Logan

A vast improvement over The Wolverine, Logan follows an older, more grizzled version of Hugh Jackman’s title character as he reluctantly agrees to help a young girl (and fellow mutant) (Dafne Keen’s Laura) escape sinister forces. It’s immediately clear that filmmaker James Mangold is going for a much different vibe than one generally associates from superhero flicks, as Logan, particularly in its early stages, boasts an almost astonishingly deliberate and somber vibe that’s perpetuated by a grim storyline and gritty central performance. (Jackman’s take on the Wolverine character has never exactly been lighthearted, but this is a whole other level.) And while just a little context for this world might’ve been nice (eg why is Logan living like this? where are the X-Men? etc, etc), Logan‘s momentum picks up considerably once the aforementioned young girl’s power is revealed and it’s clear, too, that the movie benefits from a periodic inclusion of engrossing sequences (eg Patrick Stewart’s Professor X incapacitates an entire hotel with his mind control). The film’s surfeit of positive elements ultimately can’t quite combat a palpably overlong running time and thoroughly bland villain, however, with the buildup to the predictably action-packed climax, for example, suffering from a meandering and overly lackadaisical vibe that’s problematic (to put it mildly). Said climax, when it finally does arrive, is unquestionably worth the wait and the whole thing concludes on an impressively spellbinding note, which, when coupled with the movie’s refreshingly adult-oriented atmosphere, confirms Logan‘s place as one of the best comic-book adaptations to come around since Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

*** out of ****