Logan – 4.5/5 – Movie Reviews by Ry!
Logan – 4.5/5 – Coming into this film; there is a feeling of knowing you have reached the end of an era. An iconic character that has been at the forefront of the X-men films, this final outing can only be summarized as a sendoff. Beyond the finality; the story goes deeper than any other comic book (at this point). Taking a chance by breaking down the character within genre bending elements; Logan surpasses that ‘comic book’ predictability for something completely different. Even if there are minor hiccups; Logan truly represents what it means to be original in the world of comic book films.
Premise: A weary Logan cares for Charles in hiding in Mexico. When an unforeseen circumstances occur, Logan must find a way to battle his inner demons to save the life of young mutant.
At the heart of this film is Hugh Jackman. He has been the character of Logan/Wolverine for almost two decades. In this final outing, it will probably go down as one of his finest acting roles to date. Through the depth that is provided within the physical and emotional aspects; Jackman does a fantastic job providing a complete and endearing persona on the smallest scale. From his interactions with others, his solemn ‘retrospective’ moments or his animalistic like rage against certain enemies; you get the total package of ‘who is’ Logan. Providing an aspect of true fragility; Jackman shows a man weary of his past, but trying to find some way to live to the end. When a certain situation occurs, you see age, time and emotions wreak havoc on his psyche. This turmoil shows a visceral attitude within thoughtful arrogance. For this; it creates something bold, different but truly aspiring in its uniqueness. Jackman deserve all the praise for what he has brought to this role. For the rest of the cast, they are:
Dafne Keen as Laura
Patrick Stewart as Charles
Stephen Merchant as Caliban
Boyd Holbrook as Pierce
These four do an amazing job in their roles. From the onset; you get something that is completely different. From their individualistic perspective; you get honest portrayals of people caught in a world that has long forgotten them. Trying to find ‘purpose’ within their own right; each of these four do a swell job in complementing the main journey of Logan; while breaking down their flaws. From the young and highly dangerous Laura (aka X-23); The aging/demented Charles, the helpful companion Caliban and the stern villain in Pierce; they all have strong reasoning for why they are here. With the ‘back and forth’ they all have with Logan; it shows how they are caught up in their own personal worth. For the littlest things to the most confrontational ones; you see purpose to the physical interactions and dialogue driven moments. This helps provide reverence to them going beyond the typical tropes of the comic book genre. For the rest of the secondary roles; they help flesh out the story dynamics. Even if they provide nothing but ‘bodies’ for the death toll; it adds to the what this world has become within this part of the X-men movie lore.
The direction goes about bending the genre. Taking on an aspect of deeper characterization, it focuses solely on a broken and ailing Logan. From the epilogue, we see that he is trying to live out the rest of his life alone while taking care of a ‘sicken’ Charles. This leads into context of a solemn but visceral tone. It is ominous, brooding and has no real notion of breaking from a simple tale of reflection. As the story moves into its first act; a couple of convenient storytelling elements come into play. Here, we are introduced to the main antagonist (Pierce) and the ‘familiar’ stranger (Laura). With these two crossing his path; the story molds the characterized elements through the aspect of a ‘Western’ style narrative. This is when the realistic themes become molded into the fanatical elements of the lore. This allows for the deeper context of ‘mutant kind’ from previous films to hit closer to home. As this happens, it unfolds in the breakdown of Logan’s psyche. This tangling of consequence leads to some ‘foreshadowing’; but doesn’t hinder the aesthetic nature of the story. With the new character that has come into Logan’s life; she becomes a symbol of things he loved and feared. That conflict of interest forces Logan to tackle her enemies and his (within). That aspect provides a perspective that the audience can gravitate towards. As we hit the second act, the simplistic details reverberated through the onslaught of the action. This honest approach gives an ‘eye’ to reckless abandon that happens with mutant powers. This addition helps breathe indifference to the heaviness of the tone; allowing for poignant and dramatic detail to prevail in ways that you wouldn’t expect. As twist, turns and the wrinkles of the past unfolds; you begin to see a ‘human’ side of these mutant characters. This helps provide relative context into the dynamic between Logan, Charles and Laura. Their relationship becomes keenly important and downright heartfelt. It is a dynamic that grips you deeply; providing the power that makes everything (dialogue, action and untimely deaths) all too real. Once we get to the final act; it is a turning of the tide for the characters. Even with the journey coming to an end; it adds ‘fuel to the fire’ when Logan must confront his true enemy. With the Western like style providing an ironic two-fold path, Logan is faced with something that goes beyond the physical constraints of his life. That retrospective detail provides a full circle that is befitting of a climax. The thematic aura within the idea of totality brings about what Logan was really looking for in life. Even in the final shot, you get to see a story that goes beyond the commonly used tropes by providing something that is really a gratifying experience.
The visuals stay grounded. There is a narrowed aspect to keeping the camera fixated on a few characters. This helps block out anything that ‘might’ be a distraction, but also show the unimportance of the world (itself) to everything going on. Beyond this; the action set pieces are complimentary to this narrow feeling. Keeping the focus on the characters; it provides proof to the burden of some physical interactions. It shows rawness to its fullest extent, using focal camera dynamics to create this detail. The score is not prevalent throughout the story.
Logan is a film that stands beyond the crop of Comic Book films; bringing an experience that is noteworthy of creative and originality. Providing a characterized aspect; we get to see a character at its finest. Just going to say; if you’re a fan of anything related to this just go for it. It is worth the full price of admission; you won’t be disappointed.