Logan

4 Stars (out of four)

So, it's finally here. The last time Hugh Jackman will play one of the most iconic roles in cinema. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this film, and for once, the hype lives up to itself.

Logan takes place in 2029. Our hero Logan (Hugh Jackman in his career-making role) is still angry and bitter. The film opens up with him walking in on some car thieves trying to steal the tires of his car. After a couple tense words, Logan is shot by them and he proceeds to literally tear them apart. This sets the tone for this incredibly brutal, very R-rated romp. It turns out Logan has been hiding in Mexico and caring for an ailing Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart). The world hates mutants now and has hunted them almost to extinction. Professor Xavier realizes there is a young mutant Laura, (Dafne Keen) who they must help before she is killed, and there is something eerily familiar about her...

i know now my description is not very good, but there is a lot to this movie and I want to keep it spoiler-free. I will first say, this is probably one of the finest superhero movies yet, an example of truly great storytelling that surpasses its pulpy roots. The themes are simple, but run very deep: loyalty, redemption and the importance of family in whatever form. I warn those with more delicate sensibilities that this is NOT a film for children. In the first post-Walking Dead superhero yarn, Logan definitely earns its R-rated stripes with its incredibly brutal story, violence and language. However, like Deadpool, the adult material fits the subject perfectly and is not gratuitous. That said, the movie can be hard to watch, particularly with its violence toward and wreaked by children. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was a subtle message regarding what happens to children who grow up surrounded by violence their entire lives, whether they be Syrian refugees or African child soldiers.

The movie deepens Marvel's most enigmatic and complex character. Logan is by nature a loner, yet he always has a soft spot for those who can't help themselves, particularly little girls. In the comics and movies, he usually becomes a protector and mentor to them, despite all of his instincts not to be. In this movie, he is a reluctant protector both to Professor Xavier and and a surrogate father to Laura. Despite his well-wrought cynicism to a very cold and cruel world, he can't help but obey the better angels of his nature and protect those who need it. This selfish/selflessness dichotomy of his nature makes Logan one of the most interesting characters ever committed to the page or screen.

The genius of the film is that it does not infantalize tha characters or the audience. Gone are the colorful costumes and black-and-white morality of most superhero movies. Instead, we have a cynical, bleak and evil world that uses our berzerking protagonist perfectly. This is the Wolverine story that I have always wanted to see in print or in the movies, one that does not dance around the brutality of a character who has long claws in his hands. That said, I hope that this will not be a harbinger of more R-rated superhero movies which fans have been clamoring for since the success of Deadpool and The Walking Dead. All three of these shows have taken great care to present well-rounded characters whose arcs lend themselves to this type of story. But superhero stories, for the most part, are meant for kids. They are modern-day parables or fables designed to teach morality in a simple way. Most of them do not need an R to get their point across. In fact, I think only Captain America: The Winter Soldier would have benefited from a more adult storyline, and yetit did quite well within its boundaries.

In the end, Marvel continues its astonishing ability to produce movies that far exceed the medium they sprang from. Like Pixar movies in the past, they have proven what good, complex characters and stories can accomplish. Just because the stories spring from a childish medium does not mean they have to stick to dumb, simple plots and spectacle. This is what DC movies have yet to understand with the possible exceptions of 1978's Superman and 1989's Batman. DC, instead of mining their great and extensive material to make compelling stories, feel they can win over audiences with flash and dazzle, and fall flat almost every time. If they want to compete with Marvel on this level, they certainly have the tools. DCs characters are older and much more iconic than anything Marvel has to offer, they just need the patience Marvel has in building a cohesive world. That will not be accomplished in two or three movies with Heath Ledger in a purple suit or Margot Robbie in hotpants and fishnets. They have to go beyond the superficial.

Once again, parents, be warned. This is not your X-Man movie, but something much more brutal and harsh. You may want to think twice before allowing your kid to see this one, as if the R-rating wasn't enough of a clue. Yet I can't recommend the film more highly.