The Wolverine’s farewell song turned out to be somewhat darker than what X-Men fans were used to, but it also has a degree of drama that isn’t much higher than in Bryan Singer’s films.
The year is 2029. The world is gradually forgetting about mutants, of whom only legends and comics distorting real stories remain; the last child with superpowers was born a quarter of a century ago. Long retired from business, Wolverine hides the surviving Professor X and a mutant named Caliban in an abandoned warehouse near the border with Mexico, while he himself tries to earn at least some money. However, no matter how Logan tries to calm his instincts, the born killer cannot cope with the past, and his life path is always strewn with corpses. Following these tracks, mutant hunters find Wolverine and a woman who claims that the girl she is trying to get to Canada with is related to Logan. Under the influence of circumstances, Wolverine, Charles, and their new eleven-year-old friend Laura have to embark on a dangerous journey across America. The last journey of people whom the world could never accept…
For the premiere of “Logan” in Britain, cinemas took a unique step: the first screening of the film was scheduled for an unusual time – 10:23 pm. This is a reference to the character of the film, the girl Laura, known under the code name X-23.
How old were you in 2000 when the first “X-Men” was released? Even if you were just crawling under the table back then, today you can get married, defend your homeland with weapons in hand, vote, and go to adult-rated movies without any obstacles. What can we say about those who met the dawn of the comic book mutant cinematic universe in adulthood! We have all grown up, and it would be strange if films about superheroes and supervillains did not change with us. And cinema is changing, but not always as fans would like; something is going in the right direction, some franchises are treading water, some have even turned back, but the expanded X-Men universe remains surprisingly balanced – it has a place for both grandiose “common” films and very impressive solo projects; the mutants have survived a graceful reboot but have maintained a strong connection; finally, only this franchise allows itself to please viewers with harsh theatrical ratings. Solid pluses.
The X-Men comic book that appears in Logan’s hands in the film is not a real issue. The famous comic book author Dan Panosian drew this copy specifically for the last film about Wolverine.
Except for the burden of years lived. A lot has changed in 17 years – Hugh Jackman, and after him Patrick Stewart, are not saying for nothing that it is time to leave the usual images and move forward. The road for the “New Mutants” has been paved, several new full-length films and series have been launched into production – it’s time to say goodbye to the heroes who pleased the audience in previous years in a worthy way. This is the whole point of “Logan,” the new film by James Mangold, a film-requiem, a film-obituary to the old world of mutants, a film-dedication to how young and foolish we all were.
Mangold’s film is strikingly different from everything that the mutant film franchise has shown before, and even a comparison with “Deadpool,” which, like “Logan,” has an “adult” rating, is incorrect. The film turned out to be very modest, even chamber (despite the impressive budget), surprisingly soulful, tragic, and very emotional. Moreover, if earlier the goal of the authors was scope, impressive special effects, and a variety of abilities in mutants, now the viewer is offered a kind of road movie with elements of a generational “battle” of fathers and children. Moreover, not only Logan and his “daughter” participate in the latter – the “squabbles” between Wolverine and Charles, who is losing the remnants of his mind and strength, are no less curious.
The bright future that the mutants of the era of the first clashes between Professor X and Magneto believed in did not come, changes in human genetics really turned out to be not a new stage of evolution, but a mistake of God, the life path of people with superpowers is constantly strewn with corpses – how to live with this? And is it worth it? The viewer meets Wolverine, who is not just in ordinary depression, he is in complete despair and is ready to put an adamantium bullet in his forehead. But then a silent and bloodthirsty girl appears and changes the perception of the surrounding world. This is usually the case in the real world – children influence parents no less than parents influence children.
No, “Logan” has not lost any action from the dramatic content. On the contrary, the rating “untied the hands” of the authors, and they did not miss the chance to take advantage – there is no count of the heads of villains pierced with claws here, children in the film kill no less often than the gray-haired Wolverine and, even more surprisingly, die themselves. The film impresses with action scenes, filmed energetically and with the usual daring, except that until a certain point the film does not impress too much with villains – Donald Pierce is too talkative, and Doctor Rice looks like a threat only within his laboratory, but with the appearance of another “weapon” everything falls into place.
Conclusion
“Logan” will leave everyone satisfied – it has enough references to the previous film adventures of Wolverine and a good foundation for the future is inserted, it has a specific humor and respects comic book fans, finally, it is subtle enough and friendly to those who do not respect superheroics too much, here in the end Logan has to not only wave his fists, but also open his heart. Yes, the farewell turned out to be sad and very touching, the final shot is incredibly beautiful, but this is the best that Stewart, Mangold, Kinberg, and, of course, Jackman could do in this situation. The hero is gone, but he remained in the hearts of millions!