Logan
Go! Finally, a superhero movie with emotional claws.
Wolverine's final howl.
After 17 years, nine movies and (so far) $3.6 billion in box office receipts, Hugh Jackman is finally retracting his claws. In that time, he has become a symbol of the superhero franchises that have both plagued and saved modern cinema-going; while also achieving the rare acting feat of becoming fathomably inseparable from the character he portrays. Logan is the third, Wolverine-only spin-off from the X-Men franchise. The first, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, was a painful comedown after three intoxicating X-Movies that acted as a gateway to our now insatiable, Class-A superhero addiction. Thankfully, director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted; Walk the Line) put the demi-trilogy into rehab with the colourful but unspectacular The Wolverine in 2013. It is he who returns to host Jackman’s leaving party.
Logan is set in 2029, at a time when mutants are all but extinct. Logan is a broken, ageing man. Haunted by his demons and with his healing powers waning; he lives at the bottom of a whisky bottle, holding down a job as a glorified Uber driver in Texas. Alongside albino-mutant mutant-finder, Caliban (Stephen Merchant, I Give it a Year) he cares for the bedraggled, medicated Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whose fitful body can no longer keep pace with his powerful, telepathic mind. They plan to save enough money to buy a boat and live out their final days in the relative sanctuary of the high seas, until Laura Kinney (newcomer, Daphne Keen) appears - the first child mutant seen for decades. With metal claws and a feral instinct, her similarity to Logan persuades him to protect her from the nefarious clutches of genetic researcher Dr. Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant, Jackie), and his military group of cyborgs, marshalled by chief mutant-hunter, Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook, Narcos).
Logan is set in 2029, at a time when mutants are all but extinct. Logan is a broken, ageing man. Haunted by his demons and with his healing powers waning; he lives at the bottom of a whisky bottle, holding down a job as a glorified Uber driver in Texas. Alongside albino-mutant mutant-finder, Caliban (Stephen Merchant, I Give it a Year) he cares for the bedraggled, medicated Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whose fitful body can no longer keep pace with his powerful, telepathic mind. They plan to save enough money to buy a boat and live out their final days in the relative sanctuary of the high seas, until Laura Kinney (newcomer, Daphne Keen) appears - the first child mutant seen for decades. With metal claws and a feral instinct, her similarity to Logan persuades him to protect her from the nefarious clutches of genetic researcher Dr. Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant, Jackie), and his military group of cyborgs, marshalled by chief mutant-hunter, Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook, Narcos).
From Logan’s drunken first line (“Oh, f**k”) and gratuitously violent first fight, it is clear that this is not the sugary, superhero status quo. But, far more than mere swearing, gore and Jackman’s greying beard, it is the significant emotional depth and intelligent writing that make Logan a grown-up movie. Even with a 15 certificate, it is a far more mature film than the 18-rated Deadpool. Its DNA features elements of Mad Max and Kick Ass, strands from Terminator and Children of Men, tonal shades of Looper and Stranger Things. It’s a moving, moral-buddy-action-sci-fi flick, laced with the topical theme of American xenophobia. It is a leap in genetic evolution from the usually superficial genre of its birth.
Wolverine himself has always been a compelling character: a troubled, primal, immortal who fought wars for centuries; a man who heals quickly, but always feels pain; a reluctant hero forced into heroism by instinct and passion. Logan finally allows him to breathe and bleed; showing his vulnerability and emotional heft. After years of playing him, Jackman’s performance is simultaneously brutal and sensitive, successfully showing the misery and delight of the human condition through the eyes and body of a mutant. Patrick Stewart always added gravitas to X-Men, and he is a potty-mouthed riot here, playing a much more belligerent and bewildered Professor Xavier than we are used to. Merchant is well cast as the retiring Caliban, and Richard E. Grant and Boyd Holbrook both make intimidating villains. The biggest star, however, is the 12-year-old Daphne Keen. Speaking both Spanish and English, she flits in an instant from being a silent, composed young sparrow to acrobatically decapitating full-grown men like a rabid wolf cub. She is spectacular in both her physical and emotional performance, fuelling a zesty and energising chemistry with her co-stars. In short, she’s a total f***ing badass and a thrill to watch.
Wolverine himself has always been a compelling character: a troubled, primal, immortal who fought wars for centuries; a man who heals quickly, but always feels pain; a reluctant hero forced into heroism by instinct and passion. Logan finally allows him to breathe and bleed; showing his vulnerability and emotional heft. After years of playing him, Jackman’s performance is simultaneously brutal and sensitive, successfully showing the misery and delight of the human condition through the eyes and body of a mutant. Patrick Stewart always added gravitas to X-Men, and he is a potty-mouthed riot here, playing a much more belligerent and bewildered Professor Xavier than we are used to. Merchant is well cast as the retiring Caliban, and Richard E. Grant and Boyd Holbrook both make intimidating villains. The biggest star, however, is the 12-year-old Daphne Keen. Speaking both Spanish and English, she flits in an instant from being a silent, composed young sparrow to acrobatically decapitating full-grown men like a rabid wolf cub. She is spectacular in both her physical and emotional performance, fuelling a zesty and energising chemistry with her co-stars. In short, she’s a total f***ing badass and a thrill to watch.
The one niggling downside is that for all of its qualities, Logan still feels a bit restrained by being part of a longstanding superhero franchise. It should be a fresh beginning for the character, but cannot quite free itself from the baggage of Wolverine’s previous incarnations to reach its full, rampageous potential. It is great to see Jackman finish his Wolverine career on such a high, but it highlights the shame that this reset button wasn’t pressed sooner. Nevertheless, it is far better late than never. We can still hope that Logan spawns a new, less adolescent approach to Marvel and DC franchises, and that Wolverine’s best days are still to come.
So go. Say farewell to an icon and welcome a bright new star in one of the most meaningful superhero movies yet made.
So go. Say farewell to an icon and welcome a bright new star in one of the most meaningful superhero movies yet made.
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