The Next Generation of Superhero Films

Rating: 7/10 (10 March 2017)

The X-men might be the next step in human evolution, but until now, they were certainly not the next generation of superhero films. With the exception of Magneto, these mutants are a pretty forgettable bunch. They have a host of generic superpowers and equally unremarkable personalities. King of this bunch is the Wolverine. This character dominated the core franchise and spinoffs, ripping enemies to pieces in PG-13 glory. But even after a half a dozen movies this antihero never really grew beyond the loner among rejects persona. Honestly, the only character-centric scene I remember is a dialogue free montage of the immortal warrior fighting in American wars. I have seen enough movies that I know after the first twenty minutes rarely do things change for the better. By this standard, Logan (the 8th film featuring the Wolverine) is a miracle.
Logan takes place in the near future were no mutants have been born for decades. With his race virtually extinct, Logan/Wolverine works as a limo driver earning enough to support Professor Xavier. Xavier is suffering a degenerative brain disorder and is further addled by medication. To keep civilians safe, Logan conceals his former mentor in an isolated Mexican dump. Logan is also seriously ill and detached from the world, so when he is contacted by a stranger who knows his identity he wants none of it. This woman wants Logan's help in escorting a child to an "Eden" in North Dakota. Wolverine grudgingly accepts for cash, but when he finds the woman dead he returns to Mexico and Xavier. However, the child stowaways and with a small army in hot pursuit, Logan is inescapably involved. This mute child is Laura, an experimental subject. She is a product of the Wolverine's DNA, effectively Logan's daughter and a mutant with similar powers. Obviously, the corporation that created Laura wants her back. After a close escape, Logan, Xavier, and Laura head to North Dakota in search of Eden.
Logan is the conclusion of Jackman's Wolverine saga, equal parts superhero movie and contemporary western. Action sequences abound, but set to a background of dying old men driving across America's wastelands. One can sense director James Mangold's vision beyond the norm. His love for the genre has been expressed before in the 3:10 to Yuma remake. Here the approach works because of new vulnerability. Xavier is infirm and, like many elderly, he is stripped of dignity. His seizures and bouts of incomprehensibility recast the man, formally a paradigm of erudition and control. The classic wheelchair takes on brand new symbolism. When Xavier achieves moments of lucidity his reflections reach a profundity that was never matched in earlier films. Speaking of never before seen, this old man Logan. Even the fight sequences are not the same. With Wolverine's regenerative abilities hampered, finally bullets and beatings have consequences. The R rating also helps on this front. I could never quite ignore how a man could eviscerate enemies with metal claws without blood. Freddy Krueger must have been ashamed. But really this improved action is just an incidental upside. The mutants facing inevitable extinction is a scenario that allows for the character to thrive. The immortal veteran never fit comfortably in a boarding school for wayward children. A fight for survival where Logan has nobody to lean on is more reflective. Logan can finally assume the mantle as caretaker for what is left of his family. The best manifestation of this tough love is between Logan and pseudo father. It's shocking, watching Logan assist formerly omnipotent Xavier use the bathroom at a wayward gas station. Although less enthralling are scenes portraying a failed father and lost daughter. Logan has learned love, but he is used up, always drinking and practically coughing up a lung, finally beat. A classic western hero. There is a scene of Xavier and Laura watching the film Shane, but enthusiasts will recognize the tone and tropes without the direct reference. Hired hands, vast empty landscapes, the innocent family. The genre gives the film a familiar structure and ascetic core. Recognizable, but unlike any superhero movie before.
Unfortunately, character and tone brake down in the final act. I don't know what I expected, maybe an operatic twenty minute standoff? The film finally devolves into the been there seen that, dashing a chance at greatness. It's not that the end is even particularly unsatisfying, just that by then expectations had been raised. Still the ride was worth it, and I even walked out the theater optimistic. Logan suggests the potential of these massive multi-movie universes. Usually squandered sure, but with any luck Logan's success will open doors for directors, writers, and actors with fresh takes. Let's hope Logan is not an evolutionary dead end in the superhero movie genre.