Logan (2017) Movie Review
Logan is one of my favorite of the X-Men movies. It’s directed by James Mangold who has helmed other films like Girl, Interrupted and Walk the Line as well as 2013’s The Wolverine. Mangold’s tendency for a dark, brooding style is definitely present in Logan. The film opens showing Logan (Hugh Jackman) as a limo driver for hire. In typical Logan style, he is alone and keeping his head down as he tries to live his life. In atypical Logan style, his body is failing. The adamantium is slowly killing him and disrupting his healing process while also causing body aches and occasions where he coughs up blood.
In addition to that somber reality, it’s revealed that mutants are going extinct and there hasn’t been a new mutant born in twenty-five years. If an aging and sick Logan wasn’t sad enough, Professor X (Patrick Stewart) is also in bad shape. He has a brain disease which causes seizures that create large sonic pulses that paralyze anything within reach. Logan and an albino psychic named Caliban (Stephen Merchant) take care of Xavier, keeping him secluded in a large tank and giving him serums that supposedly help curb the seizures.
But enough with the sad, old X-Men. The plot pusher in Logan, is a young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) who has escaped a medical facility run by Dr. Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant). The facility had been experimenting on children by injecting them with mutant DNA in order to create a group of super soldiers. Laura is trying to escape to “Eden” near the border of Canada where it is supposedly safer for mutants like her. Logan begrudgingly agrees to escort Laura to Eden despite being skeptical that it even exists.
The true fun of this movie is the dynamic between Laura and Logan. Keen is absolutely perfect for the role, being both sweet and annoying. She begins by asking Logan to help her get to the border but winds up doing most of the heavy lifting herself. She is strong, capable, and not afraid to take matters into her own hands. Plus she’s exactly like Logan; a mini Wolverine. I was hoping they’d give Laura her own movie because it could be really interesting and pretty bad ass, but I doubt that will happen.
The fight sequences in this movie were some of my favorites in the X-Men franchise. Seeing tiny Laura be an absolute beast and take down entire groups of soldiers was awesome. It was also fun to see her fight alongside Logan, especially seeing his shock and awe that she’s such a skilled fighter. This movie will hit you in the feels, especially if like me, you love Wolverine. Laura and Logan are a dynamite duo who are bonded by their abilities and their loner status. Mangold ensures that Logan’s last movie is the best one. I can’t think of a more fitting way to bid farewell to one of the best X-Men in the franchise.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You love Wolverine
2. You want to see how they wrap up the Wolverine story
3. You like gritty action
