Direction: James Mangold; Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Patrick Stewart, Richard Grant, Boyd Holbrook,
Stephen Merchant; Story and Screenplay: Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green; Cinematography: John Mathieson; Editing: Michael McCusker; Music: Marco Beltrami; Producers: Leslie Dixon, Bruna Papandrea, Reese Witherspoon; Genre: Sci-Fi Action; Location: USA; Distributor: 20th Century Fox Running Time: 140 minutes;
Technical
assessment: 4
Moral
assessment: 2
CINEMA
rating: V18
MTRCB rating: R16
In 2029, only three mutants remain alive after a deadly
virus was released by Transigen. Wolverine/Logan (Jackman) has aged and
weakened because of adamantium poisoning, Professor X/Charles Xavier (Stewart)
is suffering from a degenerative disease which has a deadly effect during
seizures and Caliban, an albino mutant tracker who takes care of Professor X in
an abandoned warehouse in Mexico. For some time now, Logan has
been working as a limousine chauffer hustling prescription drugs for Professor
X and saving money so they could sail in the middle of the ocean where they can
be safe from pursuers and everyone else can be safe from the effects of
Charles’ seizures. But when Logan is
forced to help Gabriela, a nurse from Transigen who smuggled Laura (Keen) into safety, they are inevitably
found and the bloody cat and mouse chase begins. Transigen is a facility genetically creating mutant soldiers by
implanting mutant DNA in children and raising them to be assassins. But they
learn children are uncontrollable and decide to terminate the project upon
completion of X24 –a replication of young Wolverine. Caliban is captured by Transigen and forced into helping them track his friends. Meanwhile,
Logan discovers his connection with Laura as Professor X makes him bring her to
Eden to find her mutant friends.
Logan
easily stands out as the most powerful and mutant franchise diverting from the
tired narrative. It is told with brutal
honesty and performed with passionate depth. Every character carries pain and the audience is drawn to
sympathize and respond. The plot
unravels gracefully. The twist comes as
no surprise but still leaves an aching to have it otherwise. Jackman and Stewart portray their characters
with authentic sorrow of a helpless superhuman torn between frustration and
pain. Keen is a revelation, although her expressions are enhanced
digitally, she successfully shows the transformation from a cold-hearted assassin into an indebted daughter. Overall, the
power of the film is in its humanity—storywise, character wise and
storytelling wise. Visually, the movie is outstanding. It
seamlessly puts together “head replacement” technology and CGI without going
overboard. It is one movie you would talk about
for a long time.
Logan
is dark and violent, thus, definitely unsuitable for young viewers. However, the movie has strong statements on loyalty, sacrifice, and human nature, drawing on the complexities of a human
relationship and the innate desire of people to be good despite environment and
upbringing. Logan served Prof X, and Caliban served them both—all out
of gratitude, loyalty, and that undeniable bond between mentor and student,
father and son, friend and friend. Caliban
sacrificed his life so he can no longer be used by Transigen and Logan protected Laura and the children, first by
choosing to stay behind so as not to put them in danger with his presence and second
by saving the children in spite of his
weakened condition. Gabriela chose to save the children even if it meant her
death. The film emphasizes that human
nature towards goodness. Prof X is the epitome of this and ironically, Logan
tries to correct Laura’s violent aggressiveness. The scene where Logan helped the Munson family
and they in turn were offered shelter for the night poignantly reflects how
compassionate we can be. The mutant
children, although trained to kill, refused to. And Logan’s last words to Laura, no matter how
cliché, is a reminder that we need and can rise above the world’s evil… “Do not
become what they made you to be”…
