First, the Recap:
2029. The future has begun, and in the borderlands of Mexico there lived a mutant known as Logan (Hugh Jackman) aka: Wolverine. Along in this isolated and barren desert hideaway were also found his trusted friend Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and an aging Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whose powerful telepathic mind is slowly deteriorating. Despite best attempts to keep a low profile, Logan soon finds himself embroiled in the plight of a young mutant, Laura (Dafne Keen), whose backstory and abilities eerily rival his own.
On her trail is a group of mercenaries, known as Reavers, lead by a man named Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), bent on bringing Laura back to the facility from which she, and many other young mutants, are from. Finally realizing he still has a sense of compassion within him, Logan takes Laura and Xavier on a quest to find a place called Eden, where Laura’s friends are waiting. But Pierce has other plans, and as the danger and violence erupt all around him, Logan must once again tap into his most primal self to protect Laura at all costs, possibly to face the one spectre that has eluded him for so long–death.
Worth Seeing: Yes
For Jackman’s final outing as the titular, fan-favorite X-Man, he insisted they make an “R”-rated effort, and believe this reviewer when he says that it more than succeeds in earning it. Playing out, not like a typical Marvel-related film, but more like a classic Western mixed with “Deadpool”. Hence, be advised, it is a profanity-laden, highly dramatic, and very graphically violent film, certainly allowing director James Mangold the freedom to truly showcase the full-on weapon that Wolverine is, complete with moments of his famed Berserker Rage.
Likewise, the character of Laura, aka X-23, also gets to wreck her fair share of carnage as well, actually quite viscerally played for so young an actress. Jackman’s performance, though, is undeniably awesome, Keen definitely dominated the screen with her debut, and Holbrook’s Pierce is a perfect villain to incite Logan’s rage. The supporting turn by Stewart as a severely weakened and unstable Xavier was a decidedly different side of the character relative to past films, and Merchant along with Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, and others all contribute nicely as well. But let’s face it, it’s Jackman’s swan song as Logan, and he sure goes out with a savage bang.
Oh, and there is also no denying that the Deadpool teaser at the beginning of the film, which is now online, IS quite hilarious, and delivered in complete Deadpool style.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
