Logan (2017) Movie Review

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes
(c)IMDb
(c)IMDb

Summary: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Director: James Mangold

Writers: James Mangold (story and screenplay), Scott Frank (screenplay), and Michael Green (screenplay)

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and more!

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   One last time. If this news hasn’t spread fast enough, let me be the bearer of bad news, my friend. Logan (2017) is Hugh Jackman’s last appearance as Wolverine. Some will see this as a source of pleasure and a reason to throw a party, while others will find sadness and great depression at the thought of losing the only Wolverine they had ever known and loved throughout all of the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies. After 17 years of claw action and shining moments, Logan brings fans the third and final installment in the Wolverine spin-off movies. While Logan (2017) might be the last chapter, it can easily be watched as a stand-alone creation. However, I’d strongly recommend going through all the adventures that Wolverine has been through to be able to truly understand his background, to feel the weight of the history of a character who has had his mind and body ravaged, and to share the heavy emotions that submerges Logan (2017). As disappointing as X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013) were, fans should not stay clear of the third movie as Hugh Jackman brings out one of his best career performances in one of the most astonishing superhero movie released yet.

   Set in 2029, it has been over 25 years since Logan has heard about any new mutants. The future looks bleak and Logan’s health is deteriorating as his regenerative skills are slowly disappearing. Bruised, beaten and mentally exhausted, he continues to take care of an aging Professor X, alongside Caliban, at the border of Mexico. Believing they are the last mutants to survive Father Time, their lives are nowhere similar to what we once knew about them. While perusing the streets as a limousine driver, Logan strugges to accumulate enough money to get him and Professor X on an isolated land by ship, for the rest of their lives. Things however don’t go his way and a little girl by the name of Laura enters his life and has him running away from a group that only means harm. Logan (2017) is completely different from the usual movie in the whole X-Men universe. It’s dark, gory and filled with sadness. Both the characters and world was brilliantly developed. Even the pacing was phenomenal. In fact, the rhythm of this movie followed the one that Logan will be having throughout the movie: heavily action-packed followed by periods of rest and recuperation. The introduction to Laura as well as the relationship she forms with Logan are by the far the best parts of this movie. To make things even better, the action sequences that these two actors share on screen will send chills down your spine.

Logan (2017) is one superhero movie that no one should miss out on.

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     This was a brilliant finale to Hugh Jackman’s legacy as Wolverine. I’ve never really thought too much of the actor’s portrayal of the character besides strongly believing that Wolverine was a pretty bad-ass X-Men. Although Jackman’s performance in Les Misérables (2012) was definitely his best moment in his career for me, I enjoyed his portrayal of Old Man Logan enough to say that it’s definitely a tight competition with his very role as Jean Valjean. Even if swearing is the first thing that will glow strong from his dialogues as Wolverine, Old Man Logan was just so much more. The sighing, roaring, screaming and cussing, all combined to remind us that Logan is a mutant that has been through far more than the eye can see. His character carries around the weight of a whole dynasty of mutants without ever being one to want such a life. He has never asked to be part of the X-Men and had never wanted anything from his life other than avoiding people in order to keep inevitable tragedy away. It’s this continued burden of always having to be the hero he was born to be, but never desired to be, that initiates his last calling, his last mission.

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     The introduction of Laura into this X-Men universe was done in such a marvelous fashion. People who had no clue what her powers were probably impressed by the execution and never saw the claws coming. I really loved how her character remained silent throughout a good portion of the movie and only cracked a sound when entering a state of adrenaline-rushed rage, and then when a certain relationship was built with Logan. Laura’s ability to showcase a child who was restrained from enjoying the simple things in life and who was built to kill was executed in the most stunning and head-dropping way possible. It was really impressive to see how the director managed to incorporate scenes of curiosity, discovery and attachment for that very character, enough to help us empathize with the character’s fate and her evolution now that she is on the run in the real world. Even more stunning was how the words that will later come out of her mouth will hold not only power, but significance. Every word she utters hits you hard and shows you that she isn’t just a child. I really loved how her speech at the burial was also a copy-paste of what she heard in the Western movie that she was watching with Professor X. Talk about ingeniousness. This movie really wanted to have me drop a tear or two.

