April 2017 - Now Showing : Logan
Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, reveals the depth of his character in the fifth and final installment of Marvel’s Wolverine series, entitled Logan. I purposely held off on reading the synopsis of the movie, which left me wondering what I should expect. Entering the theater, I prepared myself for what the final chapter of this beloved character would bring. After some time, I still find myself in awe of the masterpiece I witnessed: Time and age have caught up with Logan, slowing down the claws and reflexes, at times. He has taken on the responsibility of looking after Xavier (Professor X), who is suffering from seizures that are earth-shaking, to say the least. Mutants are now on the endangered species list, leaving Logan to take on a job as a chauffeur for rude businessmen and drunken bachelorette parties. Prepared for the big end, Logan soon finds something to fight for in 11-year-old Laura, who possess some familiar powers. In true Marvel fashion, the movie turned into an action fest as the main characters take a trip to discover the mutant Eden (described in an X-Men comic book) while outrunning the evil Doctor Rice (played by Richard E. Grant) and henchman Donald Pierce (played by Boyd Holbrook).
The movie pays homage to classic westerns like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Unforgiven. The movie even references Shane, adding to the storyline and showing the connection of the white hats vs. the black hats. No surprise with director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) in charge. And, in keeping with the grim tone of many of the old westerns, Logan did not sugar coat the violence factor. Besides Deadpool, this was one of the most bloody installments of any of the Marvel productions, proving if this ending was going out with a bang, it was going to be a big one. The movie also provided (in addition to the onscreen blood flow) waterworks for everyone in the audience. Logan provided some Oscar-worthy moments for a comic book franchise. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart gave some of the greatest performances—both comedic and dramatic—leaving viewers in puddles of tears and begging for the adventures of Wolverine not to end.
Logan exceeded expectations for myself and millions of fans. The quality of the acting and the script-writing was profound and magical—20 Century Fox tapped into a side of this franchise that I would love to see repeated in other avenues of the series. In Marvel’s Wolverine series as a whole, there were some hits and misses; Logan not only makes up for the mistakes but provides a triumphant farewell.