It's a Mad Mad world

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2017)

"Logan" is a touching character study exploring and extending on loss, regret and grief while coming from an already established universe. Yet the most unique and special thing this film does is detracting from the usual conventions of the genre that some would say this franchise started back 17 years ago. Logan was not afraid to break conventions just like what 'Deadpool' did however in a more satirical way, this film presents the bleak, the desolate, the ravage, all with fully formed characters that are fed up with the world in a Western esque adventure.
Hugh Jackman's "Wolverine" serves as a callous and hard-hearted protagonist that has basically reached his breaking point. The opening sequence alone shows the brooding nature of the character that Jackman has portrayed for almost 2 decades now. The brutality of the film is something to revel, even though it has pretty much been expected given the R-rating, the film hits the bar high up and doesn't hold back at showing us each brutal moment leaving no time at all for the audience who have grown fond of the usual PG-13 action to adjust and it is quite glorious. The beauty of the film lies in its portrayal of each character in this new post-apocalyptic world. The new dark and wretched environment in of itself is a smack to each character in the narrative and also a smack to the audience. It's in 'Logan' wherein we once again get a film, just like 'The Dark Knight' that values characters, values layering and adding more depth to them and values the consequences that each individual has had to go through and does not hold back at what it may mean for the story or even the franchise in its entirety no matter how bold, appalling or shocking it may be. Both Stewart and Jackman give their best performance and show how much they are percipient about their characters. Even after 17 years, this is probably the best and truest of all perspectives we've gotten of Logan and Charles. Sure we got both their origins from their respective movies, but this a movie where we see them having to face with demons that haunt them and them struggling to face life and the perils it has brought upon them. This is a film where we finally see them both in their breaking points and have them reach an in-depth progression of their characters. Logan is definitely not the same in the end compared to how he was in the beginning, Jackman's performance is packed with strong emotional subtleties and nuances for every shot he's in, the same goes for Stewart as his character suffers from Alzheimer's and the fact that he cannot recall or properly remember the destruction he accidentally caused. These are two very tortured people and we learn a lot more about them here than we did in their origins, this is who they are when they're faced with nothing left, this is who they are when they're faced with small glimmers of hope, and this is who they are when they're helpless. Stewart and Jackman both gave a fitting send off to their characters and dare I say it, at least one of them deserves an Oscar. Dafne Keen is wonderful and a joy to watch as X-23. Similarities to Eleven from 'Stranger Things' aside, it's lovely to see a little girl wrecking and slicing people through very unpleasant means. Hopefully she does not get replaced by an older actress if they ever plan on casting for the inevitable X-23 movie soon since she seems well adjusted to the role. Boyd Holbrook plays Pierce and is menacing and sinister while standing toe-to-toe with Wolverine. What we get from him in the film is what we get and his menacing persona and robotic arm might be enough for some and lacking for others.
The story is intimately simple and easy to follow, it's personal, small scale yet devastating, heartfelt yet ravaging. With narrative call backs to the old classic westerns and some similarities here and there to Mad Max: Fury Road, the film feels special in every step of the way. Shots that linger on characters in silent moments, being patient with how the character unveil its new self, being meticulous on having soft pans and quiet shots to stop and show the bleakness or even the hopefulness of Logan given all the odds stacking against him. The cinematography compliments the narrative as each scene looks excessively like a western and evokes a mood that leaves you thirsty and helpless as the brutality unfolds. The irony is, this film probably presents the most life threatening and intense challenge for the X-Men that makes you feel and eventually care for them, and it does not involve any world ending device or overpowered character like in the previous films of the franchise. Instead, the film opts to be thoughtful and understands what it needs to be to make a proper character driven movie. It's as thrilling and exciting just like any other blockbuster should be, but it's also dark, deep, raw, devastating, surreal, exhaustive, insightful and sincere like any other great movie should be.
Verdict : 5/5