Wolverine is one of my favorite comic book characters—his viciousness
combined with his search for tranquility and peace is riveting. While Hugh
Jackman has done a commendable job portraying Logan for the past seventeen
years, the character itself has been restricted by the confines of a PG-13
rating and has never been able to fully unleash the beast, as it were. With Logan, the third and final installment of
the Wolverine solo films, director James Mangold has been given the ability to
go all out (it’s rated R) and the results are brutal and dark.
Logan is very loosely
based on Mark Millar’s Old Man Logan
comic run from 2010 but it shares few similarities other than taking place in
the future and Wolverine being older and not in his prime. The story follows a
sick and tired Logan (Hugh Jackman) who is taking care of an elderly Professor
X (Patrick Stewart) while living in hiding on the Mexican border. Unfortunately,
Logan gets embroiled in the plight of a young mutant girl named Laura (Dafne
Keen) and has to draw on his former abilities to protect her from nefarious forces.
What sets this film apart from other comic book adaptations is the grounded and
serious tone. This is by far the most grim and unrelentingly ruthless film in
the X-Men cinematic universe. From beginning to end we have to watch the
characters suffer greatly but that makes the small moments of respite and
emotion all the more beautiful. Logan is at his lowest point both mentally and
physically and his character arc throughout this film is so incredibly well
done and realized. His road to redemption is fraught with many obstacles but
his tenacity is inspiring.
One thing that may potentially turn off viewers is the
pervasive and gratuitous violence depicted in this film. I personally felt that
Wolverine seemed like he was “declawed” in the earlier X-Men films and that he
wasn’t used to his full potential. Logan
is definitely a “hard R” and the film pulls no punches in showing what damage
Wolverine can do with his iconic adamantium claws. He stabs people through the
head, cuts off arms and legs, and disembowels them. The gore and blood fly
freely as do the curse words. Logan has never been one to mince his words and
it’s cathartic to see him depicted like he is in the comics. This is the
Wolverine that comic book fans have been clamoring to see for over a decade. Jackman is a fine actor and his ability to go
between a savage animal and a tortured soul is amazing. Stewart puts in an
excellent performance as the dementia-tinged Professor X and it’s poignant to
see his subtle touches on the character. Keen steals the show as the mysterious
and violent mutant child—her intense take on the character is fantastic.
Mangold should be commended for his restrained approach to
the story. This could have easily been overshadowed by attempts to stuff in
cameos from other superheroes but he chose wisely to keep the narrative laser-focused
on the three primary characters. Everything is given plenty of room to
breathe and develop and the film is paced well. I do think the first half of
the film is stronger than the second half but only because it focuses more on
development than action. Logan feels
like a superhero story penned by Cormac McCarthy with its dusty locales and somber
atmosphere. Even though there are characters with super powers it never feels
out of place or overdone. The cinematography and subdued color palette gives the
film a sense of legitimacy and gravitas not found in any other comic book
movie. I loved Marco Beltrami’s musical score as well, with its mixture of
haunting piano melodies and rumbling ominous strings. It’s quite effective and
memorable.
--Michelle Kisner