‘Logan’ marks the final outing for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, a role he claimed as his own 17 years ago and now when people hear Wolverine they think of Hugh Jackman, and when people hear Hugh Jackman they think of Wolverine. So for his last hurrah it is only fitting that he goes out with the most real, gritty, bloody, violent, and by far best Wolverine film to date. Set in 2029, a world where Mutants are almost extinct, Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart) find themselves on the run tasked with the protection of a young mutant named Laura (Dafne Keen) who is being hunted down by an evil organisation. This movie is just incredible, it transcends the superhero action genre in so many ways making itself known as a very grounded, emotional, and unique film in a genre packed with so many high concept CGI extravaganzas. Hugh Jackman is as good as he’s ever been as Logan here and he gives it everything he’s got with a powerful performance. Amazingly written and directed by James Mangold, the film has a lot of heart, a lot of blood, is visually beautiful and literally could not be done with anything less than an R rating (US).

The story chosen here for Wolverine’s final appearance was perfect on so may levels. It deals with a very vulnerable Wolverine who is no longer the rage filled, rapidly healing x-man we have come to know. And with that detail alone it opened up so many avenues for this film to explore themes and ideas no comic book movie has ventured to explore yet. The action here takes a back seat to some more subdued, personal, dramatic sequences that really for the first time explore Logan as a person. Learning how the current world has shaped him, seeing his relationship with Professor X and Laura develop, and watching him deal with his inner conflicts throughout the film made for so many thoughtful and engaging scenes that only upped the realism oozing from this film. But even though the action does take more of a back seat when compared to previous X-Men films, when it goes down, shit hits the fan.

Anyone who says this story didn’t need an R rating is lying to you because everything in this film including the emotion and understanding Logan’s character relied greatly on the crazy amount of blood and gore flying across the screen. The R rating is not a gimmick, it isn’t just there to put the word out that this is a “serious film”, it is there so that this story can be told and we can actually get Wolverine going full berserker rage mode on film for the first time. The action set pieces here are just as amazingly shot as the more scenic sequences and they are so damn gritty, awesome, and exciting to watch. No rapid cuts, no shaky cam, just very well choreographed, brutal, and fast paced close quarters action that is sure to blow your mind. And there is one sequence in the film i loved that is literally holding your breath intense that is filmed exquisitely, but i won’t spoil it here.

Hugh Jackman goes all in with his final appearance as Wolverine putting in a very strong, emotional, and real performance that grips you at so many moments throughout the film. He gives it his all and you can see just how much physical and emotional pain he is in at all times and it’s just a testament to Jackman’s incredible ability as an actor. Patrick Stewart is just as good as ever as Professor X, he is a much older and inactive Professor in this film but he still plays his part very well. Newcomer Dafne Keen was great as Laura who can most certainly hold her own in action scenes and plays her character really convincingly. Boyd Holbrook was good in the villain role although he doesn’t really get enough screen time to make much of an impact, but who cares, it isn’t his story we want to see.

So in the end i absolutely loved Logan from beginning to end. The story builds gradually and flows through at a very calculated and even pace, and it takes many turns making it a very fresh and unpredictable ride. If you are a fan of the previous X-Men films you will no doubt love what this movie has to offer, but even if you aren’t still check it out as it has such a different feel and aesthetic to the classic ‘superhero film’ that it should be recognised. But if blood and gore isn’t your thing then still see the film anyway because it is too good to miss.

9.1/10