Why is it that films of the future--whether near or distant, have a poor or bleak premise to them? This idea is typically reserved for the apocalyptic type films. Although "Logan" isn't considered an apocalyptic film, it is still set in the near future, again with a bleak premise. You know what I mean--the list is endless: "Planet of the Apes", "The Omega Man", "The Book of Eli", "District 9", "9", "Blade Runner" (both the '82 and '17 releases), etc.,etc. You get the hint.
It's 2029. Mutants are gone--or very nearly so. An isolated, despondent and weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote stretch of the Mexican Border, picking up petty cash as a driver for hire. His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and an ailing Professor X, Charles (Patrick Stewart), whose singular mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy abruptly end when a mysterious woman, Gabriela (Elizabeth Rodriguez) appears with an urgent request--that Logan shepherd an extraordinary young girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) to safety. Soon, the claws come out as Logan must face off against dark forces and a villain, Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) from his own past that has come back to haunt him.
Others to round out the cast are Richard E. Grant as Dr. Rice, Eriq La Salle as Will Munson, Elise Neal as Kathryn Munson, Quincy Fouse as Nate Munson and Al Coronel as Federale Commander.
This was grittily directed by James Mangold ("Heavy" '95, "Cop Land" '97, "Girl, Interrupted" '99, "Kate & Leopold" '01, "Identity" '03, "Walk the Line" '05, "3:10 to Yuma" '07, "Knight and Day" '10, "The Wolverine" '13) plus TV. By this filmmaker's very resume he is king when it comes to intense characters: a cop, a man from the past, the country singer, a spy, a sheriff and, of course, another film based on Logan. As practice makes perfect, this guy knows how to get his actors to exude that intensity he demands. It was effectively written by Scott Frank, Mangold and Michael Green based on a story by Mangold. One thing I came out of the theater respecting was that this story was more about Logan, the man instead of Logan, the mutant. It delve into a good deal of his troubled past. Don't get me wrong, there were many 'claw slashing" scenes, but they even revolved around his life. All these writers are seasoned--whether with feature films/TV series, so the quality was there. In fact, Green wrote both "Blade Runner 2049" in post production and "Murder on the Orient Express" filming as I'm writing this. Blade is a continuation whereas Murder is a reboot. Hopefully it will be as good as its predecessor. Both are slated for a '17 release. Other than a couple of slow places in script, this story shined, however it could've been cut a good 5-10 minutes and still kept its effectiveness. As far as visuals--they were seamless, but you have to know this before you walk into the theater.
If you are an afictionato with the X-Men franchise, the couple of surprises in this may not be surprising to you, however if you're like me and not really an X-Men fanatic, these incidents certainly surprised. This is a great escape film in which to sit back and relax and enjoy the popcorn. Any butter on that popcorn?
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 137mins.
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