Woah.
I’m not going to sugar-coat this: Logan is an emotionally exhausting adventure, in which the titular character, the one-time X-Man, embarks on one last mission across the United States. Hugh Jackman has held this role down for seventeen years now, and has gone on to redefine the character as we know it today. While a popular character in his own right, Jackman’s take on the role helped transcend the Wolverine to action-hero stardom, making him and the actor a household name. Logan acts as the finale to Jackman’s run, and to call it anything less than emotional, blood-soaked, or a perfect finale for Jackman’s character would be a massive understatement.
In the future, Logan is barely surviving and is stuck at rock bottom, caring for the alzheimer-inflicted Charles Xavier alongside fellow mutant Caliban in the middle of nowhere. Logan struggles to get by as something along the lines of an uber driver, as he’s drinking himself to death when he’s not bickering with Charles and Caliban. One day, a job leads him to having young Laura land in his lap, and all hell breaks loose in his life. It results in a journey northward that, while still being an action film, acts as a character study of Logan and who he is, who his enemies are, and what his purpose has been all along. Many superhero and action films would shy away from this, but serving as a final journey, it’s only appropriate to see the film go this route and take a step that hasn’t been taken before.
Logan is the first Wolverine film to be rated R, and it’s not for blood spurting out when Logan cuts someone. The violence in Logan is raw and personal, often the result of Logan’s rage and shorter-than-normal fuse. You’ll see Logan’s claws stabbing and dismembering everyone who cops an attitude with him, and it’s not without its creative uses, either. By the film’s conclusion, the numerous different ways that Logan goes about dispatching his foes is nothing short of creative and savage, complimenting the world and story formed. It’s a hard-R rating and doesn’t try to hide that it’s being catered to the adult crowd.
Hugh Jackman gives what is surely his best work as the character during Logan’s meaty 137 minute runtime. While we know Jackman has the acting chops, it’s also Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier and Dafne Keen as the young Laura who truly bring their best to their parts. While nothing less is expected from Patrick Stewart, having played the actor numerous times already and owning it in a manner like Jackman does in his role, it’s Keen who truly astounds. Her character is of little worlds, leaving her to give a mostly-facial performance, one of which compliments her excellent dynamic with Jackman and Stewart. There’s a wildness in her eyes that’s much like Jackman’s, and the fact that she holds her own on screen is commendable. As an actress, it’s going to be incredible to see where this child goes in the near future.
What makes the film work, in the end, is how satisfying it is throughout the runtime. There’s a greatness to seeing Logan finally draw blood, both from enemies and his own, as he unleashes his pent-up rage, but the moments in which Logan is interacting with Laura and as they make a pitstop offer some light laughs in between the tense and stressful action sequences. Even when the film slows down and regains some of its humanity, the interactions between characters are humbling and enjoyable, often allowing you forget the stressful nature of the plot and the dangers on each new road they traverse. Humanity is a theme of Logan, of which the titular character’s own sense of purpose and demons come to the forefront, propelling the events forward. The way it’s all done and handled make every scene more appealing and hold a gravity that, in a away, couldn’t be done with a softer rating.
Praise must be given to the writing and the direction of the film for carrying the emotion forward without. There’s no shortage of emotional moments, but from the get-go, there’s a sense of finality going on as Logan stumbles and limps around, his scarred body and aging self becoming more obvious the more you watch. Everything from the script and direction to the makeup and location choices deserves some form of appreciation, as there’s love to be found by the filmmakers at hand. Every aspect of the film serves as a love letter and a reminder of what came before it, not forgetting where Logan has come from and constantly reminding him, both physically and mentally, that he has been through some things, to say the least.
Most interestingly enough, the film struggles in one aspect in deciding if it wants to be grounded or if it wants to be a comic book film. One element in the film comes up, and its purpose is made clear, but is an aspect that leans heavily into the comic book side of things. This choice comes across as a double-edged sword, leaving a sense of confusion as to what the film wants to do with this element. However, it ends up working out in the end, and while it may be jarring at first, it begins to make more sense as you think about it within the context of the film and the world as it’s depicted.
. There’s without a doubt much to sing praise about with Logan. Tight directing that stands alongside the best acting of any X-Men related film and an emotional and robust journey makes Logan one of, if not, the best films Fox has created with the property. From the opening moments to the end credits of an intense third act, Logan is the Wolverine film that we should have gotten sooner. Yet, in a time where most movies are afraid to go where Logan goes with its level of violence and character development in a longer-than-normal runtime, there’s little reason to hold back on seeing it. You owe it to a character who has stood the test of time and then some.
Logan now playing everywhere.
