A Brutal Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (2 March 2017)

I knew I was going to enjoy this movie because as you all know I am a huge comic book nerd but this time around enjoyed it not because of that, but because it was a stellar movie. Logan is now the bench mark that Marvel has to deal with when it comes to serious super hero movies. This is the Dark Knight for them and I know that is a bold statement but it needs to be made. Having this movie be rated R made it so much better, seeing Logan lose his mind and start swearing as he hits his car with a shovel is brilliant, as is seeing him slice and dice men like they are cheese.
James Mangold directs and writes what succeeds both as an serious drama with action peppered in, and a western. The year is 2029 and mutants are all but extinct. Logan lives on the Mexican border and honestly just go see the movie because the thrill of it all is not knowing what will happen next. Knowing my comics, this movie is loosely based on the comic Old Man Logan but only in title and location, the story is completely different so we are treated to what I hope is the future of comic book movies where original stories are told in lieu of adaptions of the source material To be clear, I love the adaptions but I also love not having to worry if it is staying true to the material and not once did I feel like I was checking boxes off of some comic I have in my closet.
Hugh Jackman stated this is his last go as Wolverine so with the story being about an old man Logan, there is a poignancy to his performance that you can feel in every single scene. This is Jackman's movie through and through and if any superhero was more deserving of an Oscar nomination it would be him. Patrick Stewart also returns as an ailing Charles Xavier who is both hilarious and haunting as you can tell he is close to the end. The breakout star, as anticipated, was Dafne Keen, who plays Laura, aka X-23, aka Wolverine's clone/daughter. She is ferocious and innocent and better be in more movies.
The score and the cinematography also stand out as well as western type music plays to wide shots of desolate wastelands and old decrepit locations. I can't stress enough how professional this movie looked in terms of a comic book movie. The action was warranted and earned every time, character work was the main focus. It is truly a display of substance over style, but the style is also beautiful.
If you have followed Hugh Jackman's X-Men career this movie is for you. If you are a fan of super hero movies, westerns, or great movies, this is the one for you. It's the perfect movie to see twice or you could also see it once and then buy it later on Blu-Ray. Other great ways to view this movie would be to see with friends, family, or neighbors, but I don't recommend this movie to my worst enemy because he or she doesn't deserve this caliber of incredible.