It’s 2029 and the super-powered X-Men are nowhere to be seen. In fact, mutants are nowhere to be seen at all. In a world that’s not quite post-apocalyptic—more like pre-apocalyptic—Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine takes his last stand in James Mangold’s film Logan, released on March 3.
For the ninth time, Jackman takes on the mantel of the Wolverine and, for the ninth time, does an exceptional job portraying him. Old, bitter, and dying, Logan works as a limousine driver making a living to care for himself and a senile Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X (Patrick Stewart). But their little corner of the world is shaken to its core when a girl named Laura, with the same claws and powers as Wolverine, is thrust into their lives. Chased by technologically-enhanced muscle who want Laura back, Logan, Charles, and Laura must drive across the country on the meagre hope that sanctuary might lie on the other side of the U.S.-Canada border.
Logan is very different in tone than any of the other films in the X-Men franchise. It’s rated R—and for good reason. This film is not for the squeamish in regards to blood and gore, but when you’ve got knife-claws as your primary weapon, this should be unsurprising. It also carries with it some dark and disturbing themes. There are various chuckle-worthy moments in the film that help relieve the tension, but the movie is by no means comedic. It’s quite the opposite.
Jackman, Stewart, and newcomer Dafne Keen—who plays Laura—each bring wonderful gravitas to their respective roles. Each one has at least one emotional scene they carry effectively. The R-rating allows for the pain and consequences of violence and murder to be explored in ways the previous X-Men films have managed to avoid. That being said, there was so much gore and violence that it could come off as a bit excessive, particularly in act two.
Other than that, the film has great pacing, never lagging or boring the viewer, and great action sequences held together by good special effects, amazing makeup—particularly on Jackman in his many states of injury—and impressively-executed fight choreography. One such sequence even acts as a call back to a previous X-Men film.
Unfortunately, the film’s antagonist, Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), does not get much character development. Holbrook brings a certain coolness to the character, but the audience never actually learns enough about him to understand why he’s worthy of being the antagonist. Instead, the film focuses its attention on the development of the protagonists. This doesn’t so much take away from the film as it does feel like a missed opportunity or space for a deleted scene.
Comic book fans may be disappointed with the lack of “Old Man Logan” references and creative liberties taken with some of the newer characters, but many should be able to enjoy Logan as a stand-alone film or as an interesting addition to the X-Men cinematic universe.
