March 17, 2017
Logan is a
good movie for what it is not, cartoonish. There are no men in tights, women
with bullet bras or German accented villains wearing metal helmets. Logan and
Professor Xavier live in a abandoned encampment in the desert. Logan and Professor
X, like