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Author Topic: LOGAN: NON-SPOILER REVIEW  (Read 948 times)
Darth Knox
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« on: March 13, 2017, 04:23:20 PM »

Saw the movie at the weekend, hence the lateness of this review.

PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE.

When Fox released X-Men in 2000 they helped prove that, along with Blade in 1998, that comic book movies (CBMs) could be taken seriously and be profitable at the box office. This feeling gained an additional bump in 2005 with the release of Batman Begins and then Marvel changed the game in 2008 with Iron Man (insomuch that it was the beginning of the much vaunted "cinematic universe").

Since 2000, the X-movies have always pushed Wolverine front and centre. Some fans of the comics lament that the other great members of the team got pushed back and never had their full potential realised on screen, but one thing is true, Hugh Jackman in the role has always been welcomed (once everyone got over the fact that he was too tall).

17 years later, Jackman (who has also wanted to the character justice in the movies but always got stifled due to a PG-13 rating) finally got his wish and is playing Weapon X aka Logan aka James Howlett aka Wolverine in an R rated movie. The 2016 trailer featuring Johnny Cash's rendition of Hurt (originally sung by Nine Inch Nails) showed us that this final outing of the clawed mutant will be very different to any incarnation we have seen before. Director James Mangold has said that the movie will be totally different to any previous X-movie too. So, is all the hype well deserved or is the movie another in a long list of high promises but low delivery?

The story/plot
In a semi-dystopian future (2029) an aged Logan (whose healing factor is not as efficient as it used to be) is retired from the superhero business and is working as a limo driver. He is caring for a 90 year old Charles Xavier, who is suffering from seizures. In order to protect everyone from the "world's most dangerous brain" the two former X-Men, along with albino mutant Caliban, live in isolation in Mexico. When Logan crosses paths with a young girl who has abilities very similar to his own, how will he react and what will be the outcome for the world's longest lived mutant?

Overall opinion
WOW! Definitely believe all the hype and reviews that are out there. This movie is brilliant. From the outset, a few disclaimers. Despite early reports, this movie is not a direct adaptation of the Old Man Logan comic storyline (mainly because Fox doesn't own the rights to 90% of the characters in that story). It does take one or two elements from that comic as well as inspiration from Unforgiven and western classic Shane (which is a little funny as Hugh Jackman took inspiration for how he played Wolverine from some of Clint Eastwood's roles).

It is no exaggeration to claim that CBMs currently dominate the box office. However, if this domination is to continue, studios realise that they cannot keep doing the same thing; they need to mix things up. Marvel have started doing this, with The Winter Soldier being a 70s political thriller style movie with superheroes, Ant-Man being a heist movie with superheroes and Guardians of the Galaxy being a space opera with superheroes. The reason The Dark Knight is such an amazing movie is not because it's a CBM, but because it is a great movie with many levels and complex characters…,,that also happens to contain a superhero. And this is the same with Logan.

From the off, with the minimalist title card and simple black and white font, you can tell this movie is different from the loud explosion, world destroying stakes of previous X-movies. This movie is all about character. It is a very low-key depiction of what happens to superheroes once they're old and the world no longer needs them anymore (something former servicemen in the armed forces have been identifying with in droves).

It should be noted that, without the success of Deadpool, Fox would never have given the go ahead for this movie. And I am glad they did. Anyone who knows the character from the comics knows that Wolverine is a killer. He has spent a lifetime trying to controlling his animalistic side and his darker impulses. After all, his motto is "I'm the best there is at what I do. And what I do is not very nice."

In this movie we finally get Wolverine unleashed. Blood is seen on his claws for the first time as he stabs and slices through people. But despite that, and the F-bombs, this movie is a deep exploration of a character who throughout his lifetime has never had a moments peace, has seen loved ones die and has lived in a world of pain and violence. Which makes the quieter moments when they happen all the more touching and effective when they happen (such as the dinner scene).

Overall, this is almost a modern western character piece that has so many feels you will be genuinely choked up when they happen. The movie is so effective that 3 days later, I am still thinking about it; the overall story and the many many great scenes it contains.

The Performances
Hugh jackman - Logan
We all know that Jackman is an amazing actor; he's been nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys and Tony awards. Despite being "too tall" he has owned the role of Logan/Wolverine for 17 years and it is impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. In this, his last outing as the character, he doesn't hold anything back, keeping Logan's trademarked gruff mannerisms, but also injecting a sense of inevitability that we have never seen before in any of the X-movies. His scenes and back-and-forth with Patrick Stewart are amazing to watch (and at times quite funny) and his scenes with X-23 are very affecting, very reminiscent of the Joel/Ellie relationship in the NaughtyDog game The Last of Us.

This is definitely Jackman's best performance as the character and a fitting sign off to his time in the claws.

Patrick Stewart - Charles Xavier
From Shakespeare to Captain Picard to Professor X, Patrick Stewart is one of the finest and most respected actors in the world. In this movie he gives a stellar performance as the 90-yr old professor who he suffering from some kind of dementia, once again cementing his reputation as an incredible actor. Seeing the one-time idealistic character reduced to a really frail old man is not only sad but is also heartbreaking and that is all down to Stewart's performance.

Dafne Keen - Laura/X-23
Last year gave us the amazing Millie Bobbi-Brown in Stranger Things. This year has given us Dafne Keen as X-23. Like Millie, Dafne portrays so much emotion by using just facial expressions as she has very little dialogue. She somehow manages to let you know what she is thinking while simultaneously having no clue what she is thinking using just body language and her face. She is definitely a standout in the movie and when she goes in "little murder girl" killing mode, my god is it all manner of awesome.
 
