Logan (2017)

A little over a year ago, Marvel released one of the first R-rated comic book films: Deadpool. It's huge box office returns changed the game for the genre, allowing studios to realize that their audiences were not just OK with their favorite characters being placed in more extreme films -- they actually welcomed the change.

Fast forward to today, and Marvel is taking another stab at the R-rated comic book film with Logan. Unlike Deadpool's attempts to parody and make light of the superhero genre, however, Logan aims for the skies and tries to transcend the genre's limitations entirely. Instead of seeing itself as confined to any sort of box, it tries to be an "indie superhero film," for lack of better phrasing. It goes for a small-scale character-driven drama with some bursts of action along the way.

And you know what? It works perfectly. 

This is the perfect film to send Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the Wolverine riding off into the sunset because it focuses on Logan the man more than any other X-Men or Wolverine film to date. This is a personal, poetic tribute to this character because it's focused on the character, not the spectacle. Logan goes through a lot in this film, and we get to explore exactly where he's at through all of it. We see the weary old man he has become and the cynicism he has acquired. We see the emotional pain he has from being on the fringes of civilization with Charles Xavier being the only family he really has. We see the shell that he has become of his former self -- and we get to see how a new addition to his life transforms him. It's really poetic and touching, and it also allows all the actors involved to do some incredible work, especially Jackman and Patrick Stewart. Meanwhile, Dafne Keen turns in a perfect performance as Laura, being mysterious, powerful, and stoic all at the same time. 

Everything else about Logan makes it so personal. James Mangold's direction is very stylistically sound, incorporating a feel that combines the best of Hell or High Water, the Mad Max franchise, and The Dark Knight Rises to give a hefty yet action-packed character drama with some Western hints to it. This makes the film very intimate yet still grand at the same time, with the cinematography being the core to that with its somewhat old-school yet gritty style. The violence fits into this incredibly well, being really intense and definitely earning an R rating but never going too far. The only potential issue with the film is its pacing: Logan takes its sweet time developing its characters. I don't mind this at all because of how rich and deep the characters are, but I know that some looking for a more "entertaining" film would prefer some additional action sequences instead.

If you've been after a heftier, more character-driven comic book film, here it is. Logan has all of the richness of a great drama with the stakes and at least some of the action of a traditional superhero film, allowing it to transcend its genre's traditional hamstrings and deliver something really, really special. Now, if you're looking for the next big action-packed X-Men spectacle, this isn't it. Go in expecting something slower and more deliberate, and you might just walk out shedding a tear or two.

My recommendation: definitely see Logan in a theater, but know what you're getting before you walk in. 

My grade: 91