Logan

LOGAN

Director : James Mangold

Year : 2017

Genre : Superhero

Rating : *****

After 17 years of playing one of Marvels most iconic heroes, Hugh Jackman dons the claws one last time for 'Logan', the third and final 'X-Men' spinoff that brings the story of the much loved Wolverine to it's thrilling and incredibly violent apotheosis. Having gained both great critical praise and impressive commercial success with the  Japanese set 'The Wolverine' (2013), director James Mangold returns behind the camera once more to helm this beautifully shot, maturely written and emotionally rich superhero epic that sends Jackman's beloved mutant off in a suitably brutal blaze of glory.       

  

Taking inspiration from Mark Millar's 2008 acclaimed graphic novel Old Man Logan, the movie takes place a considerable (yet not specified) amount time after the events of all of the 'X-Men' movies and the two previous Wolverine spinoffs. Mutants are all but extinct and the few who remain have gone into hiding. These include a weathered James Logan (Jackman) who spends his days caring for Patrick Stewart's now senile Charles Xavier, the once brilliant Professor who inadvertently killed several of his beloved X-Men in a seizure-induced psychic attack one year before.

With the help of fellow mutant Caliban (a pasty looking Stephen Merchant), Logan dotingly watches over his one-time mentor, working as a chaffeur and hustling prescription drugs from the States to the abandoned Mexican smelting plant where the trio live in relative peace. But when a little girl called Laura unexpectedly arrives in his life, Logan must unsheath his feared adamantium claws once again as danger in the form of Boyd Holbrook's metal-handed Donald Pierce comes calling.

Pitched somewhere between a noir Western (the spectre of 'Shane' lingers throughout the movie), 'Mad Max' and the dystopian videogame masterpiece 'The Last Of Us', 'Logan' is radically different in tone to any 'X-Men' picture that has come before it. Its far more gritty and realistic than any of it's fantasy-driven franchise counterparts and the headline-making R-rated violence provides the series with a much needed boost of horrifically gruesome bite. And when I say gruesome, I mean gruesome. Almost from the outset, heads are mercilessly slashed off, limbs are ruthlessly severed, eyes are horrifically stabbed out and torsos are cruelly impaled. At the early morning screening I attended, many eager pre-teens were turned away from the cinema and for very good reason. Forget your family friendly 'X-Men : The Last Stand's or audience pleasing 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine's, this is superhero cinema with proper guts.

But while certainly graphic, this unprecedented violence is gratefully tempered by a notably bleaker tone and more thought provoking story that only helps to emphasise the emotional value and cinematic quality of the film. Wildly different from any superhero film that has come before it, 'Logan' is a thoughtful, sombre and quietly haunting study of a life moulded by death and the terrific screenplay by co-writer Mangold has managed to wring much depth out of its much loved characters which is also echoed by the unanimously great performances, most notably those of it's central dysfunctional duo.

Hugh Jackman is, as always, effortlessly charismatic in his role as the eponymous razor clawed hero grizzled by a lifetime of death and loss while Patrick Stewart is simply brilliant as the increasingly frail Charles Xavier whose once brilliant brain has now become the worlds most dangerous weapon. As a pair, Jackman and Stewart work brilliantly together and the touching relationship that is formed between the two over the course of 'Logan' form a substantial part of the emotional vertebrae of the movie, with one scene at a dinner table perfectly encapsulating the unspoken yet evident father/son dynamic that has been present from the very beginning of the series.
 
The supporting cast do great work here too. Comedian Stephen Merchant, a relative newcomer to the world of big-budget franchise fare is really great as Caliban, the photosensitive mutant whose regular quips lend the film a welcome dose of humour while 'Gone Girl's Boyd Holbrook is wonderully meancing as Wolverines final nemesis. But the real breakout star of 'Logan' is little Dafne Keen whose predominantly mute portrayal of the "gifted" Laura is both wonderfully sympathetic yet  unsettlingly savage.

Despite an admittedly overlong running time and a notable dip in pace during its dialogue heavy second act, its really hard to find any significant fault with the film. As a farewell to one of the most iconic protagonists in movie history, 'Logan' is a genre-defying triumph. It develops the character beyond anything we have seen in any of the previous 'X-Men' movies and concludes his story in the most emotional yet satisfying way possible.

Ever since its first trailer appeared in theatres, it was clear that 'Logan' was going to be something very special and thankfully, James Mangold and Hugh Jackman have not let us down. Thrilling, powerful, vicious and extremely well constructed, 'Logan' is a brilliant piece of superhero entertainment and in my opinion, it is the most fully accomplished since 'The Dark Knight'. Farewell my adamantium friend, its been one hell of a ride.