2000’s X-Men made Jackman a household name, and
while he was mostly absent from last year’s stinker that was X-Men:
Apocalypse and 2011’s “soft
reboot” X-Men:
First Class (with the
exception of some fun cameos), Jackman has, for the most part, dominated the X-Men cinematic landscape, serving as the
figurehead for the original trilogy, spawning his own now-trilogy of spin-off
films and saving the franchise from certain doom in 2014’s critically-acclaimed X-Men:
Days of Future Past. Now, after having played the character to whom he is
forever inseparably affiliated for a whopping seventeen years, Hugh Jackman
finally hangs up the claws as he reprises his role as The Wolverine in what it
to be his final outing.
Taking inspiration from the Old Man
Logan graphic novels, as well as 2016’s mega-blockbuster Deadpool after
proving that R-rated superhero movies have a place among the more family-friendly
capers, James Mangold (whose surname name I must point out strangely contains
anagrams of “Old Man” and “Logan” and whose first name is also notably James a’
la “James Logan”, the titular character...) returns to the solo Wolverine
sub-franchise, but this time, things have, you could say, mutated...
While it can be argued that this indeed a
sequel or follow-up to the previous X-Men and Wolverine movies, given both the
irreversibly-disrupted continuity and narrative of certain entries, Logan is also, for all intents and purposes, a film in
its own right. An old, gristlier-than-usual James Logan (aka The Wolverine), is
now a limo driver, struggling with alcoholism and physical deterioration, as
well as caring for an Alzheimer-stricken Charles Xavier (Stewart) in an
abandoned smelting plant, with the aid of fellow mutant, Calaban (Stephen
Merchant). It is said that the mutant population is nearing extinction, but
when the young, mysterious “Laura” shows up in Logan’s life - a girl with
abilities identical to his own and who is followed closely behind by the
ruthless Transigen Corporation (led by a wise-cracking Boyd Holbrook and a
weasel-like Richard E Grant), it soon transpires that there may be many more
“new” mutants in existence.
Unlike all
previous eight X-Men movies, the sci-fi here is subtle, but that’s not to
suggest there’s very little of it. This is of course a film that occupies the
same world as the other X-Men movies, but the real focus here is a very human
one, with Logan’s journey being the true driving force behind the plot. And
also unlike its predecessors, the film goes rogue and dons an R-rating (which
no doubt caused a storm at Fox studios), thankfully allowing for much more
freedom to portray The Wolverine in his true animalistic beauty. But the
dramatic change in rating is strangely both seamless and refreshing, with the
sudden onslaught of brutal violence perhaps more
natural and welcome than expected.
The
cinematography here is also superb; both gritty and razor-sharp at the same
time, making this a “road drama” above anything else, and one which boldly
breaks away from the traditional and now-tiresome superhero movie we’ve all
become painfully too familiar with over the past decade. Consequently, Logan is refreshingly light; not weighed
down by the typical CGI-drenched, explosive, vacuous superhero-nonsense
which, ironically, forms the best part of its respective franchise. But while it’s a welcome break from the aforementioned, the narrative
is pretty heavy stuff, and deep down you know where it’s headed from the
outset, making this something fans can finally sink their teeth – or claws –
into. The choreography is also breath-taking and wild, but perhaps the film’s
real secret weapon is its acting talent: Jackman delivers the performance of
his career, while Stewart’s portrayal of a man whose mind is
faltering from a neurodegenerative disorder is nothing short of Oscar-worthy.
Newcomer Dafne Keen is also both endearing and fierce, and the interactions
between the three are simply magnetic.
Logan is a
beast of a movie, and one so solid it may as well be covered in adamantium
itself. But it’s also a touching exit, both beautifully told and remarkably
executed, and raises the bar impossibly high for any future superhero movies - whether
R-rated or not. In short, this is the Wolverine movie we’ve all been waiting
for, and will likely forever remain the true juggernaut of the X-Men franchise.
For once, the filmmakers must have read our minds…
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