Logan Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

Logan

As far as the superhero movie genre goes, at times it can seem like it's all much of the same sort of thing. And while I don't mind the typical superhero movie, it's always nice to see a movie that doesn't box itself into the same typical 'rules' for the genre. Even with that said, I was still hesitant about Logan going into it, the past Wolverine solo films have been okay at best and downright atrocious at worst. However, having seen Logan I'm glad to say it's not only easily my favorite of the three Wolverine movies, but it might just be my favorite X-Men movie.

I think there's something to be said about an actor who can not only play the same character for an extended period of time, but play it as well as Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine. While Wolverine as a character may be far from my favorite, it's hard to argue that Hugh Jackman isn't great at playing the character. And what with this being supposedly the last time he'll play the character, he brings his absolute A game to the film here. He's emotionally compelling, he's a badass when he needs to be, and as always he totally sells the action. 

One of the key factors in the hype train for this movie was that, no doubt following the success of last years Deadpool, the studio heads at Fox decided to make this film R-rated as well. Now with that there comes the obvious risk that it'll seem gratuitous. Violence, even extremely graphic violence, can be a very effective way to convey meaning or add emphasis to a scene (just look at the way Nicolas Winding-Refn uses it in stuff like Neon Demon or Drive), or it can be a way to make a scene effective and even shocking if done right. The latter is surprisingly mostly the case with Logan, the most violent moments in this movie often add a sense of shock value to them, in the same way Tarantino would use violence. It's brutal, it's often times gorey, but it never stops being fun to watch even if I was in utter shock at what I was seeing.

I think the effectiveness of all this and what makes Logan work so well is how well directed and well written it is. Back in 2013 when The Wolverine came out, I had a strong feeling that if he were given a better script to work with, James Mangold could make something really special. Enter, a much darker and much bleaker vision for the Superhero genre, and an already great director to work with it. While it may never be anything special in terms of cinematography or framing, it's all really well done, and compliments the films gripping and well written story.

I think there's definitely something to be said about a film like Logan. It's a dark, bleak, and meaningful film and it definitely sets itself apart from the films that came before, but it's the kind of movie that can only exist thanks to the long lasting franchise it follows. Logan is the sort of movie that can really only happen once under a very specific context, a series of almost 20 years building up to an emotional and heartbreakingly real conclusion that thankfully actually feels like a conclusion. The emotional impact of this movie could really only exist with the previous films, especially with a few scenes I won't spoil. 

Final Rating
I know every time a really good comic book movie comes out people come out in droves to claim that it's 'the best comic book movie ever'. However, as far as Logan is concerned, I feel like it's honestly well deserved to be up there amongst the best. It's a deeply meaningful and emotionally gripping film that does justice to the nearly two-decade long franchise that came before. It's a one of a kind movie that truly needs to be seen to be believed. It's right up there with Get Out as the best movies of 2017 thus far, and I'm giving it a full seal of approval. If you haven't seen Logan already, go see for yourself what makes this film so special.