{"id":24690,"date":"2017-03-17T06:03:14","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T10:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=24690"},"modified":"2017-03-17T06:26:32","modified_gmt":"2017-03-17T10:26:32","slug":"logan-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/17\/logan-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Logan (2017)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d is<\/span> a terrible<\/span> X-Men movie<\/span>, but a very<\/span> good<\/span> Wolverine movie<\/span>. I say<\/span> that because director<\/span> James Mangold holds<\/span> about as<\/span> much contempt<\/span> for X-Men and its concept<\/span> as Bryan Singer does<\/span>. Mangold<\/span> offers<\/span> a vision<\/span> of the team<\/span> that is<\/span> none too<\/span> flattering<\/span><\/span>. Set<\/span> in an undetermined timeline of the movie<\/span> series<\/span>, we’re met<\/span> with Logan in the distant<\/span> future<\/span> where he’s one of the only<\/span> surviving<\/span> mutants<\/span> left<\/span> on Earth. The dream<\/span> has<\/span> died<\/span>, Professor X is<\/span> now<\/span> suffering<\/span> from a brain<\/span> disease that has<\/span> turned<\/span> him in to a burden<\/span>, and everything the X-Men strived<\/span> for has<\/span> been<\/span> forgotten<\/span> and passed<\/span> off as<\/span> a joke<\/span>. Now<\/span> faced<\/span> with nothing<\/span> but a dark<\/span> ending<\/span>, he is<\/span> confronted<\/span> by a Hispanic woman<\/span> who pays<\/span> him to help<\/span> her. Logan<\/span>, at the behest of Charles Xavier, is<\/span> tasked<\/span> with caring<\/span> for a small<\/span> girl<\/span> named<\/span> Laura who is<\/span> much<\/span> more like Logan than even<\/span> Charles Xavier realizes<\/span>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As he and Charles learn about her origin<\/span>, he decides<\/span> to drive<\/span> Laura all the way<\/span> to South Dakota to meet<\/span> up with a new<\/span> breed of mutants<\/span> in a place<\/span> named<\/span> Eden that may or may not<\/span> exist<\/span>. \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d is<\/span> a dark<\/span> and dreary<\/span> last<\/span> hurrah<\/span> for Hugh Jackman as Logan, who gives<\/span> about the best<\/span> performance<\/span> he ever<\/span> has<\/span> for this character<\/span>. It’s obvious Jackman knows<\/span> this is<\/span> his final<\/span> bow<\/span>, and he gives<\/span> Logan about as<\/span> much dignity<\/span> as a character<\/span> as he can muster up. \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d sets<\/span> out to depict<\/span> Logan in a time<\/span> where the war<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> fought<\/span> and lost<\/span>, and he’s now<\/span> literally a veteran<\/span> who has<\/span> wreaped zero rewards<\/span> for his struggle<\/span>. \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d is<\/span> really<\/span> about PTSD and the war<\/span> torn veteran<\/span> who fought for a goal<\/span> and a concept<\/span> and literally gained<\/span> nothing from it. No one<\/span> celebrated<\/span> the X-Men or Logan, and no one<\/span> cares<\/span>. Like a lot<\/span> of veterans<\/span> still<\/span> torn<\/span> from the war<\/span>, Logan is in dire straits.<\/p>\n

He lives<\/span> paycheck to paycheck, sleeps<\/span> in his car<\/span>, and is<\/span> basically<\/span> homeless<\/span>, relying<\/span> on back<\/span> door<\/span> deals<\/span> with hospitals<\/span> for medication<\/span> for Charles Xavier. \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d embraces<\/span> its R rating<\/span> to reveal<\/span> how the gloss<\/span> of the X-Men battles<\/span> has<\/span> all but worn off, depicting<\/span> a wolverine<\/span> who is<\/span> basically<\/span> dealing<\/span> with his scars<\/span>, and is<\/span> inflicting<\/span> brand<\/span> new<\/span> ones<\/span>. He’s still<\/span> very<\/span> much<\/span> torn<\/span> by his past<\/span>, as his healing abilities<\/span> have<\/span> all but left<\/span> him a withering<\/span> and wounded<\/span> beast, and he is<\/span> still<\/span> haunted<\/span> by those he’s killed<\/span>. Mangold<\/span> essentially<\/span> masks<\/span> his story<\/span> about the life<\/span> of a war<\/span> veteran<\/span> after the battle<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> fought<\/span> by masking<\/span> it with a lot<\/span> of the sensibilities<\/span> of the X-Men universe<\/span>. Logan<\/span> is<\/span> very<\/span> much an exhausted<\/span> and remorseless individual<\/span> who wants<\/span> no part<\/span> of any war<\/span> anymore, and is<\/span> hoping<\/span> to merely<\/span> die<\/span> with as much peace<\/span> as he can gather<\/span>.<\/p>\n

But the battle<\/span> comes<\/span> stomping<\/span> at his door<\/span>, prompting<\/span> him to give<\/span> the mutant movement<\/span> one last<\/span> push<\/span> that can probably<\/span> introduce<\/span> a new<\/span> hope<\/span> to Xavier’s wish<\/span> for a new<\/span> future<\/span> for the mutant<\/span> race<\/span>. Mangold<\/span>‘s direction<\/span> is<\/span> superb, and he pits<\/span> Wolverine against other<\/span> characters<\/span> that parallel his own<\/span> life<\/span>. This includes<\/span> an alpha male<\/span> land<\/span> baron<\/span>, and a farmer<\/span> as played<\/span> by Eriq La Salle, who does<\/span> everything he can to protect his family<\/span> and is<\/span> forced<\/span> to do<\/span> battle<\/span> while trying<\/span> his damndest to live<\/span> a simple<\/span> life<\/span>. \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d is<\/span> often<\/span> compelling<\/span> and vicious<\/span>, even<\/span> when suffering<\/span> from some nagging<\/span> questions<\/span> about its plot<\/span>. Did the comics<\/span> inspire<\/span> Eden, or did<\/span> someone<\/span> know<\/span> about Eden and sneak<\/span> it in to the comics<\/span>? Was<\/span> Logan really<\/span> dying<\/span> from adamantium poisoning<\/span>? Also<\/span> since Laura’s body<\/span> is<\/span> covered<\/span> with metal<\/span>, wouldn’t she either remain a small<\/span> adult<\/span> or die<\/span> a painful<\/span> death<\/span> as the metal<\/span> restricted<\/span> her growth<\/span>?<\/p>\n

And most of all, what timeline is<\/span> \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d a part<\/span> of in the X-Men movie<\/span> series<\/span>? If this is<\/span> \u201cDays<\/span> of Future’s Past\u201d timeline then<\/span> wouldn’t it spoil<\/span> the films<\/span> to explain<\/span> that the mutants<\/span> all died<\/span> and lost<\/span>? Will<\/span> Mangold and Singer concoct another time<\/span> travel<\/span> nightmare<\/span> to alter<\/span> the storyline? That said<\/span>, \u201cLogan<\/span>\u201d is<\/span> a very<\/span> good<\/span> and often<\/span> compelling<\/span> action<\/span> film<\/span>, warts<\/span> and all. I was<\/span> very<\/span> engaged<\/span> in the top notch<\/span> performances<\/span> by Jackman and Dafne Keen who is<\/span> a scene<\/span> stealer<\/span> as young<\/span> Laura. If you’ve been<\/span> a fan<\/span> of Hugh Jackman’s interpretation<\/span> of Logan and Wolverine, this is<\/span> the film<\/span> to see<\/span>.<\/p>\n