Logan (2017)

At the start, I’m confused about where and when we are. This is obviously a continuation of the X-Men story, but what has happened? Why are these the only mutants left? What happened to Magneto and all the others? I’ve been pretty faithful to the X-Men franchise, but did I miss one of the stories along the way? It eventually builds into a story about Logan and Laura, a story that is real and borderline touching. There is some real character growth there, and I got a little choked up at the end.

Mangold’s career as director has been mixed, but I think he did a good job with this one. It’s definitely darker and more violent than the previous films of the franchise, and that’s a refreshing change. Every X-Men film has some amount of cheese with goofy kids having special powers, but it’s kept to a minimum here. The grit and dark and graphic violence is a much-needed new take on the franchise.

Particularly intense are the battles between Logan and his younger alter-ego, reminiscent of the battle between the two Supermans in Superman III. The action is so seamless that I’m not sure if CGI was used for the old Jackman or the young Jackman. An editing nitpick here, but the final gunshot, as the climax of final battle, happens a little too quickly. Some sort of dramatic pause there would have been more fitting. Logan’s last line, “So this is what it feels like…” is wonderful. Is he talking about death? Love? Both? Maybe they are one and the same? A great way to send off the character.

Jackman is great as a dying man with a few remaining spells of absolute rage. Keen is really great. They really got a great performance out of this little girl. She channels an Abigail Breslin cuteness but believably channels Wolverine levels of rage. I hope she takes on the role in future films and fills out appropriately as she gets older. It will be interesting to see where her career goes.

The minor key of the score and theme of the weakened and tragic superhero reminded me of The Incredible Hulk TV series with Bill Bixby. And I like how they tied in the comics. A nice meta reference that playfully links the movie with the comic books of the real-world.