That description is exactly right: Logan is not a movie for kids. It’s grim, gory, and extremely violent, and much of that violence involves a child (who does give better than she gets, but still — that’s not a lesson you want your child to learn).
It’s also played as an “end” to the X-Men franchise, but it really isn’t. Everyone is dead, except for Wolverine (Logan) and Professor X, and a few rare, scattered individuals who are being hunted down. The ending (which I won’t reveal) puts close to the saga, and Hugh Jackman has said he won’t be reprising the role, but that’s no real termination — it leaves a heck of a lot of questions wide open that could, in a sufficiently venal film industry, justify a few more prequels to this story to explain how it ended up in such a deplorable state.
But still, I enjoyed it. It’s not a great movie, but it’s an engaging one, and it focused on the human side of the story. What happens when demi-gods grow old and have to face their own mortality? What do you do when old dreams die, you’ve lost hope, and the vitality you relied on begins to fade? That’s far more interesting than trying to see how many city blocks an overpowered superhero can demolish in an afternoon.
Recommended. It makes you think a little bit in addition to keeping the action flying.
I got a taste of that today, when a friend of the family stopped by to hang out with his sister, our housemate.
He took his leave, walked a half mile to the McDonald’s and collapsed with a massive MI. He didn’t survive.
He was also one year older than my wife, who is one year older than I am.
Going to funerals starts to get pretty old after a while.
I think I’m going to skip going to my own.
Besides, I’d probably get tired hearing all of the lies about how great a guy I was and walk out on them.
It was a good story, but I really wish that the story could have been told without the non-stop violence.
I turned out to be not such a great date-night movie for me.
Yeah, but then it’d not be a movie with Wolverine in it. :/
It was all slice and dice in the comic books too.
Our date nights typically involve a documentary, which we’ll talk about after (and during commercials). :)
I’d have to say its he best comicbook action movie I’ve seen. Not a high bar, but still worth watching.
Watching “super” powered heros coping with the very humanizing decrepitudes of age was astonishing and beautiful.
Liked a lot a particular bit of symbolism. In the movie Laura seen with Charles she saw a traditional ritual funary reading with The Lord’s Prayer ….. When it was her time to speak the words she chose as the rite Shane’s leave-taking instead. Both appropriate to the circumstance she had been through and symbolic of the eessential futility of “superhuman” powers.
— TWZ
How about a spoiler alert next time, PZ?
There’s nothing I said that you won’t also find in the movie preview.
I have heard from others that it was essentially a less poignant version of children of men. May still see it, but Get Out is higher on my list
Yes totally enjoyed even the slashing and all the idiotic maneuvers by the hitgang. Who would grab a speeding car from a motorcycle? guaranteed disaster for the motorcycle. And Logan charging in to medicate Xavier during his seizure in Las Vegas. Building is shaking and people are frozen, why use the elevator when building is rumbling?
minor objections, I know. Still wrenching to see Logan’s departure. Did leave behind quite a legacy in X23. X-Men:The Next Generation. counting down 3 … 2 …
@8
Without sir patrick shouldnt this be x-men ds9?
For me, I thought it was a pretty darn good movie as a “movie”, but kinda…well, hmmm… crap as a “superhero movie”. I enjoy the splashy spectacle of super powers clashing, Hulk smashing, Stark snarking, etc. Superheros takes me away from complicated problems with nuanced and complex solutions (got plenty of that IRL). Sometimes, i just want superstrength, telekinesis, and BFG’s to be the answer. All that said though, Jackman and Stewart’s portrayels were pretty awesome. I am even recommending this movie to Honored First Wife™ and she hates “superhero” movies.
Slithey Tove @8 re: elevators
I think X’s powers were effecting the people only and not the things. The building shaking was perception not physical, thus, the lifts would make sense to use. Disclaimer: I’ve only seen it once (so far) so will need to look closer next time and validate my suspicions. :)
As an aside, I work at a theater and listening to Johnny Cash end credits music is so much better than most ending credits music you end up hearing 4 times a day.
“I have heard from others that it was essentially a less poignant version of children of men”.
In a very broad way there are similarities, but having seen both
I much prefer Logan.
Like PZ, I thought it was a much deeper tale than the usual superhero movie, probably a little over my squick line in the gore sense. Definitely enjoyed it, nevertheless.
slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) #8
YOB – Ye Olde Blacksmith is spot on, the shaking was to intimate the effects on the people’s minds, not the structures.
And, the Reavers are crazy dudes with cybernetic limbs, grabbing moving vehicles from motorcycles is definitely within their wheelhouse. :P
I loved it. It’s really refreshing to see a “comic book” movie done with real drama. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Would LOVE to see more movies like this.
My husband, a Wolverine fan from childhood, passed away in December. He was looking so forward to this movie. I saw it today, and it shattered me. Probably for more personal reasons than most, but I thought it was one of the best superhero movies out there.