What a difference the ‘R’ rating has made to everyone’s favourite clawed mutant. Since his first appearance as Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000), the hero hasn’t quite been true to his comic book representation, at least in terms of his combat skills. At 5’3”, the diminutive character is considered to be a lethal fighting machine, highly agile and highly skilled. When the six-foot two-inch tall Jackman was cast, fans were unsure he’d be right for the role. Of course, with time aficionados have grown to love the tall Australian in the role, thanks to his charisma and embodiment of Logan’s forlorn soul, but haven’t quite seen the brutality of Wolverine as they have in comic books ... until now.

It’s a pity that we finally see the real savageness of Wolverine and its Hugh Jackman’s final outing as the character. The late great Chicago Sun-Times film critic, Roger Ebert, who wasn’t a comic book fan, wondered why Wolverine was pushed as the main character in the films, when just about every other mutant seemed more dangerous. I wish Ebert could have gotten to see Logan. The action sequences here take advantage of the adult rating and offer a viciousness never seen in a film featuring Wolverine before. Here, thanks to superb editing, exhilarating fight choreography, and incredibly seamless behind-the-scenes CGI work, our hero is one-man-army even in his old age, ruthlessly cutting his foes into human kebabs. The spectacular action scenes are worth the entry fee alone and the heart-wrenching narrative, which takes a look at a world with very few surviving mutants, is beautifully poignant with only a few flaws holding it back. Logan is especially a tear-jerker for fans that have grown up watching Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart (Professor X/Charles Xavier) play their iconic superhero roles, and will find it uncomfortable to see them as vulnerable old men.

Logan has a moving narrative featuring excellent characterisation and wonderful chemistry and performances

Without giving too much away, in a desolate future in 2029 Texas, the plot involves the mysterious appearance in Logan’s life of a young girl (Dafne Keen) named Laura (Codenamed X-23). Her mother asks Logan to escort her to her friends but the retired hero now keeps a low-profile and makes ends meet by driving for what appears to be Uber. When things take a turn for the worse, Logan agrees to help Laura, and soon discovers that she mysteriously enough, has the same powers and skills as him. The sequences involving her using her own talents are easily the most barbaric in the film, perhaps because she is a child.

What follows is a beautifully moving narrative featuring excellent characterisation and some wonderful chemistry and perfor­mances between the principal characters. It was especially difficult for me to see Charles and Logan as a shadow of themselves, particularly due to the nuanced takes by the actors. Meanwhile, Keen’s relationship with Logan certainly leaves the eye-faucets flowing. 

Logan isn’t perfect though. While it sheds many of the superhero clichés, it replaces them with father-child bonding tropes. Moreover, some bits such as an adamantine bullet and a film Laura sees in a hotel room, foreshadow the money-shot set-pieces more than they should. These nitpicks aside, Logan is a very special film. In a genre that was growing stale, Logan shows that superhero films can still thrill, surprise, and touch the soul.

Rated R for strong, brutal violence and language, and brief nudity.

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 19th, 2017