If you’re looking for a great superhero movie to watch, chances are you can find something that fits your tastes on HBO Max. Want an uplifiting viewing experience? Check out James Gunn‘s Superman. Seeking a gritty, more grounded approach to the genre? Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight Trilogy is right up your alley. Out of all the superhero movies in HBO Max’s library, one stands out as it’s both a bona fide masterpiece and one of the few movies that’s based on a Marvel character. That movie is Logan, and superhero fans have a week to check it out before it departs the streamer on May 31.
Logan is set in an alternate timeline in which an aging Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) cares for an elderly Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) until his life is upended by the arrival of a young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen). Laura is a clone of Logan and seeks sanctuary alongside other mutants at a place called “Eden”. As Logan, Charles, and Laura travel to Eden, they’re chased by the cyborg mercenaries known as the Reavers. What follows is one of the best superhero movies ever made, as it hits fans emotionally when they least expect it.
‘Logan’ Blends Brutal Violence with Emotional Catharsis
From the opening scene of Logan, it’s pretty clear that director/co-writer James Mangold intends to capture the bloody violence that’s inherent in the Wolverine comics. Where the previous X-Men movies had Logan barely draw blood whenever he stabbed or sliced his foes, in Logan, people often lose limbs or even their faces in a spray of blood. What’s truly shocking is the fact that Logan heals far more slowly than he used to, since his age and the Adamantium running through his body are taking a toll on his healing factor. Mangold discussed these changes prior to Logan‘s release date, saying that he wanted to do something that hadn’t been seen in a Wolverine or X-Men movie.
“We imagined that it may have when he was younger, but with age, he’s getting older and ailing. Perhaps his healing factor no longer produces baby-soft skin. So we imagined he heals quickly, still, but it leaves a scar. The simple idea was that his body would start to get a little more ravaged with a kind of tattooing of past battles, lacerations that remain of previous conflicts.”
This introduces a real danger to Logan‘s journey, as Logan often suffers immense wounds that take days to heal, when usually it would only take mere minutes. It also lends a truly emotional weight to the movie’s story, as Logan and Xavier’s age are affecting their powers. In Xavier’s case, his telepathic abilities often flare out of control, leading to destructive psychic waves; this also sets up one of Logan‘s most devastating plot twists. Logan also finds himself forming a father-daughter bond with Laura, which takes on greater meaning because she’s essentially his daughter, given that they share his DNA. It all leads to a climax that will shred viewers’ hearts into ribbons, yet makes Logan a standout in the realm of superhero cinema.
Here’s How to Watch the X-Men Movies in Order (Chronologically and By Release Date)
Before ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ here’s a refresher on how to rewatch the superhero stories that started it all.
‘Logan’ Remains A Landmark In The Superhero Movie Landscape
While fans have differing opinions on 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies, many will agree that Logan is the pinnacle of the franchise. The world seemed to agree as well; prior to its theatrical release, Logan wound up outselling nearly every X-Men movie except Deadpool and earned rave reviews during its theatrical run. The X-Men movies that followed Logan didn’t fare as well, with Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants receiving poor reviews and even poorer box-office results. And while Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart returned to the roles of Wolverine and Professor X, these versions are different characters from the ones they played in Logan.
Logan‘s influence doesn’t just extend to the X-Men movies. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige revealed that Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame was meant to carry the same weight as the finale of Logan, saying: “We saw Logan like the audience did, in a theater having nothing to do with the making of that film and went, ‘oh my god, what an amazing ending for Hugh as this character,’…And there are only a handful of examples where an actor so associated with a character can go out perfectly. That’s what we desperately wanted to give Robert, and that was what our focus was on.'” The gambit succeeded, showcasing why Logan remains a superhero masterpiece.
- Release Date
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March 3, 2017
- Runtime
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137 Minutes
