There are no words to describe my love for Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine over the past 17 years; even in the God-awful Wolverine film that shall not be named, he was still on top form (or as much as he could be with that script). So when it was announced this would be Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine, you can imagine the heartbreak.
Old Man Logan
The events of Logan follow an ageing Wolverine who works as a chauffeur in order to care for an even older Charles Xavier. Logan and Professor X are tasked with escorting a young mutant named Laura Kinney to a safe haven called Eden, but they are relentlessly hunted by a group of mutant hunters called The Reavers.
The Man Comes Around
For me, Logan transcended the superhero genre with grace, flair, and utter brutality. When its R-rating was confirmed I was excited for the film, hoping that it could push the boundaries in terms of the violence that could be shown, and that we could see Wolverine at his most ferocious. I was concerned that it would turn into a mind-numbing murder-fest that relied too heavily on gore. Luckily my fears were put to rest.
While Logan does make use of its R-rating, showing Wolverine as the beast he really is, it also tugs at the heartstrings. And when I say ‘tug’, I really mean drag around all over the place and through a hedge backwards. Picture a lion viciously tearing a zebra to shreds, and that it what this film does to your feels. There are so many moments when you actually stop to wonder whether or not Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart are even acting.
The Nerd’s Analysis
There are so many things that this film got right; the dark and gritty tone, gorgeous cinematography, the Western/road movie style of the film, the action sequences, and the casting.
Obviously, we already know how amazing Hugh Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart are at playing Wolverine and Professor X, but even still, they both managed to surprise me, and surpass their previous performances in their final outings as their respective characters. Dafne Keene’s gives a star-making performance as Laura/X-23 and I look forward to seeing her in future X-Men films. Stephen Merchant’s performance as Caliban was perfectly-pitched and while he isn’t given much to do, his character arc is very emotional and fulfilling.
One problem, however, was the lack of continuity with the X-Men timeline. In many ways, this worked, it was a good choice not to include any aspects from the discombobulated X-Men timeline. There were moments in the film that made the timeline even more confusing. Logan and Professor X mention the incident at the Statue of Liberty (clearly referencing the events of the first X-Men) but that timeline was ret-conned after Days of Future Past. Furthermore, the post-credits scene of Apocalypse teased Mister Sinister’s involvement with the Weapon X programme but there was no reference to the Essex Corporation which would have been a nice little nod to the classic X-Men villain.
Words by Anthony Cody