The superhero genre has become pretty dull and generic. The DC Cinematic Universe has become nothing besides a flaming dumpster fire and although Marvel's movies are fun, the lack innovation and stick to the same formulaic approach that has made them billions of dollars. Before any of you say it, Deadpool was not an exception because it made a few dirty jokes. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy superhero movies, but I understand that they lack anything that makes them remotely interesting as films of substance. That was until I saw Logan.
Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine since I was five years old in 2000. The year is 2017, and I am now turning twenty-two this June. Throughout my life, I have seen four different Batmen, three Spidermen, two Supermen. However, there has only been one Wolverine. There will only ever be one Wolverine. Logan is Jackman's final farewell to the role that made him an international superstar. Jackman's commitment to the role has been admirable, even sticking with the X-Men franchise when it hit rock bottom in the mid to late 2000s with X3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Eventually, the franchise rebooted itself to its former glory with X-Men First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Even the better X-Men films, which I give lots of credit to developing the modern formula for superhero films, really lacked a certain sense of pizzazz. Every movie had the protagonists saving the world from (insert generic force here) at the last possible minute when it seemed all hope was lost. However, Logan takes a different approach. Instead of trying to save the world entire, Wolverine is only looking out for a single girl and an aging Professor X. As a result, the film is much more personal the consequences feel much more dire, even though less is technically at stake. Director James Mangold had obviously thought this through after the incredibly average showing that was The Wolverine in 2013. I always knew Mangold had the talent to deliver a truly excellent, character driven movie due to his magnificent work on the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. Logan also fit into the aesthetic of a 1950s Western so well. When the comparison was drawn within the film to classic American Western Shane, I immediately felt the connection. Many films try to fit into a certain form, and fail so badly, (see my review of Kong: Skull Island). However, Logan fits the form so flawlessly, you forget you are watching a superhero film. The gruesome violence of the R-Rated Logan gives the film a certain grit that Shane does not have. In this way, the film explores the primitive side of Wolverine that is reminiscent of Spaghetti Westerns while maintaining the morality and ethics of the American Western
There has been constant praise to Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart over the years for their depictions of the seminal X-Men. However, it is 12-year-old Dafne Keen who steals the entire movie. If anyone knows me, I am incredibly critical of most child performers. I find them a giant nuisance and they have actually changed my opinion of a film due to a child actor's performance. (ex. The Babadook) However, Keen adds an almost Chaplin-esque quality to her performance as X-23. She is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Also, it is known by many that I am a giant opponent to the overuse of computer graphic imaging within a film. That being said, the CGI creation of X-24 had me absolutely startled. For maybe the first time ever in a movie, my cinematic eye couldn't tell whether a character was actually there. This is a sign of amazing visual effects, something that the Academy should not ignore come Oscar season.
I have roughly seen about 1,350 movies in my life. Of that list, I had only cried in 26 of those movies. Damn if Logan is only the 27th film to pierce my cold, cinephilic heart. I found myself crying like a small child I had not cried in a movie in a theater since 2012 at the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. The film manages to be so personal and touching that it defies genre types. Very few superhero movies have actual consequences. I mean c'mon how many characters has Marvel brought back from the dead? Logan chooses to close out the X-Men of our childhood in about the best possible cinematic ending.
Logan is the best superhero movie in years. In fact, it would be fair to put it in the same class as The Dark Knight as an innovative and exceptional superhero film. I found myself scoffing at Logan's Oscar chances before the film, but I honestly believe this could be the first superhero film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, and I would be perfectly fine with that. If any combination of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, or Dafne Keen were nominated for Oscars for their exceptional performances, I would be their biggest supporter. If you only want to see one big budget action movie this year, do yourself a favor and choose Logan.
(Score: 10/10)
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