Super-Cember #31: Logan (2017)

(Originally posted December 31st, 2017)

I knew I saved this one for last for a reason. Logan (2017) was the perfect way to end the month, as not only was it drastically different than any movie I've seen this entire month, but it was also just f***ing amazing. I can see why so many people raved over this when it came out, and I wish I was caught up on the X-Men films when this came out so I could have seen it on the big screen. I have no words. Therefore, here are many parargraphs containing my words. Starring Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce, Stephen Merchant as Caliban, Richard E. Grant as Zander Rice and Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23.

Logan (2017)

One of the easiest things to talk about in this movie is its tone. This is a bleak movie. It takes place post-human/mutant war, and the world is very different. The film pulls no punches with its main cast, and this is what makes the film so very dark. However, the film also finds time for the odd happy moment, and it will tell jokes on occasion (jokes that really land, in my opinion). I touched on this in my Wonder Woman review, but this is where the DCEU falls flat: the films are so dark and so lacking in the odd light-hearted moment that the entire thing just seems one-note. Here, they show the other side, they show the characters having fun with each other, and that's what makes the darker moments land so well. Logan himself isn't sunshine and rainbows, but that's been his character for all 9 movies he's been in, it's just that the world's caught up to him now. Right from the beginning, you can tell this might not end well for Logan, and it's the R-rated movie the character always deserved. I mentioned earlier this month that the only two characters that really deserve the dark and gritty treatment are Batman and Wolvering, and this films demonstrates exactly why that is.

Hugh Jackman as Logan

For his final performance in the role, Hugh Jackman delivers his best performance yet. You can tell he's really excited about the new story they're telling here, and he puts everything he has into it. I'm going to miss the character in future X-Men movies, and if Wolverine ever makes it into the MCU, they'll have a tough time finding a worthy replacement, but this just works so well as the final story about this character. Over the last 9 movies, Hugh Jackman has just made this role completely his own, and he was one of the best things about the entire X-Men series. Another highlight was Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, and he's in top form here as well. It's a very different take on the character, but given the world they're living in at this point, it's one I'm not surprised by. Stewart gives a fantastic performance here, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last time HE returned to this role as well. If I'm going to nitpick, I do wish there was some closure with the whole Charles vs Magneto element they've had running through these movies, which has always been strong, but I do think that would have been one subplot too many, so I'm not surprised they didn't mention it here.

Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier

The new cast are all excellent, and I was surprised to see a few familiar faces here. Stephen Merchant is very impressive, as he gives a performance I really haven't seen from him before. He has some of the humorous moments, as you'd expect from Stephen Merchant, but it's a very grounded character, and a very tragic one, at that. Merchant really sells me on this, and again, I was very impressed. Richard E. Grant is, as always, amazing. He's not in the movie for very long, but you feel the weight of his role whenever he's on screen. When they reveal his importance by the end, it just all makes sense, and of course you'd get someone like Richard E. Grant to play this role. It's a reserved performance, but it's a reserved role, and he's not really the focus of the movie, so he plays his part well. But the standout here was definitely Dafne Keen as Laura. This was her first role in any movie ever, and she blew me away. I'm always impressed when an actor has to work with a handicap, like a covered face, no movement or, in this case, limited lines, but she does a fantastic job conveying every emotion she needs to whilst not speaking a word for the first 90+ minutes of the movie. I hope we see her in more movies in the future because she, especially for an 11 year old, blew me away.

Dafne Keen as X-23

This is normally the part where I would go over some of my problems with the film but, to be honest, I have none. This is just a perfect movie, in ways I can't really talk about without going into spoilers, but it's just one of those movies that doesn't waste anything. Not a single scene is without purpose, not a single plot thread goes unresolved, not a single callback is without meaning. It's why I don't have as big a problem leaving the Magneto relationship out of it, as I mentioned before, because the film doesn't need it. It's a tight movie, and it does exactly what it wants to do with almost unparalleled ease. Does it work as well if you aren't as familiar with the X-Men series and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine? Probably not, but this film wasn't made to be a standalone Wolverine story. This was made to be the conclusion for a character that has been impressing us since the year 2000, and in that sense, it accomplishes everything it needs to with style and grace. It's just a flawless movie.

Stephen Merchant as Caliban

Logan (2017) was a fantastic movie, and just a great way to end the year. This is a movie that I would easily watch over and over, and I'd probably keep finding new things that I like about it each time I watch it. I've got nothing more to say. Best movie of the year. 10/10.

Coming soon: a recap of the month and a touch on what's to come.