Logan (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: James Mangold (Identity, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, The Wolverine)
	Actors: Hugh Jackman (The Prestige, The Fountain), Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Next Generation TV-series), Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook (Narcos TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF, Thriller, Action, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 07.03.2017, Cineplanet Costanera Center.
Synopsis: In the Future most mutants are gone and no new ones are born. An aging Logan (Jackman) is taking care of a senile Professor X (Steward) and dreams of the ocean, when his past catches up in the persons of a woman asking for his help and of the merciless officer of a shadow agency (Holbrook).
Review: The X-men movie franchise has been around since 2000 and a trilogy including a third movie disappointing to many in 2006. It was cleverly complemented by a second trilogy starting with the excellent First Class (2011) followed by Days of Future Past in 2014 that I thought could have closed a perfect loop. Unfortunately the conclusion Apocalypse (2016) was again disappointing. Meanwhile the character of Wolverine now deeply linked to actor Hugh Jackman was given its own spin-off movies with Origins: Wolverine in 2009 and The Wolverine in 2013 which I both liked. Hugh Jackman announced that Logan would be his last apparition ever as Wolverine (but I don't rule out cameos) and after watching the movie I find it an excellent stopping point. The pretty dark atmosphere stands quite apart from the usual X-men movies and the reasons for it are distilled throughout the movie (but a bit rushed towards the end). There is much to like about Logan: first the focus on the aging characters of Logan and Xavier leaves to their respective actor plenty of room to show their talent, which they could do less in the previous more Action-oriented movies starring more characters. I also like the character played by Boyd Holbrook that I know from Narcos. Then I love the brutality of the visuals, in fact well representative of the character of Logan. This violence afflicted among others to and by kids makes for me a stronger darker movie that tries less to fit into the mould of PG-13 all-public movies (like all the others in the franchise) to proudly sport a less lucrative R-rating. So the placement of the story in the Universe is well-thought, the Drama strong thanks to the focus on actors and the Action mature. My critics would go to a too Manichean depiction of the characters (SPOILER, highlight to read: experimentation on children is a tough sell) and revelations at the end of the movie that are not given enough time to sink in. A real highlight in the franchise and I repeat a good point to stop. Note that the self-mocking Deadpool started its own trilogy in 2016 in the same Universe but with different actors, and that many more X-men movies are unfortunately rumoured starting with a Gambit starring Channing Tatum.
Rating: 7 /10