Logan slices through any number of people in the latest and last Hugh Jackman incantation and that is what was expected. What wasn’t fully expected was just how hard the emotional content hits you. Logan is like no other X-Men film you’ve seen and it is difficult to bring to mind any comic book film adaptation that packs this kind of punch.
Set in 2029, Logan’s (Jackman) regenerative powers are slowing and he himself is a mere shadow of his former self. Working as a limo driver, he splits his time between driving and caring for an old and very sick Charles Xavier (Stewart), along with Caliban (Merchant). When Logan is tracked down by a lady who will pay him a large sum of money to get her daughter Laura (Dafne Keen) over the border, he agrees, but the girl is also being hunted by Pierce (Holbrook), an enhanced goon for the Transigen Corporation, and their paths inevitably cross.
Essentially, and actually in just about every way possible, Logan is a western film. The film works beautifully within the walls of this and imbues the story with a just pitch perfect feel. The locations used and the arc of the film just nailed it all so well. They even use the old western film Shane to excellent and somewhat emotional effect. The opposite of the emotional effects are the physical ones. The violence in this film is brutal. If you think you know what’s coming – you don’t. It’s hard, raspy violence that doesn’t let up once it begins. There isn’t any comic book style kicks and punches. It is just flat out pain and consequences for those fighting. Inside the first minute of the film, the style of violence introduces itself and kicks your teeth in. Logan earns its rating for sure, but none of it seems gratuitous.
Jackman and Stewart play off each other so well, slipping easily back into their roles, albeit in entirely different circumstances. Both play their characters as damaged individuals, seemingly longing for days long past and hating that this is what life had in store for them. Dafne Keen, however, absolutely steals the show in a performance that belies her years. It is nuanced when needed and insane when called for, her physicality in the fight scenes is just as incredible as her quieter moments.
Mangold has established himself as a great director and he furthers this claim with Logan. Beautifully shot, and from an action point of view, it is fury, rage and blood mixed up in one great sequence after another. Mangold’s vision for this version of Logan is fully realised.
For me, this film is one of the best comic book films of all time. A film that pushes this kind of film into a different area, that has never really been explored, well not to this extent. Will Logan do well at the box office? Probably, but you should be warned. It is as real and as raw as a film can be. It’s a long, hard and somewhat emotional goodbye to a favourite character (at least until the universe is recast) that hits you right between the eyes. Just brilliant.
Ryan Morrissey-Smith
