Logan: A Satisfyingly Heartfelt, Bloody Goodbye

It's been 17 years since he first stepped up and wore Wolverine's shoes and claws, but Hugh Jackman showed no signs of slowing down, especially in his last time sporting the adamantium claws. He's also accompanied by Sir Patrick Stewart and newcomer Dafne Keen for a raw, beautiful, and emotional swan song with Logan.

It's been 17 years since he first stepped up and wore Wolverine's shoes and claws, but Hugh Jackman showed no signs of slowing down, especially in his last time sporting the adamantium claws. He's also accompanied by Sir Patrick Stewart and newcomer Dafne Keen for a raw, beautiful, and emotional swan song with Logan.

Logan is set in the near future where mutants are on the brink of extinction. Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has aged since we last saw him because his decelerated aging and accelerated healing have been deteriorating. He's been taking care of the ailing Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) with the help of fellow mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant). Then, one girl named Laura (Dafne Keen)—who Xavier thinks is also a mutant—pops in their lives and sends them on a road trip to help her reach Eden safely while being chased by the villainous Transigen Project and Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook).

I really like director James Mangold's decision to reduce the use of CGI for Logan. With the recent superhero films, I feel that there has been an oversaturation of CGI-heavy action sequences. However, after watching Logan, I think this is a breath of fresh air because Mangold avoided relying on CGI too much to deliver what seems like a grandiose of action that is radical than most films within the genre.

I love the fact that the movie is R-rated because the story can finally go dark and touch the serious and adult themes that most superhero films are afraid to tap because of the studios' and filmmakers' fear of alienating most casual moviegoers and kids.

The R rating also helps with the oh so satisfying carnage and violence. With every stab Logan made to his enemies, I somehow feel that it's relieving some of my stress. Of course, there's always the dismemberment and decapitations, but all these never seems glorified. The film never feels like a showcase of over-the-top violence. The violence didn't even feel over the top, to begin with, despite the rapid pace of the increase in body count.

Wolverine is an unstoppable force, but in Logan, he is reduced to a bitter man whose age caught up to him. He is way past his prime here, and seeing a new and more vulnerable side of the character is one of the film's selling points. This characterization of Logan pulled him back down to earth and even gave him a capability to become more relatable. Hugh Jackman is commendable for his latest efforts because he balanced his character's strengths and weaknesses, and he showed that he is the only and best Wolverine.

Sir Patrick Stewart thankfully has more screen time here than most of his appearances in the X-Men franchise. He and Xavier, like Jackman and Logan, were given a great material to work with. And like Logan, we were treated to a different side of Xavier. We all know him as one of the most powerful mutants, but here, he is reduced to a sickly man who needs to be protected and taken care of or everyone around him will suffer.

The exposed personalities of Logan and Xavier paved the way for some cool and funny character dynamics we've never seen before between the two and also some satisfyingly dramatic and emotional moments as well.

One revelation of the film is Dafne Keen. This marks the eleven-year-old actress' first major role in a film. She only has one acting credit so far, and that is in a TV series called The Refugees. Landing a role like this and sharing the scenes with franchise and industry veterans Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart without being overshadowed by the two are already impressive feats, but what impressed me more is her effortless channeling of mystery, physicality, and vulnerability to the character of Laura/X-23. So kudos to the crew for finding such a fine talent. After seeing her in Logan, I'm now excited for what's in store for the young and talented Ms. Keen and, of course, Laura.

Narcos actor Boyd Holbrook as the dastardly Donald Pierce is delightfully vicious here, and he's having the time of his life portraying such a character—hell, even being in a Marvel film. Stephen Merchant as Caliban serves as a nice foil to Jackman's Logan, and though Caliban may be irritating at first because he tends to nag Logan, he warmed up to me until the end because of Merchant's portrayal.

The film never felt long even with its running time of two hours and 17 minutes because I was hooked to the movie until the credits. Its script, penned by Scott Frank, Michael Green, and James Mangold and based loosely on Mark Millar's and Steve McNiven's Old Man Logan, never had any unnecessary scenes and characters. Even the side characters the three meet along the way were given some depth and gave more support for our three leads, leading to some of those moments I loved in the film.

The newest installment in the X-Men franchise is drastically different from all its predecessors. The film and its characters are stripped off the superhero genre's fantastical nature, and we have a gritty superhero film, with a balance of character moments and well-executed and well-choreographed action sequences, that can be considered as one of the best X-Men films alongside Days of Future Past and one of the best superhero films out there.

Even though there is the sense of finality for Logan, which can surely lead to some tugs at the heartstrings, hope is reborn in the form of Laura. She is now the future (well, their future), and Logan has passed his legacy to her. Let's hope we'll see and hear more of her in the new films.

RATING: 5/5