NOT YOUR AVERAGE EVERYDAY SUPERHERO
I like to pride myself in having a pretty accurate understanding of movies based off of their trailers. I will generally see the first trailer and know whether or not the movie will be good. I’m not always right; sometimes they’re better than I ever thought they would be, i.e.: John Wick or La La Land (not much into musicals). Other times I’m completely wrong in thinking it’s going to be great and it’s the opposite, i.e.: The Matrix Reloaded, or Suicide Squad (save for Harley Quinn). I will say that about 90% of the time, I am great at reading a movie trailer and deciding whether or not the film will be something I’ll enjoy.
Logan was exactly what I expected from its trailer, and that is being said in the most positive way. I cannot recall another movie that is as accurately portrayed from its trailer, both physically and emotionally, then this one (save for the stabby-stabby, bloody-bloody scenes). The song ‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash is playing in the background as we see a broken, worn out, old man Logan. He’s just a hollowed out shell of the man he once was, trying to help a girl that he wants nothing to do with. It truly portrays what to expect and how the feel of the movie will be.
Right away, the movie takes advantage its “R” rating, so don’t expect to take your wee tucks to this one till they’ve grown a few chest hairs. Despite the hard R, it rarely feels like it’s an R for R’s sake. It never feels forced or unnatural, but is portrayed in such a way that fits the pain that the characters are going through.
Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine for almost two decades now, and still he finds new ways to show who Logan is and was. You see his blood shot eyes, the limp in his walk, and you know that he’s not the man we’ve grown accustomed to in the previous films. You see his turmoil when facing impossible decisions, and understand why he wants so badly to run away from it all.
Logan isn’t the only character who carries this movie. It may be called Logan, but it feels just as much everyone else's movie as it is his. Patrick Stewart brings in an Xavier who’s been through so much; he now understands why Logan is the way he is, and yet still seeks the same hope he’s always had. Even the new recruit, Dafne Keen, shows remarkable acting chops for her age. The main villain is portrayed so well that he can hold his own in dialogue with someone as scene-stealing as Hugh Jackman.
All in all, this movie was very well directed, perfectly acted, and so fittingly entertaining that it is definitely something I rate as an “own-worthy movie” for any movie buff, or even someone who just wants to watch people lose limbs and not see a Star Wars movie. So to all you movie-goers out there, enjoy.
Shawn Walker