Logan is a 2017 superhero action film directed by James Mangold, starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, and Dafne Keen.  The tenth installment in the X-Men film series the story follows a worn and ailing Logan who embarks on one last mission to protect a young mutant, Laura, from the mercenaries who pursue her.

Positives:

• Great characters
• Great action
• Great performances
• Good direction
• Great use of effects
• Good score

Negatives:

• Slow paced
• Lackluster climax

Plot: The story follows a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) at a remote outpost on the Mexican border. His plan to hide from the outside world gets upended when he meets Laura (Dafne Keen), a young mutant on the run, who is very much like him. Logan must now protect the girl and battle the dark forces that want to capture her. The story goes at a pretty good pace, though there are moments where the it drags.  However, the film does tell a pretty compelling story though the ending could’ve been more memorable.  The film does come to a satisfying, but sad conclusion. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  Logan (Jackman) is the main protagonist.  He’s old, he’s worn down, his powers aren’t as proficient as it use to be.  Logan has that gruff, he’s tired, and he is fed up with the fighting. Charles (Stewart) is old and his powers are unstable.  Laura (Keen) is young, she’s strong, but she’s vulnerable.  Logan and Laura have these abilities and there is this bond between the two.  Caliban (Merchant) shows a surprising amount of depth.  Donald Pierce (Holbrook) is one of those bad guys that might not be as memorable as say…Magneto, Sebastian Shaw, or Apocalypse, but he sure does have presence. He’s cool, he’s smart, and the dude actually shows grit. Though she has a small role, she makes a really big impact in the story.  Gabriela Lopez (Rodriguez) is probably the most human character next to Charles. Would’ve liked to have seen more from the mutant children to differentiate them and get to know them a bit better. Even X-24 came off as flat despite being so cool. Zander Rice (Grant) was an alright “antagonist” but he is about as memorable as X-24.  (4 out of 5)

Cast: Hugh Jackman does a fantastic job as Logan, definitely gives a strong emotional component to the character.  Great chemistry with Patrick Stewart, who does a good job as well as Dafne Keen as Laura.  The cast includes Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Richard E. Grant, and Elizabeth Rodriguez, all of which give really good performances.  (4 out of 5)

Visuals:  Let’s be honest.  The world surrounding Logan is pretty bloody and we’ve not really seen this onscreen.  However, this movie does deliver with the violence and gore that makes Wolverine best at what he does.  The use of Logan and Laura’s abilities is portrayed well.  The choreography is really good, the fights are brutal and intense.  The way Laura attacks her opponents is quick, agile, and precise and her fights are just awesome. (4 out of 5)

Score: The music is good and definitely helps with the emotionally powerful story.  Marco Beltrami does a great job with the musical composition. (3 out of 5)

Writing: There is a bit of clever humor, especially between Logan and Xavier.  There are some moments that show the deep connection Logan has with Charles as well as the growing one with Laura.  The dinner sequence is probably the best moment that shows the level of love and respect between Charles and Logan, something that is rarely scene in the other films.  The film is deadly serious.  Logan is a good film but not really ground breaking.  It does manage to hold strong dramatic elements as well as some brutal action but in actuality isn’t overly spectacular.  However, the script does a good job of making Logan question himself, question his life. And those are the moments where we see the humanity of his character.  James Mangold does a good job with the film. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Logan is a pretty good movie just not an epic one.  It is a great send off to the character of Logan allowing a way for a new generation of mutants.  Despite the slow pace and lackluster climax, the film does have a good story, good characters, good performances, a good score, and good action.  Logan gets 4 out of 5.