    Pierce, a villain that shows up early and maintains a constant, yet small number of appearances throughout the movie, was decently dealt with, both in introduction and development. However, I was kind of disappointed that he wasn’t given a bit more lines or scenes that dove into his background and motivations. Maybe it was because I was biased by the character’s performance in Narcos (2015), but Pierce was definitely a mysterious and intriguing villain. Although he doesn’t have the most astonishing set of skills, his use of advanced weaponry was always a horrible and gory moment. It’s how they kept on showcasing his mechanical arm that sort of tainted my own ability to truly appreciate him since it didn’t really bring any real enhancement to his fighting skill. As usual, Pierce was however not the head of the evil corporation he belongs in, which isn’t much of a surprise. Marvel seems to enjoy always having a main villain on the front page and to later present the individual who orchestrated the bigger problems that were presented. Here, we discover the son of the man who created Wolverine as the man who’s been trying to control, rather than eradicate, the mutant race. Unfortunately, the man disappears rather quickly, and is forgotten just as fast, as more emotional scenes take over the conscience of viewers. Does this ruin the experience, as it often does in other Marvel superhero movies? Hell no. They gave these villains enough of an identity to let every other element in this movie be strong and mind-blowing. Literally.

     The action scenes in this movie actually deserves great praise. It is possible to realize the CGI that went behind some of the huge moments throughout this movie, but the effect of these scenes on your excitement is undeniable. Being the second latest R-rated movie after Deadpool (2016) gave Logan (2017) the way to bloodlusts and serious decapitation throughout the movie. Honestly, I never thought of Wolverine (the one portrayed by Hugh Jackman) was much of a fighter. What I mean is that it is hard to believe that Wolverine would have much of a chance in combat against other superheroes who have a much better fighting stance and combat style. But that doesn’t mean that Wolverine is an easy pray for people. Au contraire! You don’t want to piss off Logan, ever. The savagery behind every single one of his kills is insane and the cinematography does justice in portraying his raw and cruel moments. In fact, its how pain-filled, exhausted and angry every single one of his strikes are that make his action moments so beautiful. However, Laura brings a whole new level of brutality. Her movement is not only graceful, but strategic. To make things even better, they made a lioness analogy to her character and brought out the foot claw into action, serving surprising and impressive defensive purposes. The beauty behind her kills and the bloody and relentless stabbing that she rejoices in makes every single one of her kills a huge cathartic pleasure for the mind. In fact, these two fellows give us a pure eye candy for the blood thirsty fiends that live within all of us.

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     The surprise integration of X-24 was also a killer moment. Although I thought Sabretooth was back, X-24 was still an amazing surprise for fans of Wolverine. His crucial role in the end of Professor X could bring out claws out of your own hands, a simple and strong desire to jab a couple hundred times the improved clone of Wolverine. Let’s just say that I was glad that that adamantium bullet served its purpose. Logan (2017) remains one of the biggest surprises in the X-Men universe. In fact, I’d actually consider it being the best movie in the whole X-Men line-up, and that’s something really odd coming from someone who was greatly disappointed by the first two movies featuring Hugh Jackman. I’m really glad of the direction that this movie took and the ending it decided to go with. People might have expected claws to pop out of those rocks, but the omission of such a decision was definitely one of the best moments ever. I’m also gladly pleased by Laura’s final move of moving the cross on its side. One thing’s for sure. That “X” was a billion times better than what X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) did.

     Is this the last time we will see Wolverine? I don’t think so. Hugh Jackman might not be the one to reprise his iconic role in the future, but the character is not one to lay in the grave forever. After all, the ending of this movie leaves us with plenty of questions to contemplate. In fact, Laura could easily grow into her famous role of X-23. Let’s also not forget that these kids are running to get help across the border. They could find refuge into a new group of hidden mutants ready to train and build a whole new squad. With Deadpool laying out plans for X-Force, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that Fox would make moves to build new franchises like Alpha Flight, Generation X and so on.

For now, let’s all take a moment to contemplate the beauty of Hugh Jackman’s swan song.

Logan (2017) takes inspiration on the comic book story Wolverine: Old Man Logan by Mark Millar (writer) and Steve McNiven (illustrator). While it isn’t the same story, similarities can be identified.
Have you read the comic? Did you see the movie yet?

I’d love to talk about it with you! Tell me what you thought of Logan (2017)! 🙂

MY OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★/

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Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Reader. Reviewer. Researcher. Criminology Ph.D. Candidate. Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Want to know more? Connect with him!

47 thoughts on “Logan (2017) Movie Review”

  1. This movie is easily up there with the greatest superhero movies of all time. It’s at least in the same league as The Dark Knight as a well-done, serious take on the genre. (it’ll take me a while to decide which is better). On the one hand, I’ll say that Logan had some minor pacing problems in the second half. On the other hand, The Dark Knight probably shouldn’t have dealt with the Joker before Two Face, considering the Joker is the more interesting villain in the movie, making TDK feel a bit anti-climactic.

