Friday, March 10, 2017

Logan

Direction: James MangoldCast: 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”…