Logan

Ever since the teaser trailer appeared online for Logan, with its post-apocalyptic setting backed by Johnny Cash's powerful cover of Hurt, I have been whispering small prayers for this film. Whilst I have a lot of affection for the X-Men and its potential as a cinematic series, the films have always been a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst it reached the highest highs with X-Men 2 and Days of Future Past, it also reached the lowest lows with X-Men Origins: Wolverine (wonderfully bad in its own way), the abysmal, franchise killer X-Men 3 and the bizarre X-Men: Apocalypse. With Logan reportedly being Hugh Jackman's final stint as the much beloved character, can the film sit amongst the peak of this now 17 year old franchise?

Logan picks up with the titular character in the year 2029 (which timeline, I have no idea). Logan is an old, drunk, bitter and angry man. His healing powers are faltering and the adamantium frame ia slowly poisoning him. He now works as a chauffeur in a post-apocalyptic world where mutants are on the verge of extinction. Logan also harbours a very ill and senile Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)  whose deteriorating mental state caused a terrible accident, forcing him into exile. Logan works with fellow mutant outcast Caliban (Stephen Merchant) to keep Charles sedated, should any other accidents happen. Hiding from the world and his legacy, Logan's life is thrown into further disarray when a distressed nurse begs him to help take a child over the border to safety. The child in question has more in common with Logan than he initially realises - she is a young mutant, has healing powers, has retractable claws and has a penchant for violence. Logan, Charles and the young girl (X-23) being a bloody roadtrip to take her to safety from a world that hates mutants, whilst in pursuit by the nasty corporation where she escaped from. 

Logan is further proof that 20th Century Fox have no idea what they are doing with the X-Men franchise. They are clearly willing to try anything to see what sticks. How such a grim and violent film can sit in the same franchise as camp and silly X-Men: Apocalypse and the meta Deadpool is beyond me. This is not a detriment to Logan or anything. While I'm not the biggest fan of 2016's Deadpool (sorry, I thought it was average at best)  the best thing about it was that it opened the flood gates to a different kind of superhero film. And 20th Century Fox have done something right here- Logan is a very different kind of superhero film but does not take the audience pleasing meta-cues from Deadpool. Logan manages to transcend its roots, mostly in part due to Hugh Jackman's great performance as Wolverine. Jackman plays Logan like a walking corpse. We are not filled in on a lot of the details in the intervening years between films and that's kind of ok as the pain and scars are clearly visible in Jackman's performance. It's Jackman's best performance as the character, who teeters between pent-up anger and deep depression (he keeps an adamantium bullet with him, in case he decides to end it all). The quaint days of the original X-Men films are a distant memory (the finale of the original X-Men film is referenced early on by Charles, which Logan shrugs off as "a long time ago"). The film is sapped of any references to the previous films and doesn't play out like a traditional super hero film. The only link remaining is Jackman and Stewart, who we collectively remember as once being superheroes. 

Surprisingly, the film actual does have a heart and a glimmer of hope amidst the depressing setting and much-touted bloody action scenes. A lot of this comes from the central relationship between the three main characters, in particular between Logan and Charles. Patrick Stewart is wonderful as always as Professor X - while it is odd to hear this often refined and quietly-spoken character swear excessively, it is used for a purpose in that it shows how senile Charles is getting. Great when he is out of his mind and great when a glimmer of his old self returns, it is multi-layered performance that Stewart is clearly revelling in. Logan and Charles share a complex relationship, that is given time to breathe and explore. These are very old friends with conflicting personalities, creating a de-facto father and son relationship. Into this picture comes the daughter/grand-daughter: Laura, also known as X-23, played by first timer Dafne Keen. X-23 is a very popular character in the comic books and has actually taken over the mantel of Wolverine recently. With very little dialogue, Keen is able to build an intense performance that is both frightening and child like. It's almost like Hit-Girl in reality. The villains are fine - Richard E. Grant randomly turns up to expose dialogue and back-story but you don't leave the theatre remembering him or Boyd Holbrook's metal armed Donald Pierce. The film quite rightly pitches the central conflict as being between the three main characters - the villains are more of a nuisance. Probably my favourite scene is where they share a meal together and all three begin to restore a bit of their humanity for a few minutes. Thematically, this also works really well. The film deals in that feeling of reality and disappointment - the X-Men world has ended up in the worst possible place, Logan cannot live up to the ideal of being Wolverine, Professor X has been unable to help mutant kind and Laura ultimately does not find an ideal fatherly archetype. Just when you think an emotional catharsis is about to be reached, the rug is pulled from underneath the audiences'  feet. Ultimately, the question is whether the characters can work through this to achieve an ideal future. Which oddly makes this film quite ... topical. 

Of course, one of the film's most touted selling points is its dark and violent setting. Following Deadpool's success, studios are beginning to see money in R-rated comic book films. Thus, we have a much darker and violent depiction of Wolverine which may not have been a reality if not for Deadpool (it's a far cry from PG-13 antics of The Wolverine). Is it successful? Well, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think it is appropriate for the story and where Logan is as a character. The world has become a much darker, harsher place and a good way to communicate this to the audience is with more violent content. So we have decapitations, limbs hacked off, graphic violence and brutal action scenes that are far from the superhero showdown of Apocalypse. Honestly, I couldn't believe I was watching this with a mainstream audience. On the other hand, it is excessive. It does make for a bizarre contrast to the rest of the series and at times it is borderline tasteless. That said, I think it just about works due to the tone os the story and the journey of the character. 

Whilst Logan isn't a perfect film, it is a fitting ending to Jackman's stint as the character. I actually do applaud the attempt to do something different with this X-Men film and taking the concept to the nth degree. Whilst I do have mixed feelings about the violent content, the emotions are pitched just right. Some of the best scenes, which I cannot discuss due to spoilers, are where the actors are given a chance to shine. It's a grim, long ride to the finish line, with plenty blood split, that ends on a somber note.  Taking its cues more from Westerns and the works of Sam Peckinpah than comic books, director Jams Mangold finally gives Wolverine the film he deserves. It's hard to know where Fox will want to take the franchise next, I personally think this kind of X-Men should only be done once. It's a bloody trail to the end but the film knows where to pitch its emotional core. 

Rating: 8/10

I have a pitch for an Orange Is The New Black-style X-Men TV show. Fox. Call me. 

And finally - my super quick thoughts on all the X-Men films. X-Men. It's a quaint little film - very much of its time. Low-key with some good performances and goofy elements. X-Men 2. A handful of critics have tried turning the tide against this much beloved entry - they are are wrong. It's a classy film that is a great expansion of the original film and improves upon it in every way. X-Men 3. Abysmal. I used to think it was ok and didn't really get the hate. Until recently. F*** this film. X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Also terrible. But in a so-bad-it's-good-kind-of-way. Constantly unintentionally funny. X-Men: First Class. Another classy and enjoyable entry, mostly powered by great performances by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as the young Charles and Eric respectively. The Tumblr X-Men film. The Wolverine. A solid if predictable entry. Wolverine goes to Japan. Nothing more, nothing less. X-Men: Days of Future Past. This is a great one. If you have any affection for the series you must see this. Probably the best film in the series. X-Men: Apocalypse. And they follow up Future Past with a bizarre camp entry that I liked but for all the wrong reasons. Often unintentionally funny.