One of the most sophisticate "super hero" films of all time

Rating: 9/10 (5 March 2017)

After 7 films, Hugh Jackman still proves, we can never get enough of his wild uncanny wolverine.
Continuing in the newly adjusted X Men timeline, Logan is set in the year 2029, where mutants have become and endangered race, and Xaviar's school for the gifted has disappeared. Wolverine, or Logan (Hugh Jackman) now makes a living as a limo driver, as he tends to the needs of the fading Charles Xaviar (Patrick Stewart), who is suffering from his own telepathic psychic trauma, causing the entire earth to shake. But soon Logan comes across a mysterious girl who is more familiar to him than he knows as he embarks on a journey to protect her and take her to a safe Eden for her kind.
After last year's below average, but satisfying X Men Apocalypse, James Mangold concludes the Wolverine story with a cold hearted bloody violent neo- western, standing out from the crowed against all super hero films.
To be perfectly honest, this isn't really a super hero film at all, and is actually more of mature action drama. With its 15 certificate, Logan takes the advantage that Deadpool brought in which it can finally exploit and deliver the R rated bloody violence fans have deserved from Wolverine for ages. When the violence comes, it comes hard core, with 20th Century Fox making as much use of the certificate as they can. This however gives Logan its fuel for it to be what it is, which is a sophistical written piece of drama, standing alone but as a part of the X Men franchise.
This comes at rare moments when the film stops being itself and just takes time to be human, and capture a warm essence through the characters and story. But which is then taken back to its routes with its mainstream action. Which isn't a bad thing, it rather balances the drama, and action very well.
Entering a whole new side of the character of Logan that we have got to know so well. Jackman gives his shinning performance as Wolverine by far, collaborating all the effort and history that the character has delt with in all the films to create a clear and understandable portrayal. We see a crystal clear life led by Logan as he struggles to find peace in a life with out peace, and then sparing another of the same by attempting to give them a life without the misery he has lived.
Stewart also particularly shines, in giving us a new and completely different angel of Professor X, being one of the factors that the film reminds us that we are not living in a comic book, but the real world. Stepen Merchant plays Caliban who sportingly shines, and you barely recognise the popular comedic actor, even if he didn't have the pale skin. One of the most important cast member is Dafne Keen who with so little movement in her facial expressions does so much in her eyes that we really see her shy childness but also aggressive mutant abilities emit.
The film does unfortunately at times struggle to find things to do, trying to keep with in its 2hr 20min length, it reaches certain points where feels slightly with no direction, but does not reach any sense of boredom at all, and eventually finds real strong purpose.
What you eventually find is a film which is very much substance and style, in a good balance, with a surprising emotional atmosphere throughout recognising its audience journey with the character of Logan, and then resulting in a melancholy tale that will bring tears to the fans.
Logan is a powerful action drama, with well balanced story and action, with the best performance of Wolverine by Jackman, which is something new and outstanding from all super hero films. 9.0