Director: James MangoldWriter: Scott Frank
James Mangold
Michael Green
Starring: Hugh Jackman
Patrick Stewart
Boyd Holbrook
Stephen Merchant
Richard E. Grant
Dafne Keen
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Eriq La Salle
Elise Neal
Rating: ****
Release Date: Out Now
Ever
since I first saw the trailer for Logan, I was intrigued about the
direction that director James Mangold was taking the character of
Wolverine. That paired with Jackman's comments about Logan being like no
other superhero film that has come before; I felt a mixture of
excitement and nerves. That definitely describes this film, but that
definitely comes with a sacrifice. Logan has turned out to be a brutally
emotional film, filled with style and thrills. It is filled with scenes
that pack and emotional punch, but that may not be every Marvel fan's
cup of tea.
It is 2049, and Logan (Jackman), Charles Xavier (Stewart) and Caliban (Merchant)
have been forced into hiding just south of the Mexican border. There
are very few mutants still alive, and none have been born in the last 25
years. Logan has aged a lot since we last saw him, and his healing
abilities are lagging, Xavier has a severe brain disorder, and Caliban
is having to care for Professor X while Logan is driving a limo to make
enough money to pay for Xavier's medicine. The world is so similar to
ours yet so far from being the same, and it has an eerie and unsettling
feel surrounding it.
Enter Donald Pierce (Holbrook),
who Logan meets when he is driving. Pierce tells him of a woman called
Gabriella and a missing girl that he is determined to find. This is
where the action kicks in. The film is a blend of a western movie,
featuring stand-offs of course, and a road movie with an intense cat and
mouse chase. It is full of violence and shocks, and there are villains
around every corner, including Richard E. Grant as an evil scientist.
In
the film, the relationship between Logan and Xavier is a beautiful,
award deserving bond. Becoming almost like father and son, the chemistry
they share as they snipe and reflect on their past is electric. Dafne
Keen, who plays the missing girl, is a wonderfully talented 11 year old;
able to mirror the traits of Logan, nailing stunts and bringing raw
emotion, without saying very many lines. She adds an extra dynamic to
the film, and they become a family, a dysfunctional one at that. Charles
is full of optimism, and that clashes wonderfully with Logan's grumpy
demeanour, a back and forth these actors have perfected.
Recently
superhero films have made the decision to aim themselves at a more
adult audience, and Logan is no exception to this latest trend. In fact it
lives up to it's higher age rating in the first 5 minutes and never
really eases off from there. While it has tender moments splashed
troughout, the off funny situation and even a very rare moment of calm
as they enjoy a dinner together, these a few and far between. There is
no way that you could describe Logan as boring, with it's brilliant
pacing, the length is easily overlooked, even if i left the film feeling
exhausted. There is more gut-wrenching violence and intense kill scenes
than there have ever been in an X-Men film, and it is not cartoon
violence like most films of this genre are.
It
is clear to see that Logan is a far superior film to the previous two
spin-off Wolverine movies, and a deeper and more grown up flam than the
recent 'First Class' films. Logan is brave and exciting, a superhero
film that never feels like one, and for me that is a god thing, but
others maybe it's not. As this is Hugh Jackman's last time playing
Wolverine/Logan (after 9 appearances) and it proves to be a beautiful
swan song for him, as well as a tour de force for
Stewart and an spellbinding debut from young Keen. This is definitely not
a family film like previous X-Men film, so don't brig your kids; hove
I'd definitely bring some tissues.
Logan - Trailer
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