Breaking The Mold
Many films follow 1 of 2 formulas for success in the current movie industry. Some have a huge budget with a bounty of visual effects, a star-studded cast, or huge action set-pieces. Some have smaller budgets and focus on clever dialogue, deep character development, and a thought provoking story. Both of these formulas have their pros and cons. Neither are inherently a bad way to make a good film, but studios tend to create films that just seem to check those boxes in order to meet box office expectations or win awards at the end of the year. Many of these films are loved and treasured by many people. But if you ask anyone -especially those who love film – what their favorite movie is, it will most likely be something that gives them the feeling of both the entertaining blockbuster and an intimate indie film. As viewers we want to have our minds blown but also have our heart strings tugged. Many of the classic movies people still talk about contain both of these aspects, movies like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Back To The Future, and much more. These movies feel just as special when you leave the theater as when you were watching them. It is a magical power that movies have over us as audiences. Logan is not the first movie to accomplish such a feat and it will not be the last, but in my humble opinion…it may be one of the best to ever do it.
The first part of this review will be spoiler free. If this is all you read, I am assuming you still haven’t seen the film. If you still haven’t seen this film I would continue to assume that you are not a big fan of the previous X-Men films. Whether you just never got around to seeing them or did not like the previous installations in the series, I have 2 little notes before you see the movie. 1) If you ask a friend or do a quick google about Wolverine and Professor X – 2 of the main characters in the story – you can enjoy this film with minimal to no confusion without having seen the previous films. And even if you go in completely blind it tells you everything you need to know. 2) If you have seen all or most of the previous X-Men films, it will only enhance your viewing experience as it did for me. You will have a better understanding and appreciation for the characters, their arcs throughout the film, and small easter eggs in the movie. My final attempt to persuade you to see the film for those of you who are hesitant to watch a “super-hero” movie, or a “violent, R-rated” film is this…this film never relies on the fact that these characters are mutants, or superheroes, to be enough to satisfy you. It focuses on these mutants as characters with real people problems that you would see in most human characters in film. For those who are impartial to violent movies, I will tell you that while the action sequences are entertaining, they are so violent in order to show the kind of horrible, traumatic life Logan has endured and how it would affect a human beings mind and soul, much like a soldier in war.
The Evolution
I remember watching the first X-Men as a kid and being transported into the comic book world where humans could do extraordinary things that I never thought possible. As I grew older I began to see the more mature and socially important themes they were conveying through the characters and their struggles as mutants. The analogy to the persecution of the LGBT community and other minorities was powerful imagery for both those afflicted and those blind to it. It also dealt with a troubled soul who’s heart had been hardened by years of pain, fear of loss, and anger. How does one try to forge new relationships and a family when time and again they are taken away, sometimes because of him? Is it better to be vulnerable and seek relationships to mend your broken heart or to stay closed off to keep them safe and endure the misery on your own? Is it noble or foolish? Wolverine became one of the coolest but also most complicated characters for me in movies. He is a weapon designed to kill that wants to love and protect, but is constantly being forced into situations in which he must be what they made him to be…a killing machine. In the first X-Men movie someone asks Logan about his claws coming out of his hands, “Does it hurt?” “Every time.” That short interaction says so much about him as a character and how the claws, the killing, and hiding alone has left him in this state between rage and pain. These films took a character from the comics who was primarily a wise-cracking jerk to a deep, tragic hero. Because of all this he is easily in my top 2 movie characters.
Logan
I know it may seem like a lot of preamble for a review, but this movies deserves it. I promise. To start Logan has a terrific story. It starts with a worn and beaten Logan who is surviving by the skin of his teeth on the border of Mexico. Him and Professor X have been hiding away for sometime when they are brought out of hiding by a set of circumstances that send them on a perilous adventure to save a girl. Within the broad strokes of that synopsis of the movie are nuances and subplots that tell you more about the characters past and present, who they are as individuals and in relationship to one another. The 2 fatherly connections between Xavier and Logan, and Logan and Laura are strong and have a powerful arc over the film.
In order to have this powerful story come to life you need great characters and actors to deliver those performances. The 3 main protagonists in this film are full and the actors portray these conflicted and complex roles tremendously. Hugh Jackman was the best he’s ever been as Wolverine, which is saying a lot. Patrick Stewart brought an interesting and powerful new take on Xavier that could honestly get some Oscar buzz later this year. But to me the stand out is Dafne Keen as Laura. I never thought I would say that the best performance in one of my favorite movies, an action movie no less, was from an 11-year old girl. However, she stole some scenes from Hugh Jackman and delivered some of the heaviest and most powerful dialogue in the film. Boyd Holbrook as Donal Pierce is a good villain. His character drives the plot forward at points but the story does not need a great villain, the enemy of the protagonists are internal battles as they fight their demons from the past and present situations. I thought Stephen Merchant as Caliban was terrific. He gets a few scene of comic relief mixed with powerful and heartfelt dialogue.
