“Logan” is one of the most hyped superhero movies of this or any year, with brilliant marketing, a fan-praised hard-R rating, and the final performance by Hugh Jackman in the role of most people’s favorite superhero. It is an emotional night for me as I compose this list, as “Logan” exceeded my abnormally high expectations and made me cry as the end credits rolled. But you’re here to read why you should see the movie, not listen to me cry about it, so here are my four reasons to see Logan
•Hugh Jackman’s final turn.
There’s no escaping the fact that Hugh Jackman is Wolverine/Logan. He has put 17 years into the character, providing intensity, humor, and humanity that have differentiated him from other Marvel characters. All good things must come to an end, and Hugh Jackman has stated that this is that end. His performance is a mesmerizing one, playing Logan’s brokenness and anger with perfection. Jackman goes all in here, showing a side of the character we’ve never seen onscreen and displaying raw acting talent that should not be ignored. Jackman is at his height in Logan. If anything, see it for that.
• The story:
I can’t get too in-depth without spoiling it, but next to the action (which I will discuss later), Logan’s story is the best of the cinematic franchise. It is refreshingly character-driven, perfectly paced, and treats the audience with the respect they deserve rather than spoon-feeding them. Though some questions are given vague-ish answers (what exactly happened to the other X-Men?), they will be quickly forgotten as you are sucked in to Logan’s newest adventure that will leave him forever altered.
• The action
Logan is the first Wolverine movie with an R-rating, and the violence is a large part of that. While previous films have seen largely bloodless fights in terms of Wolverine’s powers, Logan finally portrays the realistic consequences of a man with adamantium claws going through people like playdoh.
Before I sound too much like a burgeoning serial killer, the bloody action is not here simply to obtain an R-rating. Every action sequence is relevant to the narrative, extremely well-shot, and possesses emotional impact. Director James Mangold understands that this is a story, not a 2-hour + killathon. However, it is quite exhilarating when the action comes. The camera follows the action in a fluid motion, each shot lasting long enough for the viewer to take it in, you know, like action is supposed to do. if you want to see realistic fight sequences that astound you without overstaying their welcome, then Logan will leave you satisfied.
• The characters, old and new
The X-Men franchise has and always will be about its characters. The action is astounding because it involves characters we have come to love and care about. We want them to fight another day, and James Mangold, along with fellow screenwriters Scott Frank and Michael Green have made Logan as much a character piece as it is an action-thriller. While the action is stunningly brutal, the story and characters around that action provide that beauty. This is Marvel’s Dark Knight. Both films have more than enough memorable action, but that action would mean nothing if it didn’t center around characters that we love. Logan understands that, and I hope future X-Men films, and action movies in general, will take heed and craft better stories to center their gorgeous action around.
Logan is an enthralling character piece, a thrilling action movie, and an emotionally satisfying final chapter in the present-day X-Men franchise.
Jackman is smart to hang up the claws with this installment, as he likely could not do any better with this character than he does here and deserves to move on to a bright future, sans mutant powers.
It has been a great joy watching these films over the course of my life, and I can say that this could be the final film in this series and I would be completely happy.
Sure, it had a few bumps, but if this were the end, I would leave feeling totally satisfied.
Unfortunately, that is not the case, and we will see how the next film (taking place in the 90s) holds up to this one.
For now, we can enjoy this fitting end to Jackman’s run and look toward the future for later adventures. I give Logan 5 out of 5 stars. See it.
Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence and Language Throughout, And Brief Nudity (a girl flashes her breasts at one point).
