Ninth times the charm — Logan delivers a satisfying punch in this ninth stab at Wolverine films

With the huge success of Deadpool releasing in February 2016, Fox Entertainment has proved that an R-rated comic book movie can be successful by staying true to the source material.

Logan directed by James Mangold, confirms this by giving the portrayal of Wolverine that fans and movie goers alike have long waited. Like Deadpool, Logan is not your typical superhero flick. It is by far the most grounded and serious X-Men movie yet. It seems to take classic comic book tropes and completely disregard them by commenting on the genre as a whole. This adds more layers to a movie that is already rich in great character development and storytelling.

The movie takes place in the dreary future in which it seems the mutant population is all but extinct. It brings viewers back to the familiar characters of Logan portrayed by the returning veteran Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. However, they are merely shells of the heroes they used to be.

Their haunting past is only hinted at throughout the film, which helps deliver these classic characters as we’ve never seen them before — broken.

As some might suspect, an R-rating fits a character with blades coming out of his hands. However, one surprise of the film is the portrayal of Stewart’s Xavier and how he fits into this new darker tone of this world. The wonderfully written and believable dialogue gives each actor tons to work with when responding off of one another, and even though Logan is packed with action set pieces, some of the best scenes are the most intimate.

It would be criminal to mention the great performances of the movie without bringing up new comer Dafne Keen who plays the character of Laura. A lot of trust is placed into this new actress and it pays off big time. She is often silent throughout the film, but when she does speak it delivers an emotional punch. She is not overshadowed by the likes of Jackman and Stewart but is acting on the same plain.

One of the many reasons why this movie works, is because it is easily enjoyed by fans of the previous X-Men films, but also the new comers to the franchise as well. While there are eight X-Men movies prior to this one, they don’t seem to weigh this one down with their heavy backstory. With that being said, there are still plenty of references to please the most die-hard fans. This is one of the most emotional and smartest comic book movies out there. Never does it spoon feed the audience answers, but rather lets them connect the dots themselves.

For those who have high hopes for Logan, it will be difficult for their expectations not to be exceeded. This is a beautiful film about family and loss and with this being Wolverine’s ninth movie, it is hugely rewarding to see his arc come full circle. It’s bloody, it’s emotional and it is the perfect sendoff to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.

Blake Coker can be reached at [email protected]

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