Logan sees Hugh Jackman reprise his role as Wolverine for the very last time, in what is the best film to come out of the X-Men cinematic universe.
What sets Logan apart from all the other films the character has featured in is its grounded story. Director James Mangold has crafted a simple, relatable story that would work just as well without any superhero elements. Thankfully, Logan integrates the two seamlessly, providing a highly entertaining and dramatic film for Jackman’s final outing.
The film follows Logan (Jackman) in the year 2029, who now goes by his original name James Howlett, working as a limo driver in a town near the US-Mexican border. The years have not been good to him as he struggles to cope with declining health, all while caring for an ailing Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). In a time when a new mutant hasn’t surfaced in several years, a young girl by the name of Laura (Dafne Keen), with mutant abilities similar to those of Logan’s surfaces, forcing Logan and Xavier on a mission to protect her from a security agency out to reclaim its property, with dire consequences.
It’s a classic story of a reluctant man thrust back into a world of violence and pain that he’s so desperately trying to escape, while overcoming his inner demons in a journey to find meaning to his life. It’s almost too profound of a plot to be expected in a superhero genre film, however Mangold and his team nail it. Logan is unlike any other superhero film you’ve seen, as it doesn’t rely on flashy visual effects sequences to keep you entertained, rather playing out more as a drama film, with an infusion of character-study and outstanding, practical set pieces.
Jackman delivers his best performance of the character he made famous on the big screen 17 years ago. Not only is it his best performance as this particular character, but also a career-high level performance. Jackman provides an intense and emotional facet to the ageing and withered Logan of the like we haven’t seen before, pulling you in to his world from the onset, and keeping you there until the credits roll. Likewise, Patrick Stewart is incredible in his role as Charles Xavier, often providing some much needed comic relief in such a heavy film like this one. Boyd Holbrook is also great as Donald Pierce; the man on Logan’s tail, however it’s Dafne Keen as the young mutant Laura who steals the show. Her performance is one that’s beyond her years for such a young star, and she’s definitely one to keep an eye on in the future.
Another thing that separates Logan from the rest is its brutality. It’s not brutal just for the sake of it though, with the violence serving its purpose in the overall themes of the film. Fans will however love it. Since day one we’ve been hoping to see Wolverine unleash his claws on some baddies in a violent and bloody fashion, and now we finally have it. It’s definitely quite odd seeing a film with this character be so no-holds-barred, but it just adds that extra level of enjoyment to the overall experience, making the film seem a lot more mature compared to its counterparts in the same genre.
With a touching story, fantastic performances, edge-of-your-seat action and an epic score, Logan not only stands on its own as the greatest film to be featured in the X-Men film universe, but also one of the greatest dramatic superhero films to date. Jackman will be missed.
Fun Fact:
The director James Mangold said that Hugh Jackman took a salary cut because he wanted to do an R-rated movie. This pay cut and the success of Deadpool (2016) was what convinced the producer to do an R-rated movie.
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