Brutally Triumphant Send-off to a Beloved Mutant Hero

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2017)

At long last the Wolverine film we have awaited was delivered to us this spring with James Mangold's second time as director for "Logan". The film delivers as much violence as it can muster in this action packed drama while giving us an honest glimpse into a much more aged Logan than we have seen in the past.
In 2029 most mutants have gone extinct and those who remain are in hiding from the human population. This is where we find Logan, now a chauffeur driver, retired from his glory days as a hero and with a chronic addiction to alcohol. He is also caring for a suffering Professor X when a runaway mutant girl named Laura enters the aging heroes' lives, commanding their protection despite Logan's bitterness and resentment in the dying world around him.
Hugh Jackman returns in one of his most dynamic performances to date as the mutant hero he has portrayed for seventeen years. Whereas in days past we have become accustomed to the robust and powerful Wolverine, in this futuristic film we are presented with a world-weary and embittered Logan, a man who has given up and is resigned to his impending fate. When little Laura enters Logan's life, at first the grizzled mutant is resentful of the young girl and refuses to do much for her as Professor X bonds with Laura. However as the film goes on, Logan begins to see how alike he and the young child are and he begins to risk his own life for her. Jackman brings his usual bravado to the role as it is now the final time the Australian thespian is to play the famed clawed hero and his costar chemistry is undeniable from his father-son style relationship with Patrick Stewart as Xavier and at first a hesitant and resentful to a father-like protector to newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura.
Also appearing for the final time in his acclaimed role as Charles Xavier is the legendary Patrick Stewart. The English thespian is given a chance to shine alongside Jackman's Logan as the shell of his former self compared to earlier X-Men films. This Charles Xavier has become a delirious and frightened shell of the former teacher of mutant students, but there are still glimpses of his trademark wisdom midst the unhappy exterior. Xavier is the one who immediately takes the terrified and mute Laura under his wing while Logan continues to act disgruntled and resentful of the powerful little girl. However when Charles can no longer continue with the duo on their journey to take Laura to her companions, it is Logan's task to protect the little girl from harm while remembering his former teacher's wisdom.
A shout-out to little Dafne Keen in her feature debut as young Laura. The young actress is mute for the majority of the film's run-time, emitting only grunts and mutters. When the child does eventually speak, she speaks in an accent that is easily understood though her dialogue is a bit stilted in delivery but this is forgivable as Keen is a first-timer in the acting game.
"Logan" finally does amp up the violence that had been missing in the past. There is no shortage of gory moments and brutal battle scenes that might make the squeamish viewers a little nauseous, but for the action lovers there won't be an issue. The run-time could have been shortened by twenty minutes or so. The story is taut and pretty well executed with tense moments galore while it does drag from time to time.
For all you "X-Men" fans, go and see this last Wolverine outing because you are gonna see something special in its own right.