Amazingly gritty, full of gore and shamelessly crude, but at its core 'Logan' is all about the characters

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2017)

After 17 years in his iconic role as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman's time in the X-Men universe is at an end. The fan favourite receives the perfect send-off in 'Logan', standing as one of the best, if not THE best film of the franchise. It demonstrates further the point made initially by 'Deadpool' that the superhero genre can benefit immensely if they take the risk of a more mature approach to comic book films. Moreover, 'Logan' succeeds in being distanced from the archetypal "city/planet/love interest in danger" monotony of other modern superhero flicks, showcasing a much more personally captivating foundation for the scenario of the film.
Beginning at the Mexican border, Wolverine (going by his original name of James Hewlett) is forced out of retirement to safeguard a young girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) who is the first mutant to emerge in years. Incentivised by his lifelong friend, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whom he now also cares for in his old age, the three venture north to Canada to save Laura from some dark forces.
Wolverine is finally illustrated in his true colours (yet ironically still excluding his classic yellow and blue suit seen in the original writings); 'Logan' is gritty, full of gore and shamelessly crude, everything that this character should have been from the start. Watching him tear through his enemies with a 15 rating is a wholly fulfilling display, reaching new heights in the franchise with the blend of grounded realism and awesome action sets. Alongside this however, 'Logan' also conveys the Canadian's inner turmoil and self-loathing better than any previous instalment. It never holds back: from a terrifying rampage by the titular character, to poignant moments exploring his alcoholism and unwillingness to be the hero, 'Logan' is unhinged in all aspects. It can only be questioned why he hasn't been seen in this way before.
The setting is mesmerising - the environments mirroring how stripped down the concept of the film is. Plus, certain desert car chases feel like sequences from the 'Mad Max' series, filmed expertly and going full-throttle with the higher age rating. But at its core, 'Logan' is all about the characters. Jackman provides us with a career highlight, absolutely entrancing as the 'Old Man' Logan (reference intended). Stewart is enticing as the deteriorating Professor X, but it is Dafne Keen who is most alluring. Being her first film, it is amazing the amount of conviction she expresses in her mostly speechless (but by no means silent) performance. She herself more than compensates for the expendable villains and the predictable nature of their scheme, which is 'Logan's principal weakness, despite the outcome of it enhancing the emotional impact in the final sequence.
The previous mishaps of the Wolverine series are ratified in this truly emotional and overall electrifying final chapter, and as 'Logan' is also Stewart's final outing, both him and Jackman end on a series high, a fitting end to their long and commendable run in their respective roles.