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Logan
Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:
Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:
Hugh Jackman has been playing wolverine for over 15 years, and while he was not originally my first choice for the roll of the 5 foot something Canadian superhero, he absorbed himself so thoroughly into the roll that he has become one of the most iconic film presentations to date. There have been some good X-men films with the beast, and there have been some bad ones (really bad ones too), including several solo films (I’m sorry, I have to actually say out loud that X-Men Origins: Wolverine actually exists. Something I refuse to tell myself normally) over the last few years. However, Jackman really wanted out of the roll and there is no other way to let the character go out than with a complete and utter bang as in Logan. An R-rated, bloody, head slicing, adult language filled extravaganza that takes elements of the alternate reality comic Old Man Logan and creates something unique and wonderful.
The X-Men universe has NEVER been really good at timelines, but Logan is most likely an alternate future as it bears very little resemblance to the happy future that we left them in at the end of Days of Future Past. The year is 2029 and Logan (Hugh Jackman) is having a hard time with life. The X-men are long gone and mutants have pretty much been bred out of existence (they make a statement that no new mutants have been born in 25 years). His famous healing ability is slowing down (most likely due to adamantium poisoning) and he’s drinking himself into an early grave, even more so than usual. He’s ticked off, hiding out near the border to Mexico where he makes money running a limo around town for spoiled customers. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is going through the middle of dementia and for a mutant with incredible psychic abilities that means he needs constant care before he rips people’s minds apart. Taking care of Charles is a full-time job and Logan is barely hanging on until a young Hispanic woman drops off a young girl for him to take up to South Dakota.
Refusing to do the job at first, Logan reluctantly agrees to take on the little girl Laura (Dafne Keen), only to have all hell rain down on him. It seems that Laura is more than meets the eye, and is in fact a test tube mutant that has been created with Logan’s own DNA. A mutant that has his animalistic tendencies and adamantium “additions” as well. Not willing to let her fall into the hands of the men chasing her, Logan, Charles and Laura set out to South Dakota where there is a chance that she and her mutant brethren that were created can get across the border into safety.
The typical superhero elements are still there as Laura and Logan shred their way through bad guy after bad guy, but the film is much more introspective than any that have come before in the series. Mangold got a lot of flak for the ending of The Wolverine, but he redeems himself here in spades as he makes us delve into the love of family and friendship without making it cloying and sicky sweet. That doesn’t mean he gave up on action, quite the contrary. Logan is a bloody mess of a film that takes the idea of a man who has knives coming out of his hands to the logical extreme. While we saw the titular character slash and hack his way through baddies before, it’s NOTHING like what we are witness to here, which almost borders on slasher level of blood and guts. There is a slight element of feeling disconnected from the rest of the X-Men universe, and that comes from the story being based off the comic series Old Man Logan which was an alternate universe story to begin with. However, even though it’s an oddity in that regards, it works as an homage and loving sign of respect to Jackman’s character arc that we’ve seen grow since 2002. It may not be the ending we all wanted for him, but it was the ending the character needed.
Rating:
Rated R for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity
Video:
Also included in the Blu-ray set is a 2nd disc with the Black and White “film noir” version of the movie, and like it states, it’s a black and white rendition. All color has been drained and Logan looks very much like and old back and white western in this look. I really liked the Black and Chrome edition of Mad Max: Fury Road, but I have to say I was a little bit disappointed with the Film Noir version of Logan. It didn’t seem to add anything to the experience as was the case with Fury Road. The black and white coloring looks magnificent, with all the dustiness and bleakness of the movie looking resplendent without color, but there is a few issues with black crush being that the movie is almost a bit TOO dark here. It’s a nice addition for the fans, and looks great, but I PERSONALLY (I’ve heard many testimonials by people who have loved it) didn’t get a whole lot out of it.
Audio:
.
Extras:
• Audio commentary by Director James Mangold
• Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by James Mangold (Blu-ray only)
• Making Logan – behind-the-scenes documentary (Blu-ray only)
Final Score:
Logan is one of the most different feeling films of the X-Men franchise, but it is EASILY the most mature and nuanced film of the series. Even though it may not technically fall in line with the main series timeline (it’s more of an alternate ending type of situation) it ties directly in to the main Wolverine story arc and completes Hugh Jackman’s legendary 15 year stint at playing one of the series most beloved characters. I can’t stress enough that the standalone AND connected nature of Logan to the rest of the franchise makes for some absolutely incredible storytelling. A word of warning for parents who’ve let young children watch the X-Men series in the past. Logan is most DEFINITELY an R-rated film and it earns that rating with every blood and language soaked second (something fans of the original character have been begging for, for the better part of a decade). The Blu-ray comes with both the regular theatrical edition, as well as a second disc with James Mangold’s black and white “Film Noir” edition of the movie as well, both of which look and sound incredible on Blu-ray. Definitely a must buy.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Patrick Stewart
Directed by: James Mangold
Written by: James Mangold, Scott Frank
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 7.1, Spanish, French DD 5.1, English DVS
Studio: Fox
Rated: R
Runtime: 131 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: May 23rd, 2017
Recommendation: Must Buy
