WITH so many X-Men movies having been made and spin-offs including the Wolverine and Deadpool films, is there any sign of a let up in this gigantic feature franchise?
At the very least Wolverine (Logan to his friends) is back for one more slash-fest, though one wonders how much longer an ageing Hugh Jackman can keep lashing out in anger?
This particular story is set in the year 2029 where mutants are all but extinct, and Logan is down on his luck, drinking his days away in a remote Mexican hideout.
His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban (played by Stephen Merchant) and an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart), whose singular mind is plagued by worsening seizures and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world abruptly end when a woman appears with an urgent request that Logan shepherd a special young girl, Laura, to safety.
Directed by James Mangold of ‘3:10 to Yuma’ fame, Logan doesn’t aim to take itself too seriously and there are a number of amusing scenes that help to break the tension amid the rising body count.
Strangely, Stephen Merchant isn’t used to his full comic potential and plays very much a straight role here, and to good effect.
Jackman is solid as usual in the main role although his belly is growing increasingly larger and his speed off the blocks is undoubtedly slowing. Stewart also puts in an impressive turn as a not so doddery old man who still possesses a powerful mind.
That very mind is central to the most impressive scene in the movie where Professor X single handedly freezes time, and a casio full of punters and baddies, in order to protect the young Laura. And in many ways this is Laura’s film. She (Dafne Keen) steals many of the scenes even though she doesn’t speak for a large part of the movie. Logan may not be everyone’s cup of tea but fans will love it.
We score it an entertaining 3 out of 5 stars.
Paul O’Rourke
