Logan: Review

Logan is directed by James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. Set in the near future of 2029, we see an ageing Wolverine struggling to take care of the ailing Professor X across the Mexican border In a world where mutants are all but extinct. Logan's attempts to hide from the world are turned on their head as a mysteriously gifted girl one day appears, along with the dark forces that follow.

Doubling down on action that last year's blockbuster 'X-men Apocalypse' over indulged itself with, Logan boasts a disappointing sequence of bloody slasher scenes and mediocre story telling. Though it might be the better of the three films in 'The Wolverine' trilogy, it's clear that Logan tries to be different with a more artistic style of filming. Realistically however, there are few things that save this film from being just another face in the comic book movie crowd. A dissatisfying send off for Jackman as Wolverine, this sadly doesn't feel like the ending fans, neither Logan truly deserves.

​By no means is Logan a 'bad film', but with 137 minute run time you expect it to be a little faster paced. There are various elements to the film that are yet to be fully explained - Charles Xavier's seizures - The shortage of Mutants - things that had no effect, nor meaning to the plot and feel misshapenly slotted into the story. Noticeably glazed over, maybe the film could have been something if only these ideas were explored a little more.

Undeniably, Jackman gives it his all for one supposed last time as The Wolverine. The role that made him famous continues to shock audiences, and Logan is quite possibly Jackman's best career performance in the X Men album. Aged and Broody, almost Batman-esque, this last outing for Wolverine feels the most accurate portrayal of the character to date. Logan's rating opens up so many doors in exploring the true rage and violence of the character. In this the most violent superhero movie yet, one isn't ever far from an amputation or decapitation. The amount of blood shed   may sometimes feel like overkill, but on the whole it works and very much defines the animal instincts of the name 'Wolverine'.

Easily the most satisfying aspect to the film is the creation of the mysterious X-23 - Wolverine's genetically modelled daughter. With very little speech, supplying the most impressive action scenes and heartfelt interactions with Professor X and Papa Logan, this young girl is the inspiration for the film. What director Mangold attempts to create is one of the more accurate comic book story lines in the superhero film genre. Previous X Men favourites like Storm and Jean Grey are discarded in order to create a singular focus on the lone Wolverine. 

In recent years superhero films have sometimes succeeded in taking a more sombre tone, see 'Civil War' and 'The Winter Solider'. This doesn't quite work for Logan though, which instead becomes a little boring - think 'Batman v Superman' - though Logan does try ever so hard to be edgy, with a more emotional take on the genre. The inevitable ending feels anticlimactic with no surprises or big reveals. Then to make matters worse the film throws at you a ridiculously out of place Terminator 2-stye twist that feels very much like a silly deja-vu of the last film. 

In the end Logan makes efforts to be different but turns out to be a long, lacklustre two hour flick that has few redeeming qualities. Ultimately the ageing Wolverine feels empty and Logan is very much a mediocre ending to what sadly has been a mediocre trilogy. 

I am going to give Logan:

6.6/10