Logan Review

 

Logan

Dir: James Mangold

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Richard E. Grant

Hugh Jackman has played the Marvel Comics character “Wolverine” since 2000, with the inclusion of “Logan” this would be the eighth time (ninth if you include a cameo) Mr. Jackman has played the clawed mutant superhero. Seventeen years and the role is coming to an end for Mr. Jackman in “Logan”, a gritty and violent fond farewell that wraps up the journey of the beloved character. 

 It’s been an interesting trip for the Wolverine in all these films, especially in the standalone films, which have had a difficult time successfully composing the complicated character. The Wolverine is unlike other superheroes, a somewhat reluctant loner of few words who is powerful enough to be an asset to both the good guys and the bad guys. “Logan” explores something the other films haven’t emphasized, that even though this character has the ability to heal the worst physical wounds what kind of emotional wounds has he sustained from a life of fighting the good fight.

Logan (Hugh Jackman) has outlived his superhero counterparts; he has seen the efforts for peace amongst mutants fail. In the future the mutants have been all but eradicated, leaving those remaining forced into hiding. Two of the most powerful mutants in history, the Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), are aged and fragile. Professor Xavier is suffering with dementia, leaving the most powerful mind in mutant history a ticking time bomb. Logan is also sick, his healing properties are weakened and his emotional state is on the verge of crumbling. A mysterious young girl (Dafne Keen) is thrown into the lives of these two iconic mutants, leading to one final battle to protect the future.

Director James Mangold, who helmed 2013's "The Wolverine", returns and from the first moments of the film you can feel that "Logan" is going to be something different. This film, seemingly taking point off the success of "Deadpool", is rated R for "strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity". However, these elements, albeit noticeable from the beginning, aren't what separates the film from the rest in the franchise. It's the tone, the bleak and grim atmosphere and the future that seems hopeless and, to a large extent, at the end of its life. Logan is lost, wandering desolate highways and dark corners of large cities. Professor Xavier is a mumbling and confused old man, forced into taking medication to prevent seizures that have the power to destroy entire cities. It's an existence that is difficult to watch but one that feels wholly realistic in terms of the social and political climate. The narrative does a fine job of underlining these concerns of separation and alienation, whether mutants verse humans, parents verse children, men verse women, black verse white, the film is clearly making an example. 

Logan, trying to keep a low profile, is still an icon of mutant support and resistance. Comic books featuring the tales of the X-men are the only pieces of history for new generations of mutants to learn from. This brings a young girl with exceptional, familiar talents into the lives of Logan and Professor Xavier. Laura (Dafne Keen) is on the run from a group of hired mercenaries lead by a mechanical-armed tough guy named Pierce (Boyd Holbrook). Newcomer Dafne Keen is fantastic in the role, offering a great counterpart to Logan, one that also provides a strong willed emotional quality that plays nicely, fiercely with the Logan character. 

While "Logan" leans more into the character study aspects than past films, it is still very much an action film. There are few stunning moments that let the character bring havoc and mayhem into the frame. However, even with the ramped up violence, you actually get to see the full extent that long adamantium claws have when challenged against the human body, and the occasional strong moments with adult language, the R-rating doesn't play much of role in making the narrative feel anymore critical than it would have if it remained PG-13. That's actually a compliment to the script, which instead of engaging in overindulgence of the spectacle that can come with an adult rating composes strong characters that make the story compelling and provides an emotional quality that may have some fans dropping a few tears. 

Hugh Jackman has always owned this role but here the character is really given something to build upon, offering moments that allow Logan to be affected by the life that he has lived but also affected by how he will live the remaining time that he is given. If this is the end for The Wolverine, it's the best way that it could have ended.  

Monte's Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Dir: Bryan Singer

Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart

The “X-Men” films have always been an interesting addition in the comic book film world. While most superhero films have one extraordinary figure, the X-Men are a wealth of exceptional people who are otherwise shunned by the bulk of society. They compose two very identified factions, one being protectors of mankind to promote their coexistence and other being survivalist looking for the advancement of their own kind with zero regard for humanity. It becomes a reflective mix of political and social commentary. Bryan Singer returned to the director’s chair and successfully combined the journey to the past established in “X-Men: First Class” with the characters that started the whole franchise fashioning a worthwhile summer popcorn film.

It’s the future and mutant-hunting machines called Sentinels are defeating the X-Men. Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) devise a plan to send the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the past to motivate their past selves into an alliance to change the future, one that involves the participation of the now self-sufficient Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and her motivations for Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the inventor of the Sentinel program being offered to the U.S. government.

Focusing the transition of the storyline on the sturdy shoulders of Hugh Jackman, and his time weary Wolverine character, was a great choice. The character, already solidified in the franchise history through his stand-alone films, had an established relationship with every character, which made the chemistry work between the past and future teams. Peter Dinklage was a great antagonist, his motivations were none too complicated but instead were reasoned as a strategic move for humanity. In one exchange he complimented the powers of the mutants, in a way envious of them, while at the same moment discussing his intrigue for experimenting on them for his Sentinel program. In this film the mutants were unified against a common foe, making the character Magneto (played by both Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender) embrace a whole new level of complication. Fassbender, in a calm and monotone presence, particularly blurred the line of Magneto’s true motivations and was consistently enjoyable to watch on screen. Some characters were unfortunately shorthanded screen time and relinquished to glaring stares at far off foes, this overpopulation gave a few great actors only minor occasions to shine.

While the narrative may seem complex the film did a great job of never feeling confusing but instead remained interesting in ways that other comic book films struggled. Most try to incorporate a steady amount of action; this film had some stunning sequences, in particular an exchange with speedy character Quicksilver (Evan Peters) amidst a perfect choice of music, but it was far more restrained than other films and instead forwarded the story with character altercations that were more for development than extravagance. While the time travel aspects began to fall apart in the finale, amidst back and forth transitions between the future and past, it was not enough to hurt anything established before it.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” organized a great ensemble of characters familiar to fans of the X-Men chronicle. With the addition of a good script and solid performances from leading characters, this film is the comic book experience to beat this summer.

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00