The newest Marvel motion picture, “Logan” was surprisingly full of sentimentality and compassion, as well as the usual well-orchestrated, super-human action.
For those who are unaware of the Wolverine storyline, this film addresses origins, recent history and the future of the X-Men Marvel universe. With another stunning performance by Hugh Jackman, the plot actually follows one similar to that of “Les Misérables,” meshed with the life of Wolverine, the Adamantium man, whose human first name is Logan.
Action-packed as ever, this movie also has moments showing human compassion, fear, anger and familial love. There were many times throughout the film that filled the theater with laughter, sobs and the tense silence of held breaths.
“Logan” is set in the future, where mutants are no longer openly accepted and where science continues to be manipulated for the empowerment of cold-hearted people. The story has elements of resistance, mystery, emotional and physical ailment, the fear of being chased and the power of warm-blooded, human emotion. There are so many challenges to overcome in this film, for so many characters, that the plot is a little hard to follow at first. However, these do come together into one main challenge that moves the picture toward a clear finale.
The dialogue of the film, both that in English and Spanish, was well written and planned out. The direction was superb because each word and action of each actor in the film elicited exactly the audience response it was designed to, whether empathy or disgust. The effects were impressive in how realistically they were integrated with the scenes lacking the need for them. The film even included resistance against racism in a small town.
Although the fighting effects were well orchestrated and the appearance of the alter ego was a bit surprising, it was a little obvious of Marvel to pose the “evil” alter ego character in a black top for the fight while pitted against the real deal wearing a white top. It’s true that the two needed different outfits to distinguish them for the audience, though the choice of black and white clothing seems a little extreme. It can be assumed that those most interested in viewing this film would not need that excessive symbolism to understand the significance of the scene.
Still, any film that can leave even the more detached movie buff in tears is an impressive work. The intensity of the emotions in the film help to deter the audience from remaining detached from the protagonists, unlike some less interesting horror or romance films. Although comedies are enjoyable, they tend not to delve into such powerful emotions as this action film does.
“Logan” is definitely worth seeing in theaters, whether in RPX or otherwise. Bring your box of tissues and an arm or stress ball to squeeze, though. You’ll need it.
