For more than a decade, audiences around the world have been treated to the stellar performance of Hugh Jackman as the Adamantium infused, self-healing, cigar smoking, womanizing mutant, Wolverine. It is almost impossible to imagine him doing any other role to be perfectly honest, but with the release of Logan, the thrilling tale of Wolverine that began in 2000 comes to a close.
And it does not fail to impress one bit.
Logan is the Wolverine we have been pining for since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It has the right amount of humour, drama, action, and blood that makes it worth the R-Rating. (Thank You Deadpool.)
Loosely based on the Wolverine comic, Old Man Logan, the film takes place in the same timeline as The Wolverine and X-Men: The Last Stand: a distant future where people have forgotten about the superhero team and mutants in general. While not fully stated, it is implied that anyone who carried the mutant gene had died a long time ago and that the species itself is on the brink of extinction; all except for Logan (Jackman), Charles Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart), and a mutant by the name of Caliban (Stephen Merchant). Logan now spends his days working as a chauffeur in Texas while at the same time helping Caliban take care of a fading Charles Xavier. It seems like a simple day-to-day life as each struggles to live in this new world, but their peace only lasts for so long. One day, Logan is approached by a woman who tells him that he must take an 11 year-old girl, Laura (Dafne Keen), to a place in North Dakota called “Eden”. Taking the job, Logan realizes that the girl is being hunted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and his enforcers known as the Reavers. I don’t want to give away the rest of the plot, but I can tell you that what happens next is a good old fashioned western epic that does not limit you on the blood, gore, and Hugh Jackman swearing. Speaking of which, let’s delve deeper into the stellar performances by Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart, and newcomer Dafne Keen.
Considering the impressive acting range of both Hugh Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart, it is understandable that each would give a stellar performance for their characters. Hugh Jackman truly captures the raw emotion of Wolverine as he is forced into the role of guardian and hero to Laura. It is reminiscent of his relationship with Rogue in the original X-Men film series. To be perfectly honest this is his best performance and overall portrayal of the character since then. You could genuinely see how much time and compassion was put into this version of Logan as he becomes more grounded in humanity. He struggles with his morality and what it means to have a family throughout the film. This is also the case for Charles Xavier.
I have always considered Sir Patrick Stewart to be one of the greatest actors of our time. He has an incredible range that transcends nerd culture and classical theater. As an aging Charles Xavier, Stewart captures the insanity of an aging telepathic mutant losing control of his abilities. It is captivating to experience an emotional death that has been absent in the previous films. Yes, we know that he is wise beyond his years and possibly one of the smartest people in the X-Men universe, but it also is good to see the humanity that is within him. On another note, there is Laura/X-23 played by Dafne Keen. Truly a scene stealer, Dafne Keen’s performance as the mutant daughter of Wolverine was truly a great moment in the history of X-Men films. Considering this is her big screen debut, Keen does an amazing job of capturing the rage, innocence, and overall primal nature of her character. Laura is a child who never had interactions with the outside world. She has no idea how to be a child. It is the perfect dynamic for Wolverine, considering he has no idea how to be a part of a family. Because of this, it is very cute to watch their relationship unfold on screen as they try their best to understand each other.
Overall, Logan is a seemingly perfect ending to the character’s story. It explores family and love. I can’t possibly imagine a more fitting conclusion and only hope that 20th Century Fox does not try to cash out, and include the Wolverine in other projects.
A solid 5/5 angry wolverines for making everyone in the theater cry
