'Logan'

Starring – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant.

Director – James Mangold

Rating – 15 UK

Length – 2h 17min

So after nine movies and seventeen years, it all comes to an end. James Howlett, The Wolverine, Logan finally gets his best movie; I don’t make that boast lightly. Before I get started, this is a tribute to one of the most beloved characters in comic books.

As for the movie itself, James Mangold was the perfect director; he balances the aspects of comic book canon and branching out to new territory perfectly. If you look at Mangold’s other work, not only has he worked with Hugh Jackman before in the underrated Kate & Leopold, but arguably some of his best movies centre around tortured characters, Cop Land, Girl, Interrupted, and Walk the Line. Logan is epitome of a tortured anti-hero; he never wanted to be anyone’s hero and after seeing so many friends and loved ones die, all he wants to do is live out his days in peace.

The year is 2029 and any hopes Charles Xavier (Stewart) had of humans and mutants living in harmony are all but dead. Due in part to an “incident” that occurred some years ago, we aren’t offered a lot of details as to what happened, and the film leaves it to us as the audience to fill in the blanks. Logan is a limousine driver who is trying to save up money for a boat so he and Charles can go live on the sea. Patrick Stewart is an amazing actor, showing his dramatic and comedy talents; hearing Professor X curse for the first time is hilarious.

Charles & Logan are both haunted by their choices and actions. They don’t know it but they are looking for redemption and they find it in the form of Laura (Keen), who is being pursued by scientists and the government. This is Keen’s first major motion picture and what a debut; while it’s Jackman’s last outing as Wolverine, I can see a huge career in the horizon for Keen. The sheer physicality of her performance as Laura is astonishing and when we finally see her abilities, it's cinematic glory.

The movie becomes a road trip and this offers some of the movies more touching moments, such as Laura driving and Logan asleep on her lap. The real life friendship of Stewart and Jackman is evident in every scene they have, and their father-son relationship is wonderful to watch.

The movie has a great supporting cast. Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook and Stephen Merchant add a depth to each of their characters and the movie give them chance to shine. Grant is in full larger-than-life bad guy mode and he is exceptional as usual.

The cast is terrific but Jackman is the real driving force. He is just as believable as the Wolverine as he is the tortured Logan. At nearly 50, he has stated that age played a part in his choosing to step away from the role, but he is in terrific shape and that makes the action scenes really pop because you know Jackman is doing most of the work.

The theme of an older gun fighter looking for some peace away from killing is a very well known story, but what Logan does so well is take an almost invulnerable character and show how tired of killing he really is; but you know that in order to get that peace he may have to “strap on his guns” one last time. Logan questions if he has that last fight in him and I will let you watch the movie for the answer.

Overall, this is a fantastic movie and but it is not your typical comic book movie and definitely not one for the kids.

If this is definitely the last time we will see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, then what an ending.