Director: James Mangold
By Alex Watson
While his first two on-screen outings were underwhelming, Logan provides Marvel fans with a wonderful swansong. Director James Mangold delivers an unexpectedly poignant and heartfelt finale which see Hugh Jackman's beloved character come full circle. Unashamedly high on violence and sporting possibly the greatest ever pre-credit sequence (spoilers withheld), this is one ride we don't want to end.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is now a drunken down and out working as a limo driver while tending to his sick long term friend Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). He attempts to live anonymously in the desert alongside mutant ally Caliban (Stephen Merchant). However, the powers and strength he once held are slowly wasting away. One day he stumbles across a money making chance by aiding a mother and daughter crossing the border into Canada. Taking this chance brings him into the path of dangerous Transigen employee Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook). To his shock the girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) is demonstrating some familiar abilities.
Watching Wolverine in this picture is a thing of great sadness. In Logan, his ageing body is betraying him and he spends his days easing the pain with booze. His purpose in life has become truly lost and now Charles seems to be succumbing to a degenerative brain disorder that has seen him classified as a 'weapon of mass destruction'. From the opening scene where with great difficulty he fends off a gang of tough hombre's- he just looks like a wounded animal struggling to survive in the wild. Everything we love about this character seems to have gone and his a stumbling wreck. When Pierce veers across his path, the tone of Mangold's movie shifts drastically. Wolverine and friends are soon on the run, which has become business as usual in his world. Noticeably more at ease with violent content, Mangold firmly refuses to make this an adventure for the kids. In this Marvel universe, very little is clean and let me tell you, there are few things more glorious than hearing Patrick Stewart drop the F-Bomb!
The side story of the girl Laura is one that seems to kick start his beliefs. At first happy to abandon her, when he comes to see her abilities his world is shaken to the core. The girl may be of few words, but her actions speak volumes. Logan is divided between two worlds at this stage. Charles encourages him to seek out a better future but having lived a life at war with himself and the world Wolverine is conflicted. Mangold's movie is about Wolverine wrestling with his soul because although he wants to do good and make sure Laura is safe, his killer side still calls to him. Although this movie resists the urge to throw one of the X-Men's baddies into the mix, the story of evil corporation Transigen engineering mutant kids from birth feels too tacked on. Led by permanently smirking villain Pierce, they do inspire some fine battles. The introduction of sinister scientist Zander Rice (Richard E Grant) and mutant X-24 is earth shaking at first but eventually fizzles out.
Perhaps the most joyful part of Logan is Wolverine finally being allowed to let loose. In this picture, he slashes, dismembers and often brutally kills his aggressors. His healing ability might be fading, but the old killer instinct is alive and well. Proof that R-Rated action movies can be successful, Mangold also finds a heart in the most unlikely of places. After two pictures hampered by artistic inferences, finally, Marvel fans have gotten the Wolverine picture we always wanted. Its focus in showing him at his lowest ebb makes the film far stronger outing than the Samurai confused nonsense of 'The Wolverine'. Mangold also gives his audience an emotionally charged finale we will never forget. Few Marvel characters have been as memorable as this clawed character- this final film is a tribute to savour.
Hugh Jackman in his last performance as Wolverine goes out with one hell of a bang. Since starting an unknown actor in 2000, Jackman has shaped this character into something truly special. Playing Wolverine as a decaying wreck who is caught between two lives is a thing of rare beauty. This character has been continually evolving and Jackman seems determined not to let the side down. This could possibly be a career high performance and we are unlikely to see this kind of emotion in a superhero movie again. Patrick Stewart makes for a delightful sidekick as Xavier and for once he is allowed to play this character with a sense of humour. An old mind that is now a ticking time bomb, Charles is a much of a dying creature as Wolverine.
Logan is quite simply the strongest movie in the X-Men universe. Days of Future Past and Apocalypse just showed that big CGI doesn't always solve the problem, James Mangold's stripped down and humane approach ensures its best character gets the adventure he always deserved.
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