Logan

Logan.

What a beautifully powerful, excellently violent, thoughtfully emotional executed film. If only every superhero genre movie could be delivered with such keen class. This was the magnum opus of Hugh Jackman's 17 year reign as the titular character. Surfing through various sequels and incarnations of the mutant's exploits, Jackman's demonstrative mastery over the adamantium solider has been the only delightful constant. In truth, were it not for the unbiased train of humanity ushering us all into the silver haired years and beyond, Jackman could've probably played this role indefinitely. But that was not to be the case. And so, in like spirit of Mark Hamil's retirement from the iconic Joker voice, Hugh Jackman decided that Logan would be his final film in that role. Seeking to "go out on top," as it were.

It's only fair to pause here and give an honorable mention to Patrick Stewart for his endearing performance as the elderly Professor X opposite Jackman's jaded Logan. Stewart brought everything he had to bear, and it showed irrefutably.

The synopsis of the film is a post apocalyptic time for mutants, roughly 70 years in the future from the era most of us associate with the X-Men. Wolverine is retired and off the radar. The X-Men are all dead. Professor X is barely alive, suffering the brutal paradox of having the world's most powerful brain under attack by a brain debilitating disease. Now, true to form, the studios (along with Jackman's agreement and insistence) elected to give this final incarnation of his Wolverine an R rating.

Which was vitally necessary.

Wolverine, Logan, is hard edged. Gruff. Blunt. Beastly. The quintessential definition of lethal. Through the cartoons, we've captured a bit of that animalistic nature, but only the comics have really given us the true look at what he really is. The caveat here, of course, is that comicbooks are mute. Here, we got a chance to have the best of Wolverine on the big screen.

The movie open with him slicing a puffed up gang to shreds. They try to jack his car, he politely tries to dissuade them, they shoot him, he gets up and warns them, they shoot him again and jump him... then he roars and, well- it's curtains. Bloody curtains for the whole lot of them! He's slicing off hands and other appendages, claws are tearing through skulls and eye sockets; there's one moment where he faces one guy and simply guts the man. Stands there and spends a good focused 10 seconds tearing his claws through the man's stomache, all the while giving that bloodcurling, angry snarl of his.

(I love this shot!)

And the movie continues on in like fashion from there. Every fight scene is realistic. Contains just the right amount of violence. Really the precision of this entire project was phenomenal.

But the actual potency behind this motion picture is the emotion.

Logan is not simply some wild man killing for the joy, or even the instinct, of it. He's not a sworn pacifist avoiding combat at any cost, nor is he some coward in hiding. He is tired. He's lived a life far longer than most. He's been a monster, he's been human, he's fallen in love, he's murdered his loves, he adopted the mission and vision of Charles Xavier... and now, here at the end, it's all gone away. There are no X-Men. No loves. No vision. Professor X is a shell of his former self. There isn't ANYTHING. And he's tired.

Have you ever been tired? Not just the weariness of the struggle, but that deep boned exhaustion from having committed your everything and changed the world you were a part of... only to have it snap back to how it was right in your face? That fatigue rising out of your very pores when you never gave up... you just had the game ruthlessly snatched away from you... and the very prospect of chasing it down- of starting all over again- saps what little strength you have left.

Logan is tired.
And sick.
Would rather be dead.
But can't quite push himself to make that commitment.
Because Charles needs him.
Because there is still the spark of a living dream inside of himself.
There are few things more enervating than a dream you no longer want, but can't seem to escape.
He just wants to escape.

And into this very tightly knit world of pain and plotting to abscond out to sea for the remainder of their days, is thrust this girl.

X-23. A mutant clone, forged in the same program he was, built out of his chemically enhanced DNA.

X-23. Laura.

His daughter.

Spoilers aren't necessary here, because the "how" always comes secondary to the "what." X-23's "what" was "Who am I really?" Logan's was "Regardless of what I became, who am I supposed to be?" The how is an adventure which toured across train tracks, and shoot outs, and casinos, and bars, and friendly neighbors, and secret hideaways in forgotten mountains hidden at fictional coordinates.

Logan didn't want this. Didn't want more complications or upsets to his already upset world. He's lain low for so long- he just needed a liiiittle bit more.

But life is rarely so accommodating, when we are not living as our true identity.

And so the story begins to unfold itself for us. We see the dust stained heart of a hero erratically beating in Logan's chest- the same heart that Xavier had identified all those years ago. He cannot leave this girl behind; he doesn't even accept WHAT she is, just THAT she is... and that he can't leave her to the horrible fates which had all taken their shot at claiming him when he was young. They travel and he fights to remain focused. Keep Charles safe. Take girl to destination. Get to the sea. Keep Charles safe. Take girl to destination. Get to the sea.

"Listen very carefully my friend; Killing... will not bring you peace."
"Peace was never an option." 
-Charles Xavier and Magneto, X-Men First Class

Logan was not after peace.
Just resolve.
He wanted to finish the mission.

But his need to give Laura a decent shot at a better future was steering him further and further away from that. So the tale goes on. We learn that our worst enemies are usually not other people, but rather other people's construction of us that they use against us. We learn about the brutality of trying to be a god over God's creations... and the inescapable cost of doing the right thing. Pain does not make a right thing any less right or necessary- it just is. Sometimes right hurts, and that is that. We are sad and then our story continues.

At the turn of the movie we finally get a clear chance to see the biggest piece, the force which drives the whole thing home. Weapon X and X-23... Logan and Laura... have formed a relationship. It is not ideal, they did not set out to be connected, but they choose not to forsake this bond. Somehow, in a way which only the stories of life can bring about, they have both awakened to the fact there is life and purpose bound up in their intersecting threads. This is not just about mutants, or labs, or road trips, or escape.

They are blood.
Father and daughter.

They carry a depth which can redeem and empower.

Love.

And the final scenes exploit this reality to the maximum. I've seen it twice, and both times I found myself in tears. I found myself sitting there, long after the film had ended, wiping liquid emotion from my face, shocked to discover these were not tears of sadness, but of weight. Of resonance. I understood what was happening. What had just happened. The cost. The veins of intimate kismet underscoring the entire adventure.

The cross is a powerful symbol, highlighting the ultimate legacy.

And yet, if we turn it just a bit, we find that the symbol is itself a symbol of a greater reality... one which she honored in that small, whimpering, heart laden gesture.

Logan was everything I wanted it to be... arguably everything it could have been. This is the power of fantasy. This is how you pay your respects to life. This is how you hang up your cape.

Thank you Hugh Jackman and everyone else part of making this film everything that it was. You gave me a 2 hour and 15 minute moment that I will never forget.

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Joshua Evans is a prolific writer and sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who believes story is central to everything and that mythology can change the world. He currently hosts two youtube shows- The Truth About Superheroes and Comic of the Week. If you would like to further be a part of his world, you can join him on Twitter and Instagram (@comicsinspire) or shoot him an email via the contact tab on this site, where he will get back to you at his earliest convenience. Cheers!