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★★★★
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holdbrook and Dafne Keen
Film Review by Bailey Claringbold
An elderly Wolverine and Professor X are struggling to get by, wearing away slowly. When Logan is approached by a mysterious woman and asked to take care of her daughter, the young child (Dafne Keen) is not what she seems. Charles (Patrick Stewart) and Logan (Hugh Jackman) are forced to protect her from a pursuing militia and pushed past their limits to survive.
First of all let me just say, FINALLY, an R-rated Wolverine! This is the portrayal we've all been waiting to see, a brutal and savage Logan that doesn't hold back on dismembering his opponents. The action sequences were some of the best I've seen recently, excellently choreographed and superbly shot without using an abundance of cuts. It was so refreshing to actually be able to see what was going on with blood and limbs flying left, right, and centre. All of the stunt work was so realistically represented, taking into account the vulnerability of an older Logan who isn't able to rapidly regenerate anymore. He didn't fly through the air like Superman, he forced his way through with barely any aerial acrobatics.
Visually, this film was a delicious feast for the eyes. John Mathieson's cinematography was perfect, utilising grand wide shots and tracking shots. The locations and set pieces looked beautiful, they really managed to capture that futuristic apocalyptic feel due to the desert backdrop. On the whole, the CGI was blended pretty well, apart from some obvious stunt scenes where the animation leaked through for a split second.
Jackman nailed this role once again. After seventeen years of playing Wolverine he pulled off a different take on the character here. This was a Logan that had almost given up on life, not caring about his actions, or anyone else. Thanks to the film's mature rating there was a good deal of swearing throughout which added to the intensity of the performance. Stewart was also brilliant, acting as the comedic levity at some points. He was convincing in his portrayal of someone beginning to lose their mind, not the all-powerful super being we've seen previously. However, I have to say Keen was the standout for me. She was perfectly cast as Laura, giving some of the most emotionally investing scenes and some of the most ferocious scenes.
Unfortunately, the screenplay was not quite up to scratch. Although there was some fantastic dialogue and plot points scattered along the way, the film faced some pacing issues, seeming to slow down drastically, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I found my attention dwindling now and then. There was also one major plot point that I didn't think worked too well and seemed a little forced, but didn't ruin the narrative at all.
Overall Logan is a vicious bloodbath, offering some astounding performances and totally revitalises the X-Men franchise. This is a film that is emotionally investible and possibly my favourite X-Men film to date.
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