*Slight Spoilers* I
saw Logan last night and I’m still not exactly sure what to make of it. Logan
is a fine, well made tale of the famous feral mutant Wolverine and takes place
in a near future of the X-Men Universe. It features spectacular action,
wonderful acting and a great script. It’s an impressive film—I’m just not
convinced it’s a great Wolverine film.
We
join Logan as a much older man, driving a limo to help support him, an ailing
Professor Xavier and the mutant Caliban. His healing factor is beginning to
fail and his body is rejecting the adamantium coating his bones. He’s aging, tired,
run down and in constant pain. It’s all he can do to keep going. When a young
mutant girl named Laura enters his life and needs a ride to the north for
safety, he wants nothing to do with her. Some nasty, violent people are
pursuing her and Logan (going by his birth name of James Howlett here, an
unexpected treat for comic fans) does not want to get involved. Eventually
forced to flee with Xavier and the girl, Logan fights his way north through a
series of obstacles to save her.
Director
James Mangold has a specific and stylish story to tell in Logan. It’s serious,
violent and not necessarily hopeful. The violence is constant and visceral, as
the Logan we’ve always wanted to see finally surfaces and the movie earns its
hard R rating. Logan cuts and slices arms, legs, heads and other extremities
from countless evil hoods who are trying to stop him and his mission. Hugh Jackman,
in supposedly his last Wolverine performance, does a fantastic job channeling
Wolverine’s rage into lashing out at evil men and cutting them into small
pieces. The ending is not upbeat, and can be taken as hopeful or not, depending
on the viewer. I didn’t love it.
I’ve
been reading Wolverine comic book stories for 40 years now. My version of the
character is much more of a superhero than this broken, angry animal. My Wolverine
wears a costume, has funky hair and while feral and violent, keeps that part of
himself in check—barely, but he does it. This serious, adult film has nothing
to do with that character. This is a dark, thinking man’s action adventure.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it is a far cry from my Wolverine. There
is definitely room for both versions of the character, but if this is the last Hugh Jackman Wolverine
movie we’re ever going to get—possibly the last Wolverine movie ever—I would
have liked to see the young Wolverine, maybe a costume, perhaps some
traditional comic book villains—and not an overall feeling of depression and malaise
throughout the entire endeavor. Again, Logan is a fine Wolverine movie—just not
my Wolverine.
Rating:
***½ out of 5 stars
The film continues to grow on me. I've always said the great thing about comic books is that one can get many interpretations about the same characters. So this movie was a different Wolverine - but it was a nice jump forward to see how things could go bad for Mutants. I liked it. I like the hamburger I ate before the movie. That's two for two in my book, bub.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the burger ... Freddie's is the place! And I did like the movie. I'd like just one more, a comic-booky one with a Wolverine in his prime against some supervillains. The Hellfire Club, anyone? Is that too much to ask? Mr. Jackman?
ReplyDeleteUmm - it may be too much to ask. I couldn't tell how much of Logan was makeup and how much was Jackman finally showing his age. He ain't a young guy.
DeleteAwww ... that same makeup could make him look 30 again. He makes a tall, pretty Wolverine!
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