Set in 2029, the story is a few years in the future. Logan / Wolverine (Hugh Jackman – X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Wolverine) is weary. His life seems a shambles as he drinks and drives a limo. In a hideout, near the Mexican border, is an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart – A Million Ways to Die in the West, X-Men: Days of Future Past), cared for by Logan with the aide of Caliban (Stephen Merchant).
Attempts by Logan to hide from the world, to escape the legacy of Wolverine, are dashed when a young girl, Laura (young newcomer, Dafne Keen) arrives. A mutant being pursued by a group of unsavoury people, led by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook – Morgan, The Host), from
As a film, Logan takes a slight step away from the usual X-Men movies. Marvel has pulled no punches in the stark look at the troubled life of Wolverine, and where it has lead him to. It’s gritty, more violent, and certainly more adult. The Wolverine has always been one to court a darker, more troubled dispensation, and this outing brings the same, and then some.
The characters of Logan and Professor X bring a backstory that has played out on our screens for many years, and on this outing it feels like they have shed the poise observed as members of the X-Men. Removed from Xavier’s School and the battlegrounds they have graced, their internal demons are freed, bringing the familiar, with a large dose of new, sometimes prompting a moment of shock, other times lending themselves to humour. They are both fun and engaging, posing fitting tributes.
Newcomer Laura’s presence will leave viewers with many questions, leading to much debate on her origin, and how she might be linked to Logan and where in the many films that have come before, her past may lie. Laura is played so magnificently by Dafne Keen, and is an absolute delight to watch. The amount of talent she posses, bring such subtleties to the character. This is one young lady that should very well be soaring to great heights in the future.
Logan, a fun action film. A gripping drama. An engrossing story. And a film that will delight new fans, and those who have steadfastly supported this part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for many a year. Certainly a film to go see, and certainly one to catch on the big screen. Logan opens 3 March 2017 in South African cinemas.
