To call ‘Logan’ a superhero movie would be misleading and,
in a way, disrespectful. The movie generated a lot of hype – the key reason
being that Hugh Jackman has decided to hang his claws, so to speak, and he was
very insistent that the movie be just right. So there were a lot of
expectations. And oh boy, did they get it right! More akin to a gritty
western style action movie than the spectacle based CGI fuelled jam-packed action
rides we are used to; the makers defy genre trappings (more than even ‘The Dark
Knight’ and ‘Deadpool’ did) and give us a bold, mature movie with genuine
heart.
The movie is set in the not too distant future (2029, if I
remember correctly); and seems pretty bleak. Most of the mutants are gone,
following some sort of incident. Logan has aged significantly and his healing
powers are not as potent as they used to be – he is hurting both physically and
emotionally. He is a heavy drinker and drives a limo to make ends meet and
take care of a deteriorated Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is now
suffering from a brain condition which results in seizures that affect everyone
around him. The plot kicks into high gear when Laura, a young mutant who is
being chased by an evil corporation and its mercenaries joins them, and they have
to get her to safety.
There are just so many positives here – everything from the
tone, to the directing, to the acting. Credit to James Mangold, who has
directed and also written the story, for not succumbing to standard comic book
movie trappings. The acting is brilliant – Patrick Stewart is in fine form, and
Dafne Keen playing Laura is an exciting find who could be one to watch out for.
But of course, it’s Hugh Jackman’s show – and he shows just how invested he is
in the movie by delivering a nuanced and layered performance that is the
highlight of a movie that has so many things going for it.
Logan definitely justifies its ‘R’ rating (‘A’ in India) –
this one is not for the kids. It is the most violent X-Men movie by far – the action
is brutal, savage and raw; which is appropriate given the protagonist. Rather
than focusing on gratuitous violence, the makers use the freedom of the ‘R’
rating to explore mature themes of isolation, loss, family, sacrifice and
living with one’s actions – all of which, despite the focus on character building
and relations, seems appropriate for Wolverine.
In fact, the main reason the movie works so well is that it feels
like the perfect Wolverine movie – after the first two movies which were far
from perfect, the quintessential anti-hero gets the movie that truly represents
him. Yes, the movie is long and, at times, slow. But it works, and delivers a
swan song that is damn near perfect. It is a satisfactory conclusion for one of
the most successful franchises. Just go watch it! Even if you aren’t a big fan
of the franchise, you can’t help but leave the theatre with a sense of closure.
