Based upon the Marvel Comics character Wolverine created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein & John Romita Sr.
Story by James Mangold
Screenplay Written by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
Directed by James Mangold
**** (four stars)
RATED R
I am not, and have never been, a fan of the "X-Men" film series.
It may be a surprise for you to read those words from me, but yes, it is true. After the messy, miserable third film, Director Brett Ratner's "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006), I had given up entirely, and even then, I had been tremendously underwhelmed by Director Bryan Singer's initial two installments, "X-Men" (2000) and "X2: X-Men United" (2003).
For me, my disappointment was found in the fact that "The Uncanny X-Men" was my favorite comic book series for a very long period of time as I was growing up. The series, at that time under the brilliant leadership of Writer Chris Claremont and Illustrator John Byrne, presented a multi-cultural group of characters I latched onto more than any others I had previously read, as the stories of the X-Men contained so much more than punching, kicking , and colorful costumes. These were poignant, powerfully emotional and often tragic tales that compelled me to read and re-read and even after much convincing, my parents even allowed for me to have a subscription to the series--something I never held for any other comic within my life.
For me, the films just felt wrong, from how the characters were presented and acted to their motivations.and how they were handled overall. For my perceptions, and despite Singer's obvious passion for the characters, the film series felt to be somewhat uninterested in building a complete universe that was true to the source material and simply just making a showcase for what was clearly the most popular character of the comics, the brutal Wolverine, the enraged Canadian adorned with the skeleton made of adamantium and those homicidal retractable claws, nearly all of the other characters be damned. To be more than fair, Hugh Jackman, perfectly embodied the role of the iconic character in turbulent tone and roaring spirit if not in actual size (remember, comic book Wolverine is about 5 ft tall and Jackman is over 6 ft), and his towering presence has indeed been a focal point for the film series without question. I just wished that the movies had worked for me in the same way the actual comics had.
So, at this time we arrive with Director James Mangold's "Logan," the third and final entry in the solo Wolverine film series and tenth "X-Men" themed film overall. Truth be told, I have not been waiting for this film in the least, for all that I have previously mentioned plus my comic book movie fatigue of which I have shared my views about on this site over and again and I will spare you the repetitiveness now.
But, as you can see, I did find myself in the movie theater to screen this film anyway, as the glowing reviews did indeed make me curious enough to wonder if this time we would be in store for a different experience. My curiosity paid off and them some as "Logan" is a superior send-off for the character as well as a brutally effective thriller decidedly made for adults due to its more than deserved and unprecedented R rating (more on that later). It is a film that contains more than enough punishing action to be sure, but "Logan" reaches its power due to the careful construction and execution of its characters and story, always remembering that without those two crucial elements, we would be left with nothing but mindless carnage. "Logan" possesses anything but as this is a film with grit, fury and soul.
Opening in the year 2029, "Logan" again stars Hugh Jackman in the titular role but now at an especially advanced age, with his body being slowly poisoned by his adamantium bones, his retractable claws functioning a tad slower, his self-healing powers weakening and all the while nursing a hefty alcoholism and an existential despair as he faces his inner demons concerning the violence he has inflicted as well as his impending mortality.
With the mutant population nearing full extinction, and no new mutants born within 25 years, Logan covertly works as a limousine driver in Texas, earning money to help care for Professor Charles Xavier (again played by an excellent Patrick Stewart), who remains in hiding--alongside the albino mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchent)--inside of an abandoned smelting plat on the border of Mexico, while ailing from a degenerative brain disease leaving him prone to devastating seizures. For Logan, all he wishes is to take his money, buy a boat and sail himself, Professor X and Caliban away from the world. If it were only that easy...
From the world of the Tranisgen corporation emerges three crucial figures. First, is Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), the cybernetically enhanced chief of security and head of his gang of enforcers known as The Reavers, who initially offers Logan a job but who ultimately conducts a feverish hunt for our former X-Man. Secondly, we meet Gabrielle (Elizabeth Rodriguez), a Transigen nurse and potential whistleblower who urges Logan to protect and deliver our third figure, Laura (Dafne Keen), an 11 year old mute who bears the exact same adamantium skeleton, healing powers and deadly claws as Logan, to North Dakota and a sanctuary known as "Eden."
While reluctantly carrying Laura in tow, Logan goes on the run, hopefully evading his tormentors and his inner demons while he, at last, comes to the fullest of terms with his abilities and the decades of violence and carnage that he has inflicted, regardless of any righteousness to his causes.
