Thematic
Appropriately so Logan addresses themes of Mortality and Empathy
Standout
Hugh Jackman is fantastic but Patrick Stewart broke my heart
Tragedy
From the opening frames Logan introduces you to its unforgiving world
Dramatic
The Performances in this movie are all as sharp as they come, especially from the three leads
Certified Fresh
Not since the Dark Knight has a comic book movie scored so high on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes 92% Cinemascore: A-
Upon Logan's conclusion I turned to my friend to inquire his thoughts to which he told me where as so may comic book movies are about a hero with a human side, Logan tells the story of a human with a hero side. I agreed. Logan is not like any comic book movie to have released in this new golden age thus far, in fact its prestige rivals much of the Hollywood blockbuster tradition. Instead of conforming to a predetermined formula to stir up a healthy profit, Logan defies any preconceived notion on what a genre film should be. Logan transcends the comic book genre by functioning well enough on the foundations of its characters while simultaneously propelling head first into a narrative of grief and brutality.
In the year 2029, the mutant species has gone virtually extinct. Logan (Jackman), aka the X-Men Wolverine, is living south of the US border caring for his friend Charles Xavier (Stewart). Xavier is losing himself to age and is prone to seizures which freeze the minds of anybody who doesn't share Logan's unique healing ability. Eventually however Logan and Charles get tangled up with a young mutant, Laura (Keen), who shares Logan's signature abilities and ferocity. To protect Laura from the Revengers who want to take her, headed up by Boyd Holbrook, Logan and Charles travel across the countryside to deliver her safely to a safe haven referred to as "Eden" in North Dakota.
Logan is often not an easy movie to watch. The action is brutal and unrelenting, the dialogue, while always excellent, often has the characters reminiscing when things weren't so bleak. But among the fog of darkness and uncertainty that surrounds the central characters, there is always a bright glimmer of hope that binds these characters to their cause. Logan's unwavering care for his broken friend and mentor Xavier, and Xavier's empathy for Laura all emphasize the humanity buried in each of the protagonist. Its this humanity that elevates Logan above many other modern films, and under all of this oppressive weight Jackman portrays Logan as a survivor who despite all the hurt he's suffered through, maintains the slightest slimmer of optimism anyway.
Logan is first and foremost a character piece headlined by some of the strongest performances ever preformed in a comic book movie (rivaling even Heath Ledgers iconic Joker from The Dark Knight). Jackman captured a side of Wolverine never seen before, or at least not to this magnitude. Stewart, on the other hand, is on a whole new level; his performance in Logan may be the best he has ever done. Also noteworthy is newcomer Keen as the almost animistic Laura, conveying more in a gaze then most kids her age do with a well written script. Mangolds strongest contribution to Logan are the performances he pulls out of his actors, and I will not be surprised if we are still talking about Jackman and Stewart come next January.
Logan faults are few and its triumphs are clear. For many I suspect, Logan's unrelenting tone and brutality may be to much to considering viewing, but I would strongly encourage seeing Logan regardless just for the performances alone. Logan shines in its quiet moments, begging you to take a breath right before it breaks your heart. It's a film that uses brutality to empathize the strength of the human spirit, and it takes a heart ticker than Logan's adamantium skeleton to feel nothing for the characters onscreen. It's a can't miss cinematic experience, one that deserves to be heard for no other reason other that it exists.
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