Men and X2. Jackman’s Wolverine quickly became the standout of the franchise. with two stand alone films being produced focused solely on his character. Not every production featuring Jackman has been a win, like the awful scene in the even more awful X-Men: Apocalypse or X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so it’s reasonably to be hesitant about too much material about just Wolverine.
This film is a proper send off for such a beloved character. Right out the gate, you can see Logan is old, tired, and nothing like we have seen before. The dark and gritty tone is set immediately. This movie wants viewers to know that this is not a superhero movie first, and that’s one of the great things about Logan. It put characters and their developments above the inherent money-making aspect of a superhero movie. The film feels like Nolan’s Batman trilogy in terms of realism and rich storytelling. It treats the characters so well that when the movie comes to a close, it gets emotional. Logan is a great drama or western before it’s an action movie.
Speaking of the action, the R rating did not go to waste here. After 17 years, audiences can finally see some of the carnage that they can expect Logan to live in his wake. Anyone who saw the first international trailer for the film can expect plenty of kills exactly like that. There’s plenty of bloodshed as claws meet skulls, but it is not overplayed. The violence is realistic enough to pull you into the scene, but not feel cheesy or overdone. The action sequences are placed far enough from each other throughout the film that each fight is memorable enough and doesn’t detract from the rich drama in the film.
The performances in Logan were incredible. Hugh Jackman gave his final performance as Wolverine 100%, and it shows here. The anger and emotions he exudes in some scenes is reminiscent of his performance in Dennis Villeneuve’s Prisoners. Patrick Stewart’s final time as Professor X was also stellar. He was perfect as Charles in the original trilogy, but the Charles in Logan is completely different. He is an old, tired, and sick. The way Patrick Stewart delivers this has such an impact you almost forget that Logan is the star of the show. X-23 (Dafne Keen) delivers a powerhouse performance as well, which is tough to do in scenes with Jackman and Stewart. She carries herself through the action sequences well while simultaneously playing into the drama perfectly as the film approaches a close.
Logan lived up to all of it’s expectations. It was a perfect send-off to such a beloved character in the X-Men franchise, as well as a great kick-off for the New Mutants. The realism and focus of character development rivals that of Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Hugh Jackman’s last performance as Wolverine in Logan is a must-see in theaters, which delivers a rich and emotional story that will leave viewers of the edge of their seat till the very end.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]