REVIEW: LOGAN ‘s Last Ride

For the past 17 years, Hugh Jackman’s name has been associated with the name Logan, beginning with the first X-Men movie released at the start of the millennium.  Over the years, Logan has appeared in numerous X-Men and Wolverine movies. Logan is basically the face of the X-franchise. This year, it’s bittersweet that we get to see Hugh Jackman play the role of the feral mutant one last time.

That said, here’s the FlipGeeks review for one of the most beloved mutant of all time, LOGAN.

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Kimberly Mas (Writer for Movies, TV & Animation)

Set in 2029. All the Mutants are gone—apparently not. A weary Logan is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote part of the Mexican border, getting by as a limo driver. His companions are the outcast Caliban and an ailing Professor X, whose powerful mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world ends when a Mexican woman appears with an urgent request to bring a certain girl to a sanctuary called “Eden” . Logan finds himself intertwined with the life of a mysterious young girl and the dangers that come with her.

As a fan of the Xmen franchise, I’d say Logan is one of the best Men movies to date. It has everything a Wolverine/Xmen film should have – violence, thrill, comedy and emotional. One of the bloodiest & violent showdowns yet in the XMen series, as well as heart-wrenching scenes. And as a stand-alone movie, Director Mangold keeps the audience at the edge of their seats and wanting more. It’s amazing how Mangold was able to produce an airtight storyline without connecting it to the XMen universe. It shows Wolverine’s character in desperate times and shows how “human” he is too. Hugh Jackman has been Wolverine for the longest time. I’d have to say this is possibly the best performance of his career.  But there’s no question that the movie absolutely will speak to those longtime fans of Wolverine, those who have followed Jackman’s portrayal over the last 17 years. In fact, it was critical for Jackman, as he said farewell to his extensive X-Man past, to put everything on the screen for this, his last mutant adventure.  Aside from Jackman, amazing performances by Patrick Stewart as Professor X, English-Spanish actress Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23 and charming Boyd Holbrook as the antagonist, Pierce.

A film that’s worthy to be in place with other notable blockbuster movies like “The Incredibles”, “The Dark Knight Rises” and more. Logan will leave you with a Wolverine feels trip. There was a moment that I came to terms with the fact that this was my last one,” Jackman says. “I love this character, and he’s been amazing to me. I’d be lying if I said that I would have been okay if I didn’t feel everything was left on the table. And I mean everything. Every day, every scene was a kind of battle to get the best out of that character, to get the best out of me.” Concludes Jackman: “There was an element of life and death about it—I know that sounds dramatic, but that’s how it felt.”

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Ryan Villanueva (Managing Editor for Gaming, Tech, and Collectibles)

Logan is the third movie to complete the Wolverine trilogy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine. Let’s admit it, we have mixed reactions about the first two movies but let me assure you that Logan is a standalone movie and has no relation to the previous movies nor any of the X-movies. Logan gives you a barrage of emotions right from the get-go. Set in the distant future, mutants no longer exist and Logan, once the feral and ravage mutant now drives a limousine for a living. Without spoiling anything, the movie follows Logan along with Charles Xavier and Laura (X-23) as they travel across the country. As they say, it’s not the destination but the journey and a lot has happened during their journey.

Logan is an emotional movie, an action-drama with emphasis on the drama. This is the best acting that I’ve seen from both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in years. In my opinion, both should be considered for acting awards for their roles in the movie. They genuinely showcased the relationship that both Xavier and Logan had, a relationship more than that of a teacher and student but of a father and son. There were a number of scenes in the movie that would give you the feels.

Speaking of acting, Dafne Keene (Laura/X-23) was a revelation in this movie! You’d be surprised at how great she was in portraying X-23. She looks like a young Kendall Jenner with the acting skills of Millie Bobby Brown.

James Mangold delivered the perfect curtain call for Logan. He fixed the mistakes of the previous films and gave us the Wolverine that we deserved! He showed how the character should have been portrayed in the past. Logan is a visual spectacle even with all the blood and gore. Let this be a reminder that this is an R-16 movie, sorry kids, enjoy this when you’re old enough. The fight scenes are well choreographed, bringing out the rage and savagery of both Logan and Laura. Logan is probably a movie that Captain America wouldn’t see because of the language. It’s interesting and weird to see Patrick Stewart curse in a movie. Haha.

Logan is more than just a superhero/comic book movie. Even without the “superhero” or “comic book” tag, Logan is a great movie, period. It brought the genre to new heights, that comic book movies are more than costumes and special effects. Logan is the perfect swan song for a character that we have grown to love for the past 17 years. It would be different to see another actor play the role other than Hugh Jackman. We couldn’t ask more from the man who gave his all for the role.

Special thanks to the amazing people at 20th Century Fox for inviting the FlipGeeks to the advance screening of LOGAN.

Logan is now showing in theaters nationwide with a worldwide release on March 3, 2017.