Film Review

Slashing into Reality

HughJackman has reprised his role as Wolverine, the beloved member of the X-Men, in the third and final film of the series simply titled, Logan. Released March 3, 2017, director and writer, James Mangold, mostly known for well scripted dramas such as Girl, Interrupted and Walk the Line, has delivered an unexpected delight in his second role as director of the Wolverine series, and his first time writing the screen play for Logan’s last stand. He has captured the dynamic violence, humor, and sorrow of a dying mutant, bringing the hyperbolic and often ridiculous story lines of the X-Men franchise back to earth. The audience follows Logan, Professor Charles Xavier, and Laura, Logan’s newly found 11-year-old progenitor, as they travel on an unexpected road trip to keep her safe.

The film begins the with our aged protagonist resting on the side of a sandy road in a limo which we learn is his as the camera pans to his ID card. His face displays evidence of a hard life with bits an array of gray hairs on his head and beard. Our anti-hero may not be the man we once knew, but he is still every bit of the weapon he was created to be. An unlucky group of trouble makers learn this for themselves, resulting in missing limbs and lives cut short in the first five minutes of the film.

After years of saving the world, fighting his own personal demons, and pushing away personal relationships, Logan is the last of a handful of mutants. His constant coughing and swigs of whiskey indicate the decay sweeping through his body, but has yet to take full control due to his regenerative powers. Jackman’s portrayal of the aging hero displays a stoicism that is only breached by his love for Professor X, who we find to be a broken version of the man who once stood as the leader of the X-Men. The dashing Patrick Stewart emitted a balance of humor and wisdom, offering a stellar portrayal of a man who once guided young mutants to embrace their powers and believe in the good within themselves and mankind. Now he is hidden away, heavily medicated to repress his seizures. This is a reality that we must all face in life, your heroes will grow old, lose their strength, and you will have to take care of them, nurse them, and cry for them when they are gone.

Mangold’s deft writing turned the tables on the typical settings of major comic book films that often-span time and different universes. Our characters are centralized in the confines of vehicles for most the film, taking on the tropes found in road movie genre to force our characters to look at each other and themselves, and in this case with an emphasis on wry dialogue. There is often the sense of discovery within these films, of both the internal and external word. The pace and warping landscapes of the road represent the internal dilemmas each character faces.  These devices create the perfect setting for young Laura, the newest addition to the X-Men franchise, to tell her story, which is done mostly through her piercing eyes as she says very little throughout the film. Dafne Keen delivers a riveting performance as a young mutant created in the sterile confines of a lab. She is seeking safety and at the same time learns the meaning of family while trying to escape the dark hands of those who want to see her dead.

Logan was an action-packed film that relied on the power of the story and human connection, rather than the cheap tricks of other films that wish to solely profit over their viewers, rather than engage with them. This is the appropriate farewell for Hugh Jackman. He first donned the well quaffed hair, brooding demeanor, and adamantium claws starting in 2000 with the release of X- MEN, capturing the imagination of comic book fans and movie goers in a period before the onslaught of comic book centered media which we know today. Where a new Captain America or Iron Man film is released every year, and major studios are clawing their way to make the next collaborative action film such as Avengers of Justice League. It is incredible that this franchise, and most specifically the audience’s love for Wolverine, has lasted for 17 years. This film will satisfy fans who have been with Jackman for the beginning, and those who are taking a chance to learn about the layers of his performance.