Logan: Average Guy Movie Review

Over the last 17 years, Hugh Jackman has portrayed Logan in nine different movies. It's fair to say that some of the movies didn't impress, however Jackman has always done a brilliant job of bringing the character to life. It seems both poetic and punishing that Wolverine's last ride should also be his best. But it's better to see him go out with a bang rather than watch him try to cling to past glory.

Logan is less of a comicbook movie and more a character driven action/adventure/drama. Set in the year 2029, almost all mutants are gone and Logan's healing abilities are diminishing, leaving him in constant pain. With the help of Caliban (Stephen Merchant) - a mutant who can sense other mutants - Logan is caring for an ailing Professor Xavier. The Professor is suffering from a degenerative brain disorder which causes him to have powerful seizures that can be devastating to those around him. The appearance of a woman and her mysterious daughter will force Logan and his motley band to go on the run. Hot on their tail are a group of mercenaries and their secretive employer.

Director Stephen Mangold has done some interesting casting with this movie. First of all Stephen Merchant, an actor I never thought I'd see in an X-MEN movie. Merchant's unique style didn't seem like a fit for this type of role, but I couldn't have been more wrong! His interactions with Jackman are great fun to watch, it really is like watching an old married couple. But it's fair to say that the two veterans had the show stolen from them by the newcomer. Dafne Keen plays Laura AKA X-23, a clone of Wolverine and a real handful. Keen is incredible as what is essentially a young Wolverine. She is able to portray all sides of the character, from the quiet brooding to the hidden caring nature and the feral rage. I only have one question: if she has an adamantium covered skeleton, how will she grow?

The men chasing our mutant heroes are known as the Reavers, a team of robotically enhanced mercenaries. As with all movies like this, the good guy needs an army of generic warriors to decimate and the Reavers are it. But it's still great fun to watch Wolverine tear them apart. Their leader Donald Pierce is an interesting character, quite literally a Wolverine fanboy. The character is quite multi-layered. Which is more than can be said about his boss, Richard E. Grant's evil scientist Doctor Zander Rice. Pierce is a capable warrior and leader, he's got the bravado, but he's also fearful, which indicates a level of common sense. He knows what these mutants are capable of, and that scares him.

At 2 hours 20 minutes, Logan is quite long (not that it ever feels long), but this is another advantage of the higher age rating. Mangold doesn't have to worry about the younger viewers sitting through the whole movie, which allows him to take the time to flesh out the story, a story that matches its age rating. Not only do we get to see Wolverine in all his gory detail, but we finally get to see some development of the father/son relationship between Logan and Xavier. Not to mention Logan facing his own mortality, and the fear and vulnerability that comes with it. And the grandfather/father/daughter relationship that gradually develops throughout the movie, something Logan tries actively to avoid. These are all themes that are explored in depth, something the movie couldn't do with a lower age rating.

This really is the movie Wolverine deserves. Its very human story is incredibly compelling, and it's also brilliant to see the real Wolverine and what he can do with those adamantium claws. I'm not sure what the body count is on this movie, but it's high...and bloody. Hugh Jackman's gamble of one last movie as Wolverine has really paid off. The choice to go for the higher age rating, a stroke of genius. I look forward to seeing Laura/X-23 take up the mantle and I hope Dafne Keen continues to portray her.

10/10

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