    The R-rating didn’t make Logan good, but it helped explore the movie’s themes on a deeper level, not to mention it allowed for a proper sendoff when Wolverine’s actually allowed to unleash himself. I really hope that Fox doesn’t learn the wrong lesson and start making all of their X-Men movies R-rated, because the team movies should remain PG-13.

    As an X-23 fan, I’m also very satisfied with the way they portrayed her in the movie. That lion analogy is actually from an interview with one of the character’s creators. It proves that they did their research. In some ways, this movie also explores the father/daughter relationship with Logan and Laura better than the comics often did before the main universe Wolverine died. She’s not exactly the same as she is in the comics, but she’s thematically similar in all the right ways, unlike a lot of Fox’s mistakes with certain characters in past movies (they got Banshee completely wrong in First Class for example). Dafne Keen seems perfect for the role, and considering she’s interested in portraying Laura again, it would be criminal to recast her just to make her older.

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    1. I can definitely see how you’d want to put it up there alongside The Dark Knight. It really was a step in the right direction. The movie brought into play everything it needed to make Logan the Wolverine movie that Hugh Jackman needed to remind us why he was Wolverine for 17 years. As Batman fan, I wouldn’t be able to put Logan on top of The Dark Knight though. I’m just too much of a fanboy to do such a thing! 🙂

      I totally agree with the R-rating. It would be pretty wrong if every foreseeable X-Men movie started to have such a rating because the last two Fox movies did great and were able to push into the adult jokes and themes. I do hope that X-Force is R-rated though. I hear its one of the most violent groups out there.

      I totally remember you saying that X-23 was your favourite. I’m quite glad to hear that Dafne Keen does justice to the character even if its not a copy-paste of the comic. The whole father/daughter relationship that was built throughout the movie was also pretty amazing. However, I don’t think the movie wanted to put too much focus on that aspect. I mean, it feels like there were definitely ways to dive into that type of bond even further, but I don’t think this movie alone would’ve had enough time and space to build that. Another installment might have definitely managed to focus on that aspect and make us tear up even more. But for what was delivered through Logan (2017), I definitely think they nailed the bond! Sucks that such a thing wasn’t too often portrayed (or even properly) through the comics. It’s also a REALLY good thing to hear that the director/writers talked with the comic writers to get those details. I’m not surprised by this fun fact though. I mean, the movie incorporates comics! And pretty cleverly too!

      – Lashaan

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    1. Yass!! Definitely worth checking out!! Let me know what you thought about it once you do. 😉

      Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Really appreciate it. All the graphics is Trang’s work though. I don’t think I would’ve been able to conjure such a thing, even through dark magic.

      – Lashaan

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    1. I know, right??? Honestly, I always had a feeling that Wolverine was getting way too much attention and focus throughout every X-Men movie, and having two bad movies (in my opinion) as spin-off Wolverine movies definitely did not help me care too much for the character, except for always wanting to see how much damage he can do with those claws! I’m REALLY happy that Logan was THE Wolverine movie that I would’ve wanted a long time ago and am quite glad that it turned out so phenomenal!!! Hope you get the chance to watch it soon and enjoy it as much as I did! Let me know what you think about it. 😉 Thank you so much Kim for your kind words. 😀 😀

      – Lashaan

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  7. Wasn’t interested in seeing this until I read your review and actually watched the trailer… I like smaller casts so we can focus on the characters so this looks really great… I was a little concerned about the R rating as that generally doesn’t add anything to me but crassness but has t sounds like it’s all about the battles for this movie! So great review…

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    1. Oh man, you have idea how glad I am to hear that! I really hope that you’ll enjoy it as much as I did when you get the chance to watch it. If I had based myself on the past 2 Wolverine movies (and even the last X-Men movie), I would have never went to check out Logan in theaters. This movie is a complete plot twist on the character and the stories that are usually told around him. The smaller cast and bigger focus on them definitely helps in getting us to feel closer to the characters and to watch special relationships build progressively and intensely! I too wouldn’t see the use of an R-rating for movies unless it just wants to go all out in crazy dumb things that are ill-advised in real life, but Logan definitely makes brilliant use of it. We all know what kind of damage Wolverine can do with his special powers. The R-rating not only maximizes the things that they can show related to those claws, but also dive into the more animal themes related to the mutant life. One thing’s for sure, the action scenes have never looked so stunning before! Thank you again and I hope you’ll enjoy Logan!! 😀

