Logan

"Excellent"

Logan Review


Hugh Jackman returns to his signature role one last time (so he says), reuniting with filmmaker James Mangold, who also directed 2013's The Wolverine. But this doesn't feel like any other X-Men movie; it strikes a sombre, gritty tone from the start to take the audience on a dark and rather brutal road trip. So while it feels rather long and repetitive, the movie also has a strong emotional kick.

It's set in the year 2029, when mutants have been wiped off the planet, and no new ones have been born for years. Hiding out in a drunken haze as a Texas limo driver, Logan aka Wolverine (Jackman) has stashed Charles aka Professor X (Patrick Stewart) across the border in Mexico, watched over by albino caretaker Caliban (Stephen Merchant). Then a nurse (Elizabeth Rodriguez) appears asking for Logan's help to transport the young Laura (Dafne Keen) to North Dakota. And Laura clearly has a genetic connection with Logan. It also turns out that she has escaped from a Mexico City hospital, so as Logan, Charles and Laura hit the road, the ruthless henchman Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and sinister Dr Rice (Richard E. Grant) are hot on their trail.

Mangold holds all of this in careful control, never tipping over into the usual whiz-bang Hollywood superhero action chaos (the violence is especially grisly). The story moves at a steady pace that adds an involving note of desperation to each sequence. This also makes the movie feel a bit repetitive and even wheel-spinning at times. Since the baddies are able to stay right on the heroes' heels, it's clear that even a nicely offhandedly sojourn with a farmer (Eriq La Salle) and his family will be short-lived. But the gnawing intensity, while never quite building into proper suspense, gets deep under the skin as it fleshes out the characters.

This allows Jackman to deliver perhaps his finest performance yet. Logan is a serious mess throughout this film: angry, wasted, unwell and, as always, unwilling to play the hero even though he has little choice in the matter. It's a complex, rounded character who connects vividly with the viewer, expressing his frustration at both tiny obstacles and earth-shattering events. Jackman also has terrific chemistry with Stewart, who gets the chance to deepen Charles into a flesh and blood man for the first time. And both actors shine in their interaction with the impressive first-timer Keen, who expresses whole conversations wordlessly and dives fearlessly into the action. All of which makes this a truly memorable instalment in the X-Men series, and one that finally realises the potential of both Wolverine and Jackman.

Watch the trailer for Logan:



Logan

Facts and Figures

Genre: Action/Adventure

Run time: 135 mins

In Theaters: Friday 3rd March 2017

Budget: $127M

Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

Production compaines: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Donners' Company, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

IMDB: 9.6 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , Hutch Parker

Starring: as Logan / Wolverine, as Charles Xavier / Professor X, Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney / X-23, as Donald Pierce, as Caliban, as Dr. Zander Rice, Doris Morgado as Maria, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gabriela, as Mr. Morrison, Reynaldo Gallegos as Rey, David Kallaway as Danny Rhodes, Frank Gallegos as Federale Lieutenant, James Moses Black as Major, as Convenience Store Clerk, Julia Holt as Casino Patron, Lauren Gros as Bridesmaid, Juan Gaspard as Homeless Guy, Lara Grice as Car Dealer, Lizeth Hutchings as Nurse, Mary Peyton Stewart as Bridesmaid, Mark Ashworth as Bartender, as Valet, Justin Lebrun as Reaver, Christopher Heskey as Reaver, Jaden Francis as Mutant Kid, Michael Love Toliver as FBI agent, Katie Anne Mitchell as Army Nurse, Rebecca Chulew as Nurse, Ted Ferguson as Prayer Meeting Grandpa, Michael J. Bradford as Cowboy / Casino patron, Erica Austin as Bridesmaid, Edgar Leza as Policia Federal, Daymond C. Roman as Special Forces, Gregory Paul Valdez as FBI Agent, Hannah Westerfield as Actress

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews