New Releases #5: Logan

My name is Logan Tyler Smith, and in this series of LoganLand Prime I will analyze movies that are newer or more contemporary in the public consciousness. Welcome to the New Releases series.

In “Logan”, former superhero Logan aka Wolverine is living in a dystopian future. Mutants are next to extinct and he spends his days hustling drugs across the border and caring for the elderly Charles Xavier aka Professor X. When a mysterious young girl comes into his life and requests to be taken to a “safe haven” for mutants, Logan learns thorny ideas about the meaning of family and brotherhood. Logan must also protect the girl from the “Reavers,” a group of sadistic hunters who experiment on mutant children.
Logan quickly becomes one of the best movies of 2017 right off the bat. Comic book fans will come into the movie with high expectations and will not be disappointed by the faithful depiction of the Wolverine character. In addition to being true to the comics, the movie is shot and edited really well and seems to (despite it’s adherence to the source materials) function more as an Oscar bait drama than a typical superhero movie. Hugh Jackman clearly makes the most out of his last portrayal of the character, which he started playing seventeen years ago with the first X-Men movie.


Though the villains may appear one-dimensional if you don’t analyze it too deeply, the characters in Logan are nonetheless very powerfully acted. Newcomer Dafne Keen (who plays the mysterious girl, “Laura”) practically steals the show from Jackman with a surprising amount of character strength. Patrick Stewart’s role as the ageing Professor X warms the heart for a variety of reasons-least of all being him being an effective mentor for the disillusioned Wolverine.


The film is the first R-rated X-Men movie since Deadpool (there’s even a fun little nod to that in the opening credits). As such, it’s very violent and has some moments that may turn even the strongest of stomachs.  
However, movie buffs and comic book fans (maybe a few outsiders) should be able to move past the mature content in favor of the surprising cinematic masterpiece it is. If you’re into feats in filmmaking, faithful comic adaptations, and general award-winning dramas, this film hits the mark on every level and is worth seeing. Logan is definitely a fitting end to Jackman and Stewart’s near-irreplaceable portrayals of their popular characters.

That's my take. I'm Logan Tyler Smith and this has been the New Releases series.

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