Visceral, violent, and vitally important, Logan (the newest X-Men adventure) is boldly different from multiple genres and infectiously dynamic. It’s a masterpiece to behold with it’s beautiful scenery and acting, and most of all, a satisfying end to the Wolverine story.
But audiences should be prepared - the story and action it contains is brutal and unforgiving. While the epic grandeur and size are eye-popping, casual audiences should be well warned. This may be one of the bloodiest and most intense superhero movies ever made. (They aren’t kidding with its 18A rating in Ontario and R in the States.)
Logan concludes the Wolverine trilogy that started in 2009, and also closes the modern X-Men series that began with X-Men back eight movies ago in 2000. Unlike its comfortably superhero-like predecessors, this has much more in common with a modern Western film. And that’s not just because of its picturesque setting and camerawork.
The story finds Logan (Hugh Jackman) as an older man, after the X-Men are long gone, and he is left to protect his mentor Charles Xavier (or Professor X, Sir Patrick Stewart). When a girl with some familiar mutant gifts arrives (the terrific Dafne Keen), the three of them leave in a cross-country chase to escape at the Canadian border.
Does the story sound familiar? The release of the movie is well timed with a critically relevant message, and some frightening parallels to the American political climate. Logan reminds us what happens when those in power are controlled by fear.
Hugh Jackman in commanding in the title role. The character of Wolverine is the role he’s spend 20 years mastering, and he finishes it here with a grand sweep. Jackman depicts pain, grief, determination, strength and courage brilliantly, and finds the raw humanity in the hero of Logan. This will be remembered as one of the great superhero performances of all time.
But in this movie, we also have to thank his two brave co-stars, who reshape what a great action warrior can be. Both Sir Stewart and newcomer Dafne Keen are electrifying at watch, and are a marvel to watch across their wide range of scenes.
It’s a thrilling and well-acted adventure with a natural power and surprising grace. There are some stretches in Logan's travels that feel long and slow, though there’s no shortage of action either. (At almost two and a half hours, it does take higher concentration to stay engaged right until the very end.)
And no review or warning can prepare audiences for the onslaught of gratuitous violence. Unlike the PG X-Men movies before it, this is an adult action film with violent brawls and behaviour to match. There are severed heads, limbs, and a few truly gory action scenes. Logan is not for the faint of heart, nor young teenagers. The intense tone and graphic fights are relentless the entire film.
It’s definitely not your standard, inviting superhero movie. But Logan is a terrific motion picture, and it carries a striking message. This painful fight is about how what makes us different is also what makes us the same. And that’s a legacy Wolverine would be proud to pass on - along with a lesson the world needs to remember now more than ever.
Logan
3 out of 4 stars.
18A, 137 minutes. Superhero Western Epic.
Written and Directed by James Mangold.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
One short anecdote - loyal superhero fans and comic book nerds should make a point to be in their seats well before the movie’s start time. There’s an outstanding trailer just before the movie starts that’s only with the theatrical release of Logan, and should not be missed.
