(This is a republishing of the original review, which posted two weeks ago.)
Logan is a response to a litany of unprecedented events. Comic book films are more popular than ever, the X-Men series is still a viable franchise seventeen years later, Hugh Jackman is still in great health and more committed to Wolverine than anyone thought possible, and Deadpool‘s box-office success paved the way for a long sought R rating. It’s the true definition of lightning in a bottle
But do you know why “lightning in a bottle” is such an effective, but limited metaphor? Because you’ll rarely get a film so bravely varied, the only way to truly describe it is to compare it to a bright, blinding storm you can’t believe you’ve managed to witness in the palm in your hand.
Logan is a love letter to Hugh Jackman’s long history as Wolverine, and the comic book adaptation subgenre, yet it’s a wholly unique beast of its own. It’s a film so aware of its own identity, and I’m sure we’re never going to get another film like it.
Logan
Director: James Mangold
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Rating: R
Logan is both a sequel to 2013’s The Wolverine and a ending to the entire X-Men franchise. In the far-ish future of 2029, we find Logan (Hugh Jackman) making his way across El Paso, driving a limo for money. It turns out mutants have essentially gone extinct, and he is only doing odd jobs in order to take care of the now dementia-suffering Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who’s loss of control over his mind has made him a threat. But one day he’s approached by a woman accompanied by a silent girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) who needs help getting to the Canadian border and some place they call an “Eden for mutants.” Begrudgingly accepting the task when he sees Laura shares a few similarities with him, revelations come to light as Logan has to come to terms with the man he’s become. Logan is dramatically different than the rest of the X-Men films, and that’s notably due to its R rating.
While I was initially afraid Deadpool‘s R rated success would mean Logan was full of extraneous foul language and violence (but without the cheekiness), what is present feels incredibly natural. Like we’re actually seeing Wolverine for who he is for the first time, making every other performance seem neutered in comparison. This Logan is older, broken, and incredibly violent. He brutalizes enemies, but it’s never portrayed as monstrous as his attacks could be because Jackman fills the role with a much needed humanity. The film always makes a point to note that he never initiates the attacks (unlike the brash Logan seen in, say, the first X-Men). The added caveat of slowly losing his healing abilities also grounds this comic book film in an unprecedented way. For all intents and purposes, Logan is a lonely, introspective character drama. While the character work admittedly will be more effective if you’ve seen some of the other X-Men films (at least the first one to explain some of the world’s elements), it’s not completely necessary. The film opens with a scene heartily establishing everything you need to know about this character, and I’ll go as far to say it’s the best opening scene in the franchise to date.
Logan is full of outstanding performances. While some kitchy turns from Boyd Holbrook’s Pierce (a mysterious guy in sunglasses who’s chasing after Laura, but Logan‘s not about that so mentioning his role in the story seems unnecessary), Stephen Merchant’s Caliban, and a villain revealed later in the film tend to remind you it’s a comic book film, the three central cast members anchor Logan‘s harsh reality. Hugh Jackman, drawing on his years of experience with the character, puts forth a stellar performance. As mentioned earlier, with the amenities afforded by the film’s R rating, Jackman’s performance rings more palpable than ever. Like this is the character he’s wanted to portray since he signed on to these films all those years ago. His rapport with the sickly Charles is one of the best features in the film as he and Patrick Stewart have developed a mentor/pupil-father/son relationship over the years. Or at least ably portrayed as such. Then there’s the young Dafne Keen, who’s Laura is defined entirely through her physicality and manages to carve a distinct presence between the two.
Now Logan isn’t perfect. One of the film’s overlying themes of fighting one’s past becomes a little too literal, the tone is so well established the encroaching X-Men talk feels out of place, and some of the dialogue unfortunately I felt I had to forgive under the “comic book film” qualifier, but thinking back on it, these issues didn’t bother me as much as I thought they would have. Logan‘s imperfections lend credibility to the central character’s imperfections. The film’s problems mirror Logan’s distraught sense of self. Is he the colorful hero of years past? Is he the beaten down man who’s lost his sense of purpose after years of struggle? There’s a distinct push and pull between the two tones as they blend into something not seen before in the genre. In fact, it seems, dare I say realistic?
Above all else, Logan is a film of consequence. It’s the first comic book film weighted with actual drama and character work. There’s an overwhelming sense of finality and dread permeating throughout making every one of Logan’s struggles more tense than the last. If you’ve followed Wolverine through every one of his adventures, you’re sure to be satisfied with Logan. If you haven’t, there’s still enough tactile emotion here seeping through Logan’s ever-worsening wounds to draw you in even slightly.
I don’t need to see another X-Men film, or another comic book film ever again. Thanks to Logan, they’ve become irrelevant.