This movie earns the R-rating in both language and violence, but both feel well earned. The violence never feels over the top for the sake of shock value, but more so you can feel the brutality and gravity of the situation these characters find themselves in. Each slice and punch feels devastating and impactful. There are always stake in each fight. No action sequence is purely for the sake of entertainment, even though are truly gratifying to watch as a huge fan of Wolverine. You’ve never seen him this unleashed and so true to character.
So if you still haven’t seen this film I hope this has swayed you to go to buy your tickets or at least make plans to rent it in a few months. I have seen this movie 4 times in the theater in order to enjoy this film in the best setting possible on a big screen with loud speakers to enjoy it to the fullest. I hope you don’t miss the chance to do so as well. After having a few weeks and viewings to think about Logan I have come to the conclusion that it fits somewhere into my 10 favorite films of all time. The combination of intense action, intimate character moments, and one of my favorite characters of all time receiving the best send off possible creates a movie experience that I will never forget.
10/10 A Perfect Movie
Spoliers!
Spoilers!
Spoilers!
If you’ve read this far I hope you have seen the film because I am going to talk about the film more openly without worrying about spoilers.
Firstly, I would like to gush a little more about the powerful performance Kafne Deen gave as Laura, a.k.a. X-23, Logan’s daughter. The choice to have her not speak for more than half the film was a bold choice that could have easily not worked with a less talented child actress. She conveyed so much through her intense gazes and ferocious screams during fights that she actually built a character without ever giving a single line until the 3rd act. For a character that is so pivotal to the plot and the relationships in the movie she was still able to have an impact during her conversations with Logan in the car, at Eden, and as he is dying. When she cries out “Daddy” to Logan as he dies is tied for the single most emotional one word quote with “superman” from Iron Giant. I was already in tears as Logan was beginning to die, but that was the dagger that sent tears down my face.
Speaking of Logan’s death, in retrospect it seems obvious that he would die at the end but not because it was predictable. It just felt so right in the moment. Even during the last fight seen against X-24, the Wolverine clone, I thought he would make a miraculous escape. But the director set a merciless and realistic tone from the beginning which made his death so much more powerful. It felt grounded and as an audience member I felt like Laura because the movie had set up such a close intimate feeling. Something that I’v thought about more after watching the movie is one of Logan’s last lines as he is talking to Laura. “So this is what it feels like..” This may seem like a simple line but is so cleverly layered and can have so many different meanings for different viewers. To me the first time I saw it I took it as he was feeling what it was like to have someone he loved, a family. The warm feeling of Laura’s love was washing over him and giving joy even in his dying seconds. Charles at the farm had told him to “take a moment, feel it.” Logan didn’t believe he would ever feel that love but he found in such a surprising place in his new child Laura. The second meaning I found later was that he had been killing people for so many decades and had never felt it so close because of his healing factor and now was finally feeling that pain and death he had brought upon so many enemies and friends. Maybe my favorite take away though is that for the first time in his life he feels peace. He can rest finally. He doesn’t have to run or kill anymore. He had lived his whole life under a constant stress and state of depression that now he could finally bring down his guard and breathe a sigh relief. He tells Laura “you don’t have to run anymore”, but the truth is he doesn’t either. He has finished his lifelong escape from fear, pain and loss. There’s a moment in the music as Logan is dying that switches from a somber tone to that of almost peace or even joy. We often console those with the loss of loved ones that they are now at peace and are no longer in pain. This subtle change in music consoles the viewer through a traumatic moment of loss by assuring them that Logan has found peace.
The other big spoiler topic that I want to talk about is one that you may miss or not fully understand if you’re not paying close attention. The movie hints early on to the extermination of mutants and that their are no new mutants being born. The film slowly reveals that Professor X had one of his seizures back in Winchester at the X Mansion and killed the X-Men. However, Xavier’s degenerative brain disease has caused him to forget this event and Logan has been helping suppress those memories. In my opinion the farm sequence of the film is one of my favorite 30 minutes stretches in film. It has every range of emotion you can ask for in film. It starts with heartwarming family moments filled with comedy to release the tension of the previous portion of the film. It has suspense as Logan and the farmer deal with the Canewood workers trying to muscle them out. The best moment though is when Professor X confesses to “Logan” the terrible things he has just remembered he’s done. Seeing Patrick Stewart so emotionally broken and vulnerable was such a powerful moment of guilt, regret, and self-condemnation. Once again the movie is grounded in an unforgiving world where he doesn’t get to find redemption because he is quickly killed by X-24. The following sequence is possibly the best action sequence of the film. The score, X-24’s slaughtering of the unsuspecting family, and Laura’s screams create a sense of terror and fear. As the viewer you are in a state of shock and have know idea what is coming next. Purely from an action perspective the fight between Logan and his younger clone is amazing to see the only real equal adversary Logan could face. The obvious metaphor of Logan fighting his past just adds a layer to what would just be a cool fight in another movie.
I have many more thoughts about the Logan, but I don’t want to go on too long. Logan is a movie that I find something new each time that makes it deeper and even better for me. I hope you enjoyed some of my analysis and review of the film.
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