Logan - everything you want and more (and thank God it's rated R)

Rating: 9/10 (1 March 2017)

Few anticipated the mammoth success of Deadpool last year. With a fraction of the typical budget for superhero fare, an audience-prohibiting R-rating (presumably box-office poison), and the lack of a Summer release date, it had none of the hallmarks of reliably profitable cinema. And yet, Deadpool hit a nerve. Positive reviews, gargantuan box office takings, and the collective adoration of most who saw it. It seemed that people didn't want their violence sanitised, and their action films humourless - who'da thunk it?
As with all unexpected hits, Hollywood learns from its mistakes and dutifully attempts to emulate the success of these breakout box office anomalies. After Star Wars destroyed the box office, countless ripoffs emerged, and similar things occurred after The Matrix, Jaws, Indiana Jones, American Pie, Paranormal Activity (blegh) and the list goes on. In the case of Deadpool this is a very good thing - Hollywood seems to be putting far more faith in producing big budget films with big R ratings.
Logan is the first to follow Deadpool's wake, and like its predecessor, it wears its R rating like a badge of honour. The curiously bloodless stabbings of Wolverine in his previous PG 13 outings are out - now we are treated to spectacularly gory Adamantium-fuelled fight scenes that are utterly thrilling and cathartic. Importantly, the violence isn't just cheap thrills - it actually serves to contribute a real sense of stakes to the plot, making you really feel and understand the mortality of these mutants, that violence is ugly, brutal and most importantly painful. We are also treated to profanity, which once again is not exploited, merely a reflection of Logan's age and weariness, as he approaches the latter stages of life. Aside from some uncharacteristic swearing from Professor Xavier (which felt gratuitous) and a scene with totally arbitrary bare breasts, Logan's R rating is effectively utilised for the service of its story, which is far darker, meaner and more mature than other X Men related films.
An aspect that really worked well was the inclusion of Laura, a girl with formidable powers that prompts Logan to seek heroic redemption and rediscover his sense of purpose (albeit rockily.) Steely, tough and mostly mute, Laura is the antithesis of a cute movie kid - she takes no prisoners, and leaves no throat unstabbed, a terrifically entertaining character. As such, her uneasy union with Logan is believable and unexpectedly emotional, grounding the film in pathos usually absent from superhero movies. Also adding emotional resonance is Patrick Stewart, in fine, gracious and ever so fragile form as Charles Xavier, who is reduced to a consuming neurological disease stemming from his telekinesis - he has easy chemistry with Jackman, complemented by the years of baggage contributed by almost 2 decades of X Men films. Finally to Hugh Jackman himself - he is a stellar vessel, playing Logan as he has never done before, with vulnerability, brusqueness and a surly resolve, he carries the movie amply with a layered, sophisticated performance that is worthy of end of year awards consideration (unlikely as that may be.)
In the first act villainous characters are effective, because they appear only as hired guns led by a menacing Boyd Holbrook. This simplicity feels appropriate for James Mangold's pared back, realistic vision of the X Men-populated world, a factor achieved through the grounded nature of characters, and very cleverly through the existence of X Men comics, almost implying that the films that preceded are an airbrushed, more idyllic, fictionalised version of the truth of the X Men. Critics have called the film like a Western, considering its setting, its brutality, and a particular scene that directly references Shane (1953). On these bases, the film proceeds with gusto, yet falters when far more melodramatic, far-reaching elements to the films antagonists are introduced. As followed through by a wasted Richard E Grant, the villains, and their back story, while interesting, feels incongruous with the gritty, realistic main narrative and its effectively more concentrated scope. It also adds more fat to the already bulging story, which feels bloated and not entirely coherent, at a slightly overlong 2 hrs 17 minutes.
Furthermore, a sequence involving a family who invites Logan, Laura and Xavier to dinner after they assisted them on the highway, and its culmination was profoundly irritating - as a result of the morally iffy actions of Xavier in particular it is very difficult to sympathise with him immediately after, despite the fact that the film seems to want you to do so. Nonetheless, the film builds towards a satisfying climax that feels like a fitting end to Logan's journey, that is unless Jackman decides to return once more.
In all James Mangold's film is bold, brash, gloriously mean and feverishly exciting ride that is certainly the most audacious and enjoyable superhero film I've seen in quite some time, perhaps since The Dark Knight or Watchmen, and few who see it will be disappointed. Logan delivers what you'd expect from a rollicking action flick starring Wolverine, but what you might not expect is an equally satisfying drama of characters and relationships, which explores age, regret, duty and redemption in powerful fashion.