It’s so harsh to say goodbye!
Since the beginning of X-Men time, as a whole, Wolverine (a/k/a Logan / James Howlett) has, is, and will always be one of the franchise’s most prominent, stand-out heroes. (Or mutants.) When the X-Men movie version was mentioned back in ’99, one question stood above all: “Who will play Wolverine?” At first, Dougray Scott was the name, but due to scheduling conflicts, was replaced by Hugh Jackman. A then relatively unknown among American audiences, it generated an even bigger question mark. The rest, boys and girls, is history!
Blessing the storyline eight times as the rugged, no bullshit taking character, there were a couple of bumpy battles along the road. Coming back for a ninth and final time, the treatment this character really needed seems to have flourished in the grittiest of ways. And it had to be done considering his dark backstory.
After years of fighting the good fight, the future seems to have taken a toll among Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Co. They’ve all become somewhat extinct and no longer a “threat” to humanity. It all seems to have ended and we fast-forward to the year 2029, where a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in a hide out on the Mexican border. Although hard, life seems somewhat normal, but Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy come to an end when a young mutant (Dafne Keen) arrives. As she’s pursued by dark forces, Logan reluctantly finds himself dragged back into a complex world he once thought was over.
The end result? Damn! What a fucking rush! Jackman’s last hurrah as Wolverine was exactly what most expected it would be. The R-rating made it that much more enjoyable. It elevated a harsh story-line touched upon in the past, but never really had the opportunity to blossom the way I think it should have. Darker, heavily emotional, and clearly the most violent of the X-MEN franchise, LOGAN provides redemption by declawing itself from its weaker predecessors. Finales are usually tricky in how they’re executed, but LOGAN was done well. It’ll have its naysayers, but who cares? Jackman’s sendoff is visceral, but also teases where it can evolve. Overall, it came to a full chaotic, circling close. I, for one, will miss Jackman as Wolverine. Big shoes to fill if and/or when attempted!
__________
Grade: A / Genre: Action, Adventure, Sequel / Rated: R / Run Time: 2:15
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen
Directed by: James Mangold
http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/logan
© 2017 Fox/Marvel
********************