A Fitting Conclusion To A Contemporary Cinematic Figure

Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, Christian Bale, J.K. Simmons, Heath Ledger and of course, Robert Downey Jr. What do all of these actors have in common with each other? They’re all actors, in their respective roles, that have portrayed superhero related characters to an authentic and believable degree that it’s hard to imagine any other established performer to come in and equally be as convincing. As arguable as it is to state how superhero films of this modern-era are heavily saturating the cinematic market, one thing that remains constant and exciting to see on-screen, are the portrayals of characters that are thoroughly committed and fleshed-out to the best abilities of the said actors and the film-makers that strive to make an adaptation that all audiences can engage with. Much of this is certainly applicable to Hugh Jackman’s depiction of Wolverine; a role that he’s consistently and convincingly performed for 17 years. Regardless if it was a good or bad feature, it’s always been clear to see that Jackman, physically and mentally, commits to comic-book role and it’s definitely no different in James Mangold’s film of Logan; an emotional and blood-wrenching swansong that differentiates itself from the atypical superhero films by utilising contextual aspects seen in different and forgotten genre’s and upholds performances which correspond with the sombre tones of discrimination, loss and violence.

Set in the near future of 2029, Logan centres its story around a world in which the mutant population has shrunk significantly and where the X-Men, have long since been disbanded. Logan, a weary and broken shadow of his former self whose power to self-heal start dwindle, cares for an ailing Professor X whom he keeps hidden away near the Mexican border. Attempting to raise enough money from his chauffeuring job to escape with Charles Xavier to a better place, Logan’s days of hiding away from the world are up-ended when a young mutant arrives who is being pursued by dark forces…

As much as this feature rightly and primarily focuses on a character-driven premise of an iconic Marvel hero who is, emotionally, coming to terms with the broken legacy that he’s left behind and is slowly deteriorating, mentally and physically, from the strain of every wound that he’s inflicted upon, one of the important constructs to notice straight-away in James Mangold’s last Wolverine filmic outing in Logan is how it can be perceived as a piece of cinema that upholds noticeable and suitable contextual motifs that are devoid from the norm of the superhero genre. Unlike its predecessors which begrudgingly encroached onto the character of Wolverine in a satirical and unfashionable way that didn’t encapsulate the very gritty and un-wanting essence of said character, this swansong of Logan makes up for past and forgettable scenarios by utilising instinctive contextualisation that the older demographic will recognise from the Western genre of films. Not only are we presented with a deserted and unhinged backdrop which metaphorically abbreviates the state of mind that a debilitated Logan and an ageing Charles Xavier are in, but we’re presented with a character-centric concluding story that gradually turns itself into an emotional and blood-wrenching road-movie; hallmarking and combining similar features of Duel and Terminator 2 whichexplicitly focus on a streamlined structure. As evident as it may seem to those who know these types of films, the main conception to comprehend from the genre that is a ‘road’ film, is how they morally base their stories around anguished individuals who are seeking a glimpse of opportunistic freedom that would alter their own reality. In the events that unfold with Logan and the scenario that he finds himself in with an indisposed Xavier an a frivolous young mutant in Laura, much of this is set-in motion as we’re presented with a coupling trio who all understand with another, where they’ve independently come from and how they want to make peace with their respected motivations that are established by the coming of the 2nd act. As much as Mangold’s film arguably caters towards the majority that have come to know the central protagonist throughout all the films he’s been involved throughout the many years of his inception in the year 2000, Logan can be very much considered as a stand-alone feature, to audiences members who haven’t seen all the previous stories, since it provides enough satisfactory emotionalism to the austere premise where relationships and bonds blossom. Less of what we see in the headline Marvel films, Logan succeeds in presenting a hard and gritty tale by amalgamating the drama side of things with the expected bursts of action that supplements the very essence of what a final film of Wolverine should entail. Other than the main line of X-Men features that have come to define what a superhero film can and shouldn’t be like, one of the other things to take notice as you proceed to watch what happens in Logan, is how it thematically corresponds with the graphic novels over-arching motifs of discrimination, family and hiding in a subdued fashion. Of course, the entirety of the film doesn’t mainly consist of these ‘outcast’ characters talking about their long-ago pasts and going through many problems to find their resolution. We do receive an underlying tone of humour that fleshes out the relationships that a decrepit Wolverine has with Xavier and Laura which seamlessly balances the structure of the film. However, as we witness sequences where Xavier discouragingly talks about the ‘family’ that he once had and Logan being ashamed of the legacy that he has to live despite his feelings, it’s clear to see that Mangold not only wanted to simply end the Wolverine story in gritty and emotional fashion, he also wanted to hark back to the engaging and difficult themes that the original X-Men was synonymous for. With this threaded into the narrative structure, we’re ventured into a much darker tone, that has never been properly executed in the previous interactions that has proceeded it, which exemplifies the little hope that these characters are clinging onto. To subtly add to Mangold’s methodology of enriching the characters disconsolate ways in which they thoroughly talk about the past that they once live and the state of mind they’re in, one of the curious things that’s applied within a few moments of the film is the self-referential addition of having the X-Men comics physically exist and how they’re viewed as these fictional stories that people wrote based off of the real heroes. The placement of this was rather refreshing and rather suited the nature of the X-Men films in how, to some, they’re films that generally people forget about due to the fact that we now have Marvel’s ever-growing cinematic universe. What wasn’t refreshing, and rather hindered the engagement of Logan, was the 2nd act of the film and how it neglected the focal point of the disbanding journey and instead chooses to focus on other perspectives, mainly towards the uninteresting villains, that are nowhere near as compelling as the aspects that we want it to focus on. It sometimes takes way too much time focusing on other characters that don’t really have any contextual weight or impact to them whatsoever, which was disappointing but didn’t effect the moments where we saw the likes Wolverine and the other characters interact with each other.

