Logan is a bold, mature and heartfelt take on a superhero film

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: 20TH CENTURY FOX
Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine gets a tasteful send-off in Logan.

Logan is the 10th installment in the X-Men superhero film series and the third and final to feature Wolverine in which he embarks on a road trip in the dystopian future of 2029 to save a young mutant girl with powers similar to his own.

Wolverine, or James “Logan” Howlett, has aged considerably due to his skeleton and retracting claws being composed of the practically indestructible metal alloy adamantium, which now poisons him and inhibits his ability to heal. He works as a limousine chauffeur and lives in an abandoned smelting plant in Mexico with albino mutant Caliban who has paranormal mutant tracking abilities and Professor X who now has a neurodegenerative disease, which causes him to lose control over his telepathic powers during seizures which cause earthquake- like physical destruction and bodily stunning. Logan encounters a nurse named Gabriela in a motel parking lot who pleads for him to take her and an 11-year-old girl named Laura to a location in North Dakota called Eden. He is reluctant but accepts after she offers a substantial sum of money. He later discovers Gabriela has been murdered in her motel room as Laura is being hunted because of her mutant powers. Logan undertakes an intense road trip with Professor X to bring Laura to refuge across the border and evade the killers who hotly pursue them with the help of Caliban who they have abducted.

The pacing of Logan is natural, steady and satisfying. It feels like things are happening in real time, but there is never a dull moment and the audience remains invested and eager for the next development. There is a masterful use of suspense and a calculated information trickle that combine to keep you genuinely surprised when twists occur.

Hugh Jackman delivers an intense performance as Logan, perfectly depicting a complicated character undergoing an intense internal battle, being pushed to his limits and struggling to manage and contain frustration and rage. Stephen Merchant as Caliban is a delightful and interesting casting choice. He is true to the character while managing to channel his naturally unique and engaging quirky personality. Merchant brings an air of intelligence that perfectly suits his character and has a style of delivery that conveys gravity in a believable way while also maximizing the amount of incidental humour conveyed to the audience.

Boyd Holbrook plays Donald Pierce and brings a corny, action movie villain vibe to the character, which works well enough as you adjust quickly, but which ultimately renders his performance nothing remarkable.

Patrick Stewart brings a ton of depth and personality to Professor X, but his performance sometimes lacks in believability due to overacting. At some points in the film his performance feels impassioned and natural, but at others, it is impossible to forget that you are watching Stewart act.

The action sequences are gory in a satisfying way and never overdone. There are scenes where Laura is in combat that involve special effects to give her superhuman speed and agility and which come off as a bit cheesy.

Logan is aesthetically original with a mild western vibe as much of the film takes place in the desert. Throughout the film, modern expensive technology is juxtaposed with grungy, desperate environments. The film’s palette of warm colours, the use of colour filtering and the nature of the lighting and camerawork all work together to reflect a sense of desolation and heat. The nature of the lighting, camera angles and the composition and choreography of the scenes are true to the style of superhero comic book panels. However, other aspects like the use of coarse language are unlike what one expects to find in a superhero comic book, and this contrast gives the film its serious, mature tone.