Logan

Once again I’m late on writing a review and once again I’m reviewing a comic book movie with a continuity I’m not so familiar with.

Logan is the final movie in which Hugh Jackman will play X-Men’s Wolverine, the famous knife-handed, baddie-killin’ mutant.

After “Les Miserables” and this, it seemsHugh Jackman really likes playing old guys who take care of younger girls.

We live in a world in which the meta-narrative weaves its way through every part of our stories. this is not a new thing, nor is it a bad thing. The problem is when storytellers use either the true outside lives of the actors (The Expendables) or the franchise’s history (Star Wars) and forget the story proper.

With something so big and convoluted as X-Men, what makes the films that work in its canon work, is a remembrance to occasionally step back and let a character be a character.

Logan is a dark, brutal, violent, adult drama about the titular immortal super-being looking after Professor Xavier, played amazingly by the legend that is Patrick Stewart, when a young girl who seems awfully similar to him turns up and he has to protect her from really bad dudes and remember the value of life.

Did I mention violent? This film is violent! Do not take squeamish kids to see this! It is shot mostly pretty well, though some scenes could have done with a different way of portraying the fights.

It is also very dark. This is darker, not really in the philosophical sense, but in the content itself, than any comic book movie I’ve seen since A History of Violence.

When things calm down, though, Jackman and Stewart deliver the goods in performances on par with the best of their careers.

Xavier, the telepath, has Alzheimer’s and frequent seizures which through his unique mind are transmitted into the minds of all around him. That is such a clever idea. Stewart always had such grace in his ageless, previous portrayals of this character. Now we see what grace can be taken away by time, even for a guy like him.

The star though is, of course, Jackman. Every part of him aches throughout the film and he really sells it and delivers an ending with incredible pathos.

This is a really good film that really does stand on its own. While some little elements kind of irk me, they are mainly balancing issues for tone and pace and are pretty minor.

Farewell Jackman and Stewart era X-Men. Now for the sad goodbye to McKellen.

Recommended Scenario: If you want a great Superhero Western

P.S Stephen Merchant is in this and he’s amazing!