Logan (2017)

**LOGAN REVIEW: THE WOLVERINE GETS A SUPER SEND-OFF**

"Owing to its agitated hero’s misfortunes through the ages, this is a film that’s acutely aware of the dangers of emotional exploitation, and it spares its audience a similar fate. With Logan, Mangold and co-writer Scott Frank tell the definitive story of the Wolverine, in an involving and deeply satisfying series finale. It shows the fate of mutants when age starts to weary them, with stakes that feel real, and empathy that’s earned."

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There may be some fine performances in this movie, but I honestly think the critics overrated this latest entry in the X-Men saga. The performances of Wolverine and Prof. X by Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart are extraordinary. They create a believable and loving father-son bond between their characters, with Logan caring for the ninety year old leader of the X-Men after a horrible event occurs at the Xavier school the year before. Stephen Merchant takes over the role of Caliban from Tómas Lemarquis, who played the character in X-Men Apocalypse, and transforms him into an ally to Logan and Charlies. Merchant is quite good in the role. But what really dragged down the movie is its nihilism. The other X-Men are completely missing from the film and mutants have been wiped out almost completely. A sense of doom and hopelessness looms over the film. This movie completely upends the warm and hopeful epilogue of Days of Future Past, where the X-Men were restored to life and glory and mutants weren't extinct after all. Death seems to stalk Logan and Charles wherever they go. There is also a conspicuous lack of significant female characters in this movie, too. The only female of note is Laura/ X-23, and she spends most of the film mute. There is also a complete lack of any strong or memorable villains. No one ever reaches the level of greatness like other X-Men villains such as Magneto or William Stryker. So, despite some good performances, this film is a bit overrated and also a little too bleak and depressing for my taste.

One of the best and most mature Marvel movies to date.

The first half of this movie is a huge delight and a huge thrill. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart are so entertaining to watch as characters they've known for 17 years. They've taken their characters a step further here in a script that allows them to explore themselves emotionally more than ever before. This movie is strictly part-drama. Yes, that's right. Finally, a Marvel superhero movie you can confidently stamp the drama genre tag on.

The effects, stunts and gore are really quite shocking. You can really feel the weight of each character's immense power, and more importantly, the struggles that come along with them. This further fleshes out each character.

The movie starts to lose the enjoyability of its ensemble halfway through, and what happens after is what you might expect from a typical X-Men film. Action, sci-fi and more action/sci-fi. The villains are as interesting as they can be I suppose. They lack much development but are there to fuel the real story. Anyway, I can't say much else without spoiling the plot. I'll just say that I wish the movie would have taken a different direction.

If you don't like superhero movies, this is the superhero movie for you. And if you do like superhero movies? Watch _Logan_ anyway. It's bloody brilliant.

_Final rating:★★★★ - An all round good movie with a little something extra._

**** This review may contain spoilers ****

We finally get the Wolverine we have been asking for, for the past 15 years and it's his last time. Well, I guess he couldn't have ended it in any better way as a last farewell to the fans and his signature role. Not only that but it looks like this one blows all the other superhero movies out of the water.