FIRST LOOK REVIEW: Trust Me, "Logan's" One of the Best Superhero Flicks of its Genre

Gouging and shearing from start to finish, "Logan" disguises itself as a "road" movie sending Logan to Mexico where he cares for an ailing professor and gains a passenger for transport to the North Dakota/Canadian border.  It's a time when mutants have all but vanished in the U.S. (ironically, they can symbolically equal immigrants and diverse individuals accompanied by a "round up the muties" slur)) . An experiment in Mexico attempted to create young teens who would be lacking a soul and perfect soldier assassins. The project failed, leaving Laura seeking safety at a Canadian Eden.

Rated R, "Logan" turns Jackson's scissorhands into blood flowing and heads falling anger motivated weapons for nearly endless one-on-one brutal matches. You won't become grossed out as these shots are quick and snappy then often cutaway to a lighter moment, especially  Keen's deep dark eyes penetrating the screen while she cartwheels her own brand of slashing.

ALL PHOTOS (C) 2017 Marvel/21st Century Fox

Mounted with minimal digital fireworks, the story resembles a brooding end of  a gunslinging era Western such as "Shane," "Shootist" or your fav Clint Eastwood choice. A worn out and disgusted Jackson balances his show no emotion , connection, or commitment inner self molded through a compassionate caregiver for a dying mentor.

Called "the agony and ecstacy" of mutanthood, a bleep from a Wall Street Journal reviews sums the acting : Jackman gives Logan a withering rage that seems heartfelt; Stewart is touching in his enraged befuddlement; and Keen, who resembles here what Katie Holmes might look like if she were Carrie, has a feral intensity.."   Enough that coincidentally, a young female moviegoer testing out her first pair of slightly high heels by walking a line, doing hand springs, and ignoring frequent obviously turned ankles proved a great laugh for at least two other women (and me). 

Those strident followers of Marvel Universe X Men lore know the names of the kids repeated by Laura  could be harbingers for X Force ,  Alpha Flight or X-23  adventures to come.  Cunningly, director and co-writer James Mangold introduces X Men comic books into the saga twisting their existence into myth and fable realms. But, the script does reveal , Laura (X-23) is a Wolverine clone and Mangold has her as a nearly mute little girl quickly dicing like a samurai sword. Seriously, the child has a higher kill quotient than the aging Wolverine.

A quote from Shane (will it be a Flashback soon?) hits the heart: “A man has to be what he is, Joey,” says the heroic gunman to a child who wants him to settle down and stick around. “You can’t break the mold... There’s no living with...with a killing. Right or wrong, it’s a brand that sticks.”

FYI: The trailer for the next Deadpool spoofing Superman and his phone booth changing is a guaranteed feel good despite the strong dark parody elements. Be cautioned, "Logan's" not for the young, it's full of mature themes. 'Nuff said.

Art Billy Tan

WARNING....   OK, you HAVE seen Logan and you have an itch that can not be stopped.  This You Tube video analyzes the film in the X Men timeline. This contains super spoilers. Don't click if you haven't watched the flick.

Spoilers ahead!

Logan is now in theaters, with the final Wolverine performance by Hugh Jackman delivering a powerful farewell to the X-Men franchise. Erik Voss explains his theories for the film's big mysteries. What happened to the mutants and the X-Men? What was the Westchester incident mentioned in the film, and how was Charles Xavier involved? What is Eden and is it real? How does Logan fit in the X-Men timeline? And what is the secret meaning of the X-Men comic books in the film?