Second Opinion - Logan (+ Logan Noir)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Logan and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

As the X-Men film series started going beyond the original trilogy, it was natural that the fan favorite Wolverine would receive his own solo films with the rough X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the improved The Wolverine. This would be later followed up on with the R-rated third film, Logan, and although Deadpool’s own R rating did not factor into Logan’s, Deadpool’s success paved the way for further R-rated superhero films in the Hollywood landscape, as well as Logan’s own critical and financial success. While I had barely any familiarity with the X-Men films on my initial viewing, extending only to the first two Deadpool films and maybe the original X-Men film, I thought it was one of the best comic book films I had ever seen, enough to also watch the alternate version, Logan Noir. During my recent deep dive of the X-Men films in release order, I found it interesting to rewatch Logan again in the context with the rest of the series, finding it to still be just as good as I remembered.

In the year 2029, an aging Logan’s (Hugh Jackman) powers are failing him as he and Caliban (Stephen Merchant) take care of a dementia-ridden Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and try to keep his telepathic seizures under control. While attending a funeral, Logan is approached by a woman named Gabriela López (Elizabeth Rodriguez) who desperately wants his help, but he adamantly refuses. Later, Logan is convinced to begrudgingly take Gabriela and her daughter Laura (Dafne Keen) to a place named Eden in North Dakota, which is supposed to be a safe haven for mutants. Just before he can pick her up at her home, Logan arrives to find Gabriela dead, leaving him to have to take Laura alone while learning a dark secret about Laura’s origins.

Though there is some clear continuity with previous X-Men films, Logan, despite placing itself at the end of the timeline, is written in such a way that you don’t have to watch any of the other films to follow along, with any important backstory given through dialogue in a way that implies what happened without needing to show it. This results in one of the most self-contained X-Men films since the 2000 original, allowing it to completely stand on its own merits. That said, for those who choose to view it in context, prior knowledge can enhance the experience, especially the returning character of Caliban, as well as the post-credits scene, from X-Men: Apocalypse.

 

Logan (Hugh Jackman, right) has to drive Laura (Dafne Keen) to North Dakota,
whether he likes it or not.

On its own merits, with the adamantium in his body slowly poisoning him in his old age, the film does a great job capturing Logan’s desperate struggle for survival, his healing factor working just enough to allow him to fulfill the mission he was set out on. On top of this, mutants have all but become extinct, leaving him as one of the last of his kind. Despite the bleakness of this scenario, Logan has a well-paced character arc in which he learns to see a ray of hope for mutantkind through Laura during the film, capping off his character arc in a satisfying way and ending the film on a similarly hopeful note. There are also some moments of comedy at various points that give the film some levity, but they are timed expertly well so as to not take too much away form the otherwise serious tone.

As an X-Men film, Logan shares some ideas with the previous Wolverine films, primarily X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Origins), but executed better. One in particular is the farmhouse sequence, which, while already one of the better parts of Origins, is revisited in Logan in a way that gives it much more of an emotional impact (and multiple viewings don’t make it any less so). While the ending is already satisfying on its own, putting it in the context of the other X-Men films also gives it a satisfying conclusion to the film series as a whole, as well as Logan’s character arc from across the entire series.

One minor detail that stood out to me on my initial viewing is a bit of throwaway dialogue that establishes tigers are extinct in the future as presented in the film, which was based on the species’ dwindling population in the wild at the time of its 2017 release. Since then, however, the wild tiger population has been steadily back on the rise, which is a good sign that Logan might be proven incorrect in five years, though only time will tell.

Coming off of the heavy use of computer effects for X-Men: Apocalypse (Apocalypse), it is refreshing to see Logan rely more on practical effects, which, in addition to some great cinematography, goes a long way in selling the visceral violence on display during battle scenes that arguably go even further than the brutality seen in Deadpool. Scenes showing off Logan’s scars, especially when he’s shirtless in an urgent care facility, are made even more believable thanks to some amazing work on the part of the makeup artists. While the film’s vision of the future is still somewhat futuristic, it takes an interestingly more grounded approach based on the trajectory of technology at the time, such as the auto trucks that look increasingly like a reality, complete with consequences, with the ongoing discussion of self-driving delivery trucks. As of this writing, Logan’s 2024 model limousine does not actually exist, but it is interesting to see the design strike a good balance between fantastic and believable.

Another interesting detail is that the X-Men comics featured in the movie were actually custom-made specifically for it, as Fox was unable to license the use of actual X-Men comics. This detail was surprising to learn, as the comics featured looked convincing enough that I thought they might have been actual issues of X-Men.

 

The custom comics made for the movie look convincingly real.

 

What really helps sell the emotional storytelling is the performances of the various actors involved, even from minor characters, including one of Hugh Jackman’s best Wolverine performances to date. Caliban, a returning character from Apocalypse, is recast here with Stephen Merchant, who provides a good foil for Jackman’s Wolverine and displays excellent comedic timing where needed. Dafne Keen, who made her feature debut in this film, absolutely nails it as Laura, showing great promise for her following and future endeavors.

 

Following the film’s success, an alternate black-and-white version, Logan Noir, was given a limited theatrical run, after which it was included in the Logan Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, which was how I was able to watch it. This version, which was regraded shot-by-shot from the original color version, was inspired by black-and-white set photos, which made the filmmakers realize how striking the film looked without color.

Though the movie is already good on its own merits, putting it in black-and-white somehow actually enhances the experience and is my preferred way to rewatch it. While the blood is muted, it is no less visceral, and the lack of color gives off a different atmosphere that enhances the emotional aspect of the plot. As a side effect, this presentation also somehow makes the dialogue and certain visual details stand out more, allowing those who have seen the original color version to get more out of it the second time. As a nice touch, the film also opens with an older 20th Century Fox vanity logo to complete the experience.

Logan is not only one of the best films in the X-Men series, it’s also a solid movie in its own right thanks to its stellar casting and more approachable writing to non-fans. If you decide to watch this film, whether you have already seen the previous X-Men films or not, I would also highly recommend watching Logan Noir if you can.