‘Logan’ is out in theaters as of this weekend in the United States, and the first reviews are in. The latest installment in the X-Men cinematic franchise is a dark and gritty sendoff to Hugh Jackman’s run as the most iconic character of the superhero team.
Critics and audiences are calling ‘Logan’ the best X-Men film released to date, although it is an original tale not based in any comic book. Jackman has said he is hanging up the claws after ten portrayals of Wolverine on the silver screen over 17 years.
Fans are, understandably, sad but pleased they got to see Wolverine show his true colors on screen in an R-rated film that does justice to the character they know from the comics. Patrick Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence are also leaving the franchise soon.
‘Logan’ tells a human story in a future dystopia
Set in the year 2029, ‘Logan’ stars Hugh Jackman as an aged Wolverine who has long not gone after that name. He is now known as Old Man Logan, and he lives across the border in Mexico along with Caliban (Stephen Merchant).
Together, they care for Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is in his nineties and has dementia. All three mutants are remnants of the world that has not seen young mutants in over a decade.
Things change quickly when a woman contacts Logan to drive her and her daughter to North Dakota. The woman, a nurse for a military organization called Transigen, is murdered and the child seemingly escapes.
As it turns out, the girl’s name is Laura or X-23, a mutant who has been genetically engineered from Logan’s DNA to have his same powers. The organization wants her back to kill her, but Wolverine and Professor X set out to stop that from happening.
‘Logan’ earns its R-rating without being too gory
As most people who know the real Wolverine from the comics may expect, things do not go well for anyone in Hugh Jackman’s path in ‘Logan.’
The film is violent and does not shy away from showing blood, killings, and even decapitation by the iconic character and the newcomer Laura. However, all this gore is not gratuitous, and it certainly doesn’t feel like it in this particular film.
Wolverine cusses, drinks smokes and takes as many pills as he can to drive away evil thoughts of a wasted life coming to an end due to the adamantium in his claws slowly poisoning him.
Still, Logan manages to find his humanity deep within his mutant heart and tries to do the right thing one last time. ‘Logan’ is the last time audiences will see Jackman play the role, but most people agree there could not be a more appropriate sendoff for a great actor and a great character.
Source: Business Insider