As highlighted in the previous discussion of the narrative and how it utilises familiar constructs from both Western genre of films and past iterations of X-Men features, the other obvious construct that coincides with the emotional-angle to provide a fulfilled ending that encapsulates the characteristics of an old yet ferocious character that is Wolverine, are the action set pieces. As it is the last time we’ll see Jackman portray his beloved and sacred other-self that he’s come to embody, the action is an up-most necessity when it comes to a ‘superhero’ films of this ilk that is driven through the main characters exploits. However, as much as their are inevitable action set-pieces that are placed in superhero films that, more or less, serve as the resolution to any particular graving scenario, Mangold take an expected differentiating approach in Logan which purposefully opts for a far more bloody display; with decapitated limbs and heads thrown around in the thick of it. Despite the dark and horrible display of this, it somehow manages to coalesce within the context of things being that Mangold accentuates towards an emotional farewell which provides consequences for battles fought and lost. It’s only when we see Logan plunging his adamantium claws from his strained knuckles, shearing cleanly through meat and bone, that we realise just how much nurtured and family-friendly previous outings were. Not longer are there horrible film-making tactics such as the slow-to-fast motion shots, which devastated and blurred the action in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, or pretentious climax’s which succumbs to cartoonish antics, as seen in The Wolverine. As far as what Mangold has learnt from his previous filmic venture, Logan is an example of a film that knows what it wants to be, and what it wants to deliver through it’s bloody yet consequential fighting sequences. In many arguable respects, much of what is expressed in Mangold’s film wouldn’t have been possible it wasn’t for the bold high jinks that is visible to view in Tim Miller’s Deadpool. The 2016 comedic-superhero, which broke numerous Box-Office records along with its success, proved that it was possible to make a worthwhile adult-related superhero film, which works in tangent with its main demographic, since it deliberately exploits a bloody gun-nature and self-referential/crude comical gestures. While it is a completely different film as far as each of their stories play-out, Logan, through its many gory-esque sequences, is extended proof that superhero films can expand their saturated tendencies to relate to more ‘sophisticated’ layouts. One can only hope for more of these types of films to come in the near future.

While it’s imperative to discuss and dissect Hugh Jackman’s last portrayal of a role that he’s come to personify and embrace in for a lengthy amount of time, Logan wouldn’t have been as emotional and as tense if it wasn’t for the other convincing performances, most notably seen in Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier and Dafne Keen as Laura, who bring enough gravitas to a film that demands it. As much as many people have seen him play the same role in a manner that underlined the character in the original graphic novel and in the 90’s cartoon, it’s oddly unsettling to watch Stewart dig beneath his natural splendour to play a rickety and withering Professor X who’s semi-consciously losing grip of his telepathic powers. Even when he first interacts with a stoic Logan and is helpless to be free of the scenario that he’s been placed in, Stewart instantly exceeds in making the audience members feel heart-wrenching sympathy towards a character that never really evoked this specific emotion before-hand. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, who instantaneously grabs the role with such affirmation, Keen perpetuates the bloody nature and emotional angle of the film by confidently executing action set-pieces that echo Logan’s one terrifying rage and tentatively connecting with the ever-frail Xavier in familiar fashion. Convincingly, she majestically manages to convey Laura’s childish fragility and frightening strength, often in the same breath. What is pleasing to see of both of Stewart’s and Keen’s portrayal of their respected roles, is their connection with the long-suffering Wolverine. As a collective trio, watching them interact with one another, whether it’s through fighting, screaming, arguing or simply glaring, will elicit not only laughter and internal wrenching in a way that no other superhero films have convincingly quite pulled off, but will make you want to route for their slim hope for freedom. In the case of Jackman, playing the role that essentially took him up-to stardom status, he simply doesn’t put a foot wrong. He’s always progressively nailed the physical demand of the role that, surely, no one can ever take as their own. However, being that this is a much different take on Wolverine that the majority going-in will never have seen before, except for those who are aware of the ‘Old Man Logan’ alternate novel, Jackman’s interpretation of this broken and older version of Logan is refreshing to see since he unearths the dark sadness that ravages in the heart of a once invincible, now vulnerable, man. His combination of taking care of Xavier and Laura whilst being doubtful of the world around him and the forced motives that is bestowed upon him is very intriguing to watch and is, again, something you don’t particularly witness in the average hero flick. The only criticism that can be mentioned in relation to the performances were the antagonists as they truly serve to be largely forgettable since there’s not much that defines them outside of their nefarious goals. 

In viewing the past X-Men related films that have come and graced the silver-screen, and have also dismantled our view of the superhero genre, it’s hard to fathom that any one of these films could try and compare itself to James Mangold’s Logan that not only implements genre conventions that instinctively provide the necessary poignancy for this bloody and consequential swansong, but also manages to supplement the visceral goods with the hardcore action that fans with crave in. Most importantly, Logan is a feature that serves its purpose in providing an ending that suited the nature of the character of Wolverine and matched the longevity and consistency of Jackman’s contribution to the iconic role. Will we ever see another actor, in the near future, try and claim the character of Logan as their own? No, I hardly think so.

And on that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest review of Logan and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read! 😉. If anyone has an opinion on either my review or on the film itself, please feel free to drop a comment down below. Next week, I will either bring you a retrospective review of Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 Japanese Animation spectacular of Ghost in the Shell, or a review of an anime show that intrigued my understanding right up to the ending sequence. Once again, thank you to everyone for reading this week’s Blog Post and I’ll see you all next week!! Have a nice weekend!! Adieu!! 😁😎✌

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – Alex Rabbitte