Logan

Gritty, honest and brutal. Just like a movie about Logan should be. This is by far the best X-Men film as far as I'm concerned. Logan doesn't hold back at all which I absolutely loved. For the most part, there is just an onslaught of awful things happening. And apart from the relationship between Laura and Logan, nothing makes you go 'oh, that was nice'.

Very early on in the film, I got huge John Wick vibes. The action was very reminiscent of those films. It was fast, it was brutal and graphic, and it wasn't afraid to show everything. Indeed, you got the sense that Mangold was trying to find more and more interesting and gory ways to kill people. Something that the John Wick franchise also does. This comparison between John Wick and Logan is nothing but a positive one. If you ask me, the John Wick films are some of the best action films to have come out in recent years, as is Logan.

Where Logan really shines though, is not in the action, but in the story of Logan. It's a depiction Logan that I think a lot of people have wanted to see. Although I'm by no means an expert on the comic books, I have always had the feeling that Logan is a much more complex and difficult character than the previous X-Men or Wolverine films have led to believe. Logan is just as brutal with its depiction of the character as it is with its action.

Logan really should be used a case study on how to do a comic book film. The only problem it faces is its R rating. I absolutely loved the rating as it allowed the film to go as dark as it needed and wanted to go. But comic book movies are, of course, supposed to be the highest-grossing films studios make, and an R rating will automatically lower revenues.

If you have been looking for a comic book film that isn't just like all the previous ones, Logan is the one for you. As mentioned, it is brutally honest and gritty, and the action is more brutal than you would ever dare to expect. It's a fantastic action film but it also manages to create such an impressive story that you will find yourself amazed with the depth of it. Is it my favourite comic book movie ever? No. But is it easily one of the best ones? Absolutely.

This really is one of the best superhero movies of all time. And best of all, it doesn't even feel like a superhero movie. Fantastic story and great acting all around.

Being a huge X-Men fan, I really hoped this movie would be good and all of the trailers looked amazing, so I went into the cinema with impossibly high hopes, even preparing myself for tears. What I got, however, was an actual punch in the stomach and, like, an hour of crying. This movie exceeded every hope I ever had entering the cinema.

I'm actually having a hard time finding any negatives in this movie whatsoever. I wasn't particularly crazy about Dr Rice, but he's such a minor presence in this movie that I barely even noticed him. There are several villains in this movie, Dr Rice, Donald Pierce and X-24, but what I genuinely believe is going fairly unnoticed in all of the reviews I've read is Donald Pierce and Boyd Holbrook's portrayal of him. Honestly, I don't believe we've had such a good X-Men villain since Magneto, and that to me is really important now since we barely get any good villains in movies these days. Villains can be the most interesting part of a movie. I'm excited to watch Boyd's show "Narcos" now, and I plan on following his career from this moment on. X-24 is also a much better villain than I expected, serving as a sort of a shadow to Wolverine. Another highlight of the movie was Dafne Keen, the little girl that plays Laura. She is absolutely amazing, and I can't stress that enough.

I want to briefly discuss the R rating. Honestly, it adds so much to the movie, and it's amazing to finally see Wolverine cut loose, swearing and slicing people up, it's amazing. And there is a lot of blood and swearing in this movie, which just adds on to this gloomy, gritty feel that lingers over this entire film, further pushing the notion that the dream is dead, that this is the end of the X-Men. It's truly depressing seeing this world where all of your childhood heroes are dead. In a way, I'm almost angry with the creators for twisting the X-Men so out of what we're used to, and that's another thing that I sort of have a problem with, even though nothing really could have been done about it. I don't really feel like the message of this movie, to give up after so many years of fighting, to just kill off everything goofy and colorful about the X-Men and shatter all of our hopes is necessary in a time like this. I think that as goofy as they are, X- Men movies and superhero movies in general just need to do what they were created to do - to raise hope in people that things will get better if we all work together and that we can find a family no matter how different we are. That's an important part as to why X-Men were created in the first place, to show minorities that they're not alone. Now we have a movie that shows mutants, a minority already hated by most of the "normal" people being killed off by the government, and I really don't think that's the message that was needed right now. However, "Logan" is a typical example of the director giving the audience what they want (a nostalgic, gritty Wolverine road trip movie) instead of what they need. In this case, it absolutely works because everything is so masterfully crafted, the cinematography is beautiful, the performances are amazing (Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman should seriously be up for an Oscar), the action, gore and script are ridiculously good, there is a compelling villain and it managed to hit an emotional nerve for me. I can't even consider giving it a lower than perfect score.

I'm excited to see what Logan means for the superhero genre. It's definitely up there with the likes of "The Dark Knight". However, this movie can stand alone as something more than "just a superhero film", and as I've heard so many times before, superhero movies get old. It's time for a little change in the genre. While I can't say I'm particularly happy with the implied direction that the X-Men movies are taking after "Apocalypse" (even though the X-Men are my favorite superhero group ever, though people tend to forget all about comic books and animated series), I'm more than excited to see if they will ever again reach anything close to the masterpiece that is "Logan".

FILM: 8.5 Rewatching Logan, I can't help but feel a rush of emotions as Hugh Jackman says goodbye to the role of Wolverine... or so we all thought, including Hugh himself. James Mangold teams up with Jackman for their second outing focusing on Logan, and this time it's a decidedly more introspective event, wholly unlike any other X-Men film. Taking cues from his 3:10 to Yuma remake, Mangold turns this into a western of sorts with sci-fi embellishments, creating a unique and compelling atmosphere.

Jackman delivers his most nuanced performance as Logan, portraying a character who is older, wearier, and more vulnerable than we've ever seen. It's fascinating to watch him bring depth and raw emotion to the role, making it a fitting swan song for his iconic character. Patrick Stewart also gets plenty of scope to do something entirely different, and his portrayal of Professor Xavier is both heartbreaking and powerful.

Even the plot points that usually come across as generic, such as certain action set pieces, have a different tone and feel in Logan. Mangold manages to infuse these scenes with a sense of realism and grit that makes them stand out from the typical superhero fare. The action is brutal and unflinching, but it never feels gratuitous. Instead, it serves to underscore the themes of mortality and redemption that run throughout the film.

What I love most about Logan is how it successfully blends genres, taking elements of the western and the sci-fi thriller and melding them into a coherent and engaging narrative. The film's introspective nature allows for character development and emotional resonance that are often missing in superhero films. It's a fitting way to say farewell to the role of a lifetime... for now.

Overall, Logan is a remarkable achievement, a film that transcends its genre to become something more profound and meaningful. For me, it's a deeply satisfying rewatch that reminds me why I love the character of Wolverine and the world he inhabits.

FORMAT: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

VIDEO: 10.0 Native 2160/24p presentation Detail level: Excellent Colour reproduction: Excellent Level accuracy: Excellent Encode: Excellent Master condition: Excellent

AUDIO: 10.0 Dolby Atmos audio Dialogue reproduction: Excellent Soundtrack & effects clarity: Excellent Dynamics: Excellent Surround sound presentation: Excellent LFE content: Excellent

MOOFIEMETER: 9.0.

I was pleasantly Surprised on this movie. What held it for me is that you didn't need all the other marvel comic characters in the film. Story Arc was well produced and adapted to the big screen. As another reviewer mentioned I also wished there would have been more fight sequences between Logan and X-23. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.