      – Lashaan

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  8. Okay! the nonhusband will love you forever for convincing me that we should go see this. I am not sure why, but I was on the fence. I know I mention often that I struggle with super heros, etc, but I enjoy X-Men. I just was grabbed by the trailers. Now I am sold. I admit I am sad to see the end of Hugh Jackman.. but that might possibly be for more selfish reasons haha 😉

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    1. Hahaah yay!!! I’m really happy to hear that! I don’t think Logan could disappoint you or the nonhusband at all. This is THE Wolverine movie quality that should’ve been present for the first two Wolverine spin-offs. It is such a thrill (expect some filthy gory scenes) and a beautiful character-oriented story (the bonds that are showcased and built are beautiful). Hahahah, it is sad to see Hugh Jackman go though, especially with the whole skin cancer problem he’s dealing with (haven’t read too much about it), but the man went out with a bang in Logan. That’s at least a happy thought to keep in mind as Hugh Jackman exits the stage.

      – Lashaan

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      2. Bahahaha I will take 200% of the blame if this movie ends up being the biggest cinematic disappointment you’ll ever have seen! 😛

        I don’t really follow celebrities, but that whole skin cancer thing managed to sneak into one of my feeds somewhere (Facebook? I don’t know anymore..). Quite a sad thing to find out, but in the end it makes you realize that actors are human too!

        – Lashaan

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  9. Great review for this film. I skipped past the spoiler section because I’m going to be seeing this with my friend next weekend but I saw enough to see you gave it five stars so now I’m even more excited to see it!
    I wasn’t actually aware this would be Hugh Jackman’s last appearance as Wolverine. I can’t really imagine the X-Men films without him but I’m glad it was a satisfying end for his character, especially after his first two films weren’t that amazing. 🙂

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    1. Thanks Beth! The movie is honestly a good 9.5/10, which explains the 5 stars (score rounded up). I don’t mind rounding up the stars for movies since its not really the star rating that I want people to remember hahahha If anything, its definitely a great indicator of a great movie!! I do hope you’ll enjoy Logan as much as I did. Expect the movie to be a real roller-coaster ride! 😛 And yessss, it is the end of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. It was a great end for the character’s legacy though. You’ll see for yourself next weekend. 😉

      – Lashaan

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      1. That’s all right, and actually normally I will read the review and base my opinions off that but as I’ve yet to see the film myself I wanted to avoid any possible spoilers for it. Still five stars is a great indication it’s a great film.
        It does look amazing, and I’m so excited to actually see it for myself as well. 😀

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  10. Too bad about this being Hugh Jackman’s last Wolverine movie. Awwwwww. I really liked him in that role. It’ll be interesting if they remake the whole Wolverine series. I wonder who would make a comparable replacement. Any ideas?

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    1. I know, right? Especially when most people who’ve followed the whole cinematic universe of the X-Men know Wolverine as Hugh Jackman and no one else.

      Whoever would replace Hugh Jackman will probably have huge shoes to fill. Having an impeccable story to back up the character (something closer to what fans know from the comics, maybe) would definitely help said character in taking over the Wolverine “costume”.

      I’ve heard a lot of fans speculating on the best possible replacement, and I actually believe that Tom Hardy would be brilliant. He has the size (apparently, Wolverine is supposed to be a pretty short guy) and we all know Hardy has the acting skills to pull off amazing bad-ass moments on screen. As a huge Hardy fanboy, I’d love to see him in that role too, but then again, I’d also love to have in the DC (instead of Marvel) world just to make me feel a lot better about the DC Universe. 😀 😀

      How about you? You got any names that could wear the claws in the future?

      – Lashaan

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      2. A young Wolverine is interesting. I don’t think I’ve seen that happen before. All I can think of, besides Miles Teller, would be Jamie Dornan. However, his impression on me is sort of tainted by the whole Fifty Shades series.. Don’t know if he’s a good actor.

        – Lashaan

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      4. Indeed hahah. Although the same could be said for Miles Teller and his role in Fantastic Four (as Mister Fantastic). Then again, I don’t think he’s a bad actor since I’ve seen the guy in other movies, like Whiplash. Maybe Jamie Dornan has had some great movies in the past that will let fans overlook his role in the Fifty Shades trilogy. Who knows? 🙂

        – Lashaan

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  11. This whole movie felt very much like an old school Western to me (not just the scene where Laura and Professor X watch that movie, or where Laura recites from that movie at the end). I’ve heard other people agree and disagree with that – what’s your take?