Boyd Holdbrook - Donald Pierce
Slightly different to the how the character is in the comics, he is suitably a charming bad guy who you cannot help like, even though you want to see him fail. That is a hard thing to pull off as a villain; go too OTT and you come across as a pantomime villain, don't do enough and you come across as underdeveloped. He found the perfect sweet spot between the two.

Stephen Marchant - Caliban
The bald character from X-Men: Apocalypse, but a new actor playing him, Merchant is surprisingly effective as the albino mutant. Just as memorable as the other characters despite his little screen time.

Richard E Grant - Zander Rice
Early reports suggested that Richard E Grant was playing Mr Sinister, given the post credit scene in X-Men: Apocalypse. However, as with all the X-movies, Logan and where it sits in the timeline is very murky. Director James Mangold said, that in order to make the film they wanted, they had to ignore certain aspects of the last movie. So essentially, they cherry-picked what they wanted in order to make a good story and didn't worry about "canon" or "continuity". To that end, Richard E Grant's character is related to a minor character in a previous film, but his character is in the comics. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, but does well with what he has.

The effects
This is not an effects driven movie, but on the odd occasion when the effects are used, they are very well done. However, the practical make-up effects are astounding, especially on Patrick Stewart and all Logan's scars.

The action
As mentioned before, Fox would never have let this movie have an R rating without the success of Deadpool. While Deadpool's violence and language was used for the sake of comedy, in Logan it is much more gritty, brutal and bloody. There are no building destroying or world-at-stake levels of destruction in this movie.The fight scenes are all on ground-level and are amazing; the camera work is fantastic and seeing Wolverine and X-23 team-up for maximum levels of carnage is completely satisfying every single time it happens.

Other stuff
Hearing our beloved X-characters swearing may seem a little jarring, however, it seems completely natural given the world they are now living in and you get accustomed to it within a few minutes.

I worked out, using Wolverine: Origins as a starting point, that Logan is around 197 years old in this movie. Shocked

The score is very minimalist.

There is NO after-credits scene.
 
Final verdict
It's a shame that the best Wolverine movie is the last movie to feature Hugh Jackman. But, after 17 years, he is going out on a high, as is Patrick Stewart who recently confirmed that he won't be playing Xavier again (but we already have James McAvoy established in the role as a younger version).

This is NOT your standard comic book movie. This is a GREAT movie, that just happens to contain some characters that have superpowers. Was the R rating necessary? F*CK YES! Not every superhero character needs an R rating, but Wolverine definitely does. As I mentioned before, this character needed an R rating in order to properly do him justice on the big screen. But the violence and language are not gratuitous or stylised in any way.

Like Deadpool last year, early talk is of Oscar nominations for this movie, for Patrick Stewart and possibly Hugh Jackman as well. It's a bit too early in the year to say for certain whether that will happen, but the movie has set a very high bar.

Score - 9.8/10

My Movie rating system
10- Citizen "F*%king" Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my my time and money of this abomination (unrated)

After-thought - The extended universe
Various videos on youtube have attempted to make sense of the current X-movies timeline (spoiler alert - you can't). But, with Deadpool 2 filming soon, along with Fox's announcement of a sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as a New Mutants movie, potential X-Force movie with Cable (after he's introduced in Deadpool 2) and a couple of other X-related movies, are we excited and optimistic for future movies? Does the messed up canon and timeline continuity annoy people or can you just let it go if the movies are good?
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Kham-Ryn Kurios
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« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2017, 04:44:34 PM »

Great review. +1

I thought Boyd Holbrook was great as the antagonist. To me it seemed like he injected a little bit of Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday into Peirce's characterization.

I disagree with the timeline, and canon being messed up though.  Wink

While this infographic doesn't include the latest Deadpool, and Logan, it is still the best depiction of the timelines.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/xmenmovies/images/9/9e/Infographic-MTV-XMenMoviesTimeline-1000dpiWidth-v2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140524225608

The three aforementioned films take place during the "Fixed" timeline (2016, and 2029 respectively).


To answer your question: Yes, I am excited for the future of the franchise. I thought the new kids they brought in on Apocalypse are pitch perfect in their roles. Grin
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LivingBrain
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« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2017, 04:58:42 PM »

I looooooooooved this movie.

Let's not go crazy with the Oscar talk though. We try to get CBMs to be recognized all the time but, let's face it, they're never going to go higher than "Best Visual Effects."
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Darth Knox
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« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2017, 05:37:25 PM »

Great review. +1

I thought Boyd Holbrook was great as the antagonist. To me it seemed like he injected a little bit of Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday into Peirce's characterization.

I disagree with the timeline, and canon being messed up though.  Wink
I posted a Cinefix video where they also try and explain the timeline too. Basically, it's f*cked.
http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=34338.0

I do agree with the Doc Holiday in Tombstone analogy with Boyd Holbrook's portrayal.

I looooooooooved this movie.

Let's not go crazy with the Oscar talk though. We try to get CBMs to be recognized all the time but, let's face it, they're never going to go higher than "Best Visual Effects."
Well, you know what some fanboys are like. CBMs are the world and therefore any good movie that comes out HAS to be nominated for an Oscar.

I think a legitimate conversation could be had for Patrick Stewart in the Best Supporting Actor category. And the movie as a whole I think could be nominated for Best Make-up. However, we have about 10 months before nominations are even made and we have no clue how good the other movies being released this year will be. However, on the flipside, Deadpool was released around this time last year and was as least in the conversation come awards season (and got a a WGA nomination I think).

But I agree, as much as I love this movie it will take a truly exceptional movie to get on the Oscar nomination roster. But at least CBMs are showing they can be diverse and not just be big bangs, explosions and colourful costumes, so I think eventually it may happen. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully.
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