Unlike any of the other films within the "X-Men" film series, James Mangold's "Logan" is an especially grueling entry. While the film offers no shortage of special effects, action, adventure and fight sequences (which are all richly choreographed and executed with teeth gnashing ferocity) surprisingly, the film never succumbs to what Hugh Jackman himself referred to as the "CGI arms race," where digital bombast and cataclysm rule the day at the expense of characters and story.
On the contrary, Mangold simultaneously honors yet escapes from all of the comic book movie genre trappings by serving up a firmly grounded and unmistakably grave installment, where not only characters and story are front and center, the film's darkly humane and poignant power fuels its "dying against the light" narrative to a stirring and sobering effect and starring familiar yet much older and considerably damaged characters wrestling with the choices and consequences of their respective pasts as impending mortality looms largely.
This aspect of gravity within a comic book themed film is a rarity indeed and I deeply appreciated to tonal changes and quality, certainly emboldened by the film's tricky R rating. Yes dear readers, we do have a hard R rated film on our hands and for any of you who happen to be parents of small or younger children (teenagers will be just fine) who have seen the previous films within the series, I strongly urge you to NOT take your children to "Logan" as this film contains more than its fair share of grisly, graphic bloody violence plus copious adult language filled with profanities to go along with the considerably adult themes of mortality. That being said, nothing contained within "Logan" felt to be remotely gratuitous as Mangold ensured that every action sequence possessed its own fight or flight rage that is inherent to the character of Logan and the urgent, rampaging threads of this story.
In fact, what James Mangold has delivered with "Logan" is much less of a comic book film and something more in line with a road movie or a modern day Western, a deeply effective tone that is enhanced strongly through the gorgeous dusty, sun soaked, autumnal cinematography from John Mathieson.
As I watched "Logan," certainly thoughts of Sergio Leone came to mind, as did Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" (1992). And Director George Stevens' "Shane" (1953) is referenced heavily throughout. Beyond those touchstones, Mangold has taken the colorful world of superheroes and has crafted in its place something that feels of the same universe as television's "Kung Fu" (1972-1975) and films like Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 2" (2004), and definitely Jeff Nichols' excellent "Midnight Special" (2016).
Yet, for my money, "Logan" felt closest to the barren post-apocalyptic landscape of George Miller's "The Road Warrior" (1981) and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" (1985) as the relationship between Logan and Laura reminded me considerably of situations presented with Max's relationship with The Feral Kid from the former and his dealings with the desert children in the latter. But rest assured, I am not expressing the sentiment that "Logan" is a new film made from the spare parts of past motion pictures. I just found a dark, kindred spirit within Mangold's film. One where fantasy is seriously underplayed in favor of a greater realism, pain and uncompromising tragedy .
After 17 full years of portraying the character, Hugh Jackman has somehow pulled out all of the stops as never before in the titular role and he has miraculously unearthed some new notes to enhance, inform and transform this beloved character that we have known and followed for so very long. Jackman delivers a rich performance of unrepentant existential rage and sorrow, displaying a pummeling physicality to mirror the psychological anguish.Yes, this film marks Hugh Jackman's final turn at the role but his performance in full is so captivating, that it feels as if it is the final performance he will ever give...period!
Both Patrick Stewart and Stephen Merchant perform beautifully alongside Jackman and Boyd Holbrook makes for a terrific, relentless villain. But young Dafne Keen as Laura is absolutely sensational!! To have this young individual convey an enormous amount of history, fear, wrath, and an anguish that is equal to Jackman's and also with a searing physicality, Keen truly looks and feels as if she is an uncaged wild animal trapped and forced to survive in a world not of her making. She is compulsively watchable and riveting to behold in a performance that is positively seething.
I think the finest thing that I am able to say about "Logan" is that it is the rare comic book themed film that actually goes well beyond the extra mile to re-envision all we know about the genre and ultimately make something that extends and challenges precisely what a comic book themed film can actually be. What James Mangold has achieved is a film that is far better than it ever had any right to be as "Logan" will stick tightly to your cinematic ribs, deeply and completely satisfying as well as existing as a reminder that films of this nature need not only be blandly disposable or even well crafted pieces of entertainment. That a comic book themed film can aspire to ascend to being a work of art, like what Christopher Nolan achieved with "The Dark Knight Trilogy" (2005/2008/2012) and even Sam Mendes' extraordinary James Bond outing with "Skyfall" (2012).
With "Logan," James Mangold has created a film of true existential outrage that begins as a rampage, concludes with the most delicate and undeniably earned grace note and leaves us all beautifully shaken and stirred with amazement.
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