Brutally violent, emotional, and character-driven, "Logan" is the Wolverine film fans have been waiting for

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2017)

"Logan" is directed by James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman for one final go around as Wolverine. With an R Rating secured, something the previous two Wolverine films should have had, "Logan" was bound to be fantastic. It wasn't fantastic. It was phenomenal.
If you are going into "Logan" expecting every scene to just be Wolverine tearing people to shreds you'll be thoroughly disappointed. This is definitely not an action film. There are action sequences in the film, but they are not the main focus of the movie like the previous 2 Wolverine movies tried to make them be. "Logan" is a grounded film, a film that really takes its time to tell its story and to develop its characters. It's a character-driven film, and it probably has the most characterization in an X-Men film to date. We get enough of Wolverine's backstory within the first few minutes to really become attached to him (if we already weren't). We learn more about Professor X and what he has been doing, and then there's this little girl, who probably should be annoying, but luckily isn't and that was a sigh of relief. This girl, Laura, is the star of the show. It is really "her" movie. All of the sequences with Laura were riveting. There was that sense of mystery to her character that you wouldn't really expect from a film like this. You don't ever really know what her next move is going to be. Her motivation to find a safe haven is so well felt in this film that it just brings you a sigh of relief that there is still a sense of good out there in the world of this film where everything seems dark, bleak, and hopeless.
Hugh Jackman's performance. Yeah the dude gave it his all. This is by far Hugh Jackman's best performance as Wolverine. We've never seen Wolverine this vulnerable. He's old, he's broken down, he's beaten. He can't heal like he used to. The conviction from Hugh Jackman in this movie was just spot on and really captured the ways Wolverine felt at certain moments. It added layers to this film. When Wolverine gets into a fight, Hugh Jackman is so good in these scenes it's like he got into a fight with the filmmakers on set.
This film does not hold back from a violence standpoint. From the get go, you know what type of movie you are in for. It is brutally violent, by far the most violent X-Men film w have gotten. Wolverine hacks, claws, and slashes his way through skirmishes with blood, guts, and gore flying. If this is what you had always wanted from a Wolverine movie and haven't gotten it up to this point, well this movie gives you all of that.
From a violence standpoint, the violence is there when the film calls for it. It is not violent for the sake of being violent. This is a film that puts its characters and story first before anything else, with violence being a secondary element to help propel the story along and to create tension. It is in the scenes where it should be. If this were just an all-out 2 hour and 20 minute "hack-and-slash" fest this film would have no depth to it. It would look cool, but giving Hugh Jackman the proper sendoff was what was more important in a film like this.
This film at times gets downright emotional. The final scene of the film makes you wanna cry. You care about these characters, you are invested in them. You don't want to see them put in harm's way. Even in the scenes where the film may feel a bit slow, the final act of the film is the payoff. This is where everything really meshes together with a force, creating a pulse-pounding, edge of your seat final sendoff for Hugh Jackman as he retires from the role.
This is by far the best Wolverine movie and possibly the best X-Men movie to date. I haven't decided yet. It's up there, and it deserves to be. Everything payed off in this film. It is emotional. It is character driven. It has heart. It is emotional. This is everything anyone could have wanted in a Wolverine film.
From me "Logan" gets a perfect 10/10.