Guest Writer Jack Gash drops by to review Logan, the latest movie in the wolverine franchise. Want to write for us? email the team at outoflivespod@gmail.com for more information!
“Logan” is the latest entry into Fox’s long running X-Men series and is the final portrayal of Hugh Jackman in the iconic title role. The question on all our minds is “Logan” a final hurrah for the character or a total misfire? Well luckily I’ve seen it so let’s crack on with this review…
“Logan” takes place in the distant future, the X-Men are gone and mutant kind is all but extinct. Wolverine is taking care of a weakened Charles Xavier, played spectacularly by Patrick Stewart, who is slowly losing control of his powers as old age ravages his body. Wolverine himself is also a much older and broken character then what we are used too, his healing factor is slowing down, he is an alcoholic and has lost all hope. Until a young mutant arrives needing Wolverine’s help to escape a looming threat in the form of the Reavers, led by Donald Pierce.
As far as villains go Donald Pierce is played with almost brutal glee by Boyd Holbrook, he is incredibly captivating, he isn’t very interesting in terms of depth or motivations but Holbrook brings a lot of charm to the role with very well acted lines and gleeful facial expressions that bring a lot to his character. Plot wise there is much more going on then what is apparent to begin with and while the pace of the plot tends to dip in and out between brilliantly done character moments and amazingly brutal action sequences. Sometimes there is great stretches where not a lot happens action wise but the later half of act 2 and final act more than make up for it.
It isn’t possible to talk about the action in “Logan” without getting into just how brutal this film can be, severed limbs, torn throats and more blood than a typical weekend with the Manson family. We are finally given front row seats to why Wolverine is the best he is at what he does… and why what he does isn’t very nice. And my god… it has been worth the wait. Jackman’s ferocity is palpable as he cleaves through hordes of unlucky bad dudes with sheer brutality and a sharp tongue.
Even more surprising is the young mutant Laura, who is played with quiet confidence by Dafne Keen who tends to let her razor sharp claws do the talking. She is definitely more flashy than Wolverine as she zips from bad guy to bad guy, ripping and tearing through all kinds of body parts. As the story develops and you get to experience her grow with Wolverine and Xavier she becomes a very likable character without barely speaking any dialogue, a rarity for this genre where the child sidekick is normally a raging pain in the arse.
Badass action aside “Logan” sometimes struggles with its story which hints at interesting plot points which never get fully explored and can sometimes become a little bogged down in exposition and lengthy dialogue scenes. The film also introduces a new threat toward the end of the film in the form of a bland, forgettable scientist with some distant tie to Wolverine. He isn’t a captivating villain and becomes the brains behind Donald Pierce’s brawn, however, these flaws can be forgiven with some of the most touching character moments in the entire series which caused a few teary eyes around the cinema in my screening.
That isn’t to say there isn’t any humour to the film, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart have amazing on screen chemistry with the two bickering and talking to each-other like a tired and weary father son duo. It is hilarious to hear some of the more risqué lines being spoken by Stewart who in his first scene on screen tells Wolverine to “F*ck off”, however the overall writing all round is on point with some brilliant lines delivered by all actors who give standout performances.
To cut a long story short “Logan” is an amazing end to Hugh Jackman’s run with some of the best character moments not only in the X-Men franchise but in the Marvel pantheon as a whole, the action is visceral and gritty and the emotions will be flowing throughout. To skip on “Logan” is a great disservice to yourself as this might be one of the most interesting takes on the hero that I have seen in a long time, with brilliant attention to detail from director James Mangold. As I have said there is some issues with pacing here and there, however the performance of the cast is more than enough to make up for the dodgy pacing and make “Logan” one of the best movies in the genre.
- Performance / Acting10
- Writing9
- VFX9
- Sound7
- Direction9
Only a few tears in the audience? I was bawling my eyes out! I do get at a lot of things though… fab film.
*cry.
I also liked the pacing myself, the quieter times gave us some time to recover from the action! The relationship between Logan and Charles was very touching though, and I think anybody with aging parents would be able to relate to it.