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    1. I can definitely agree with that. At first I wasn’t too sure why they had posters for Logan with the whole Western style to it; except maybe because it was a pretty cool design. I think its pacing, its themes, its score and especially its action sequences can be quite reminiscent of Western movies. I also think the whole premise of the movie can be seen as a Western if we think about the idea of bounty hunters, and in this case, the bounty being Laura. Some scenes even have the suspense-level similar to Westerns with a “who will draw first”. What brought you to see the similarities with classic Western movies though? 😀

      – Lashaan

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      1. Not sure – the whole movie just felt very Western to me from the very beginning. I think it might have been how dirty everything was lol I know that sounds silly, but in other X-Men movies everything has been very shiny and “techy” looking – but in Logan, everything was much more focused on how old and dirty and decaying everything was. The pace of the film was similar to that of old Westerns as well!

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      2. Hahahha I actually understand what you mean. And with all the mutants in the other movies, it always felt so colourful whenever they started using powers. Logan felt darker and dirtier, especially with the character often looking heavily injured and being in locations like the border of Mexico, woods, farm crops, etc. It was a really well-shot movie too.

        – Lashaan

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      3. Yes, exactly! The injuries definitely helped give it that Western vibe. I think throwing in as much Spanish as they did helped add to that feel, as well.

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  12. I skipped over the spoiler review because I have yet to see the movie (though I plan on seeing it today!) but your spoiler-free review was great! I’m pumped for this movie, and I’m glad to hear it didn’t disappoint.

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    1. No worries, bro. Thanks for stopping by though, even if it’s just for the spoiler-free review, really appreciate it.

      The movie won’t disappoint you! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Let me know what you thought about it once you see the credits rolling! 😉

      – Lashaan

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  13. Great review man, you totally do justice to the film with your insightful and enjoyable analysis. I definitely need to re-read Old Man Logan in the near future, I’ve actually only read it once but ‘Logan’ does capture much of the heart, brutality and old-west feel that I recall from the comic version, which is a little more summer blockbuster-y with the inclusion of certain other Marvel-U characters that 20th Century Fox obviously couldn’t use.

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    1. Thanks man, really appreciate it! I honestly haven’t read Old Man Logan since I barely (actually, I just don’t) have any Marvel comic on my shelves and I don’t really like reading online hahah I did however read Civil War by Mark Millar and I’m not supposed by what you’re saying! I doubt Marvel will ever be able to truly adapt these comic stories without making it insanely overwhelming on screen. Oh, and also if Fox doesn’t decide to pair up with Marvel, like they started doing with Spider-Man, we aren’t going to see any epic REAL epic showdowns in theaters! 😛 I am glad however that it managed to capture “heart, brutality and old-west feel” though. I hear the directors/writers did their research in regards of this movie by talking with the comic writers. Always a great thing to hear. Gives us hope for these movies! 😀

      – Lashaan

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      1. Old Man Logan is definitely worth a look, it’s a fun read but the more restrained approach to Logan works in its favour. I don’t think a full-on ‘overwhelming’ version of the story would’ve worked anywhere near as well!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Well, I’m sad to see Hugh go. I liked him as Wolverine. I only read the spoiler free part above though cause I want to go see the movie. I usually don’t mind spoilers, but I really like Wolverine. In the X-Men movies and Wolverine spin-offs, he’s my fav.

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    1. No worries. I expect to read the parts that interest them the most after all! 😀 Wolverine has always been a bad-ass to my eyes since I’ve seen him in the Animated Series of the X-Men. In the movies, Hugh Jackman delivers on the bad-ass part, but the spin-off stories around him never satisfied me, at all. I also found it quite odd how the main X-Men movies always focused the plot, in some twisted way, to put it on Wolverine. It would’ve been better, in my opinion, if those movies had done a more balanced job in putting the TEAM first. However, Logan was the best movie with Wolverine in it for me. It is also the best one in the WHOLE X-Men movie universe! I do hope you’ll enjoy it when you get around to it! 😀

      – Lashaan

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      1. Well then, I must try to see it soon. I considered seeing it on Monday, but went with Get Out instead, which was aight. I preferred the underlying messages to the overall plot.
        And I also would’ve preferred a Team first focus in the X-Men movies, like with Avengers.

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      2. Might watch Get Out once it becomes available digitally. So much praise from critics for it. It looked weirdly disturbing the first time I saw the trailer. And yes, indeed. Something closer to how Avengers was done would’ve been much more proper for the X-Men.

        – Lashaan

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      3. After seeing it, I was upset that I didn’t wait for it to be available online or something. I think the praises it’s receiving is for the critiques and such of our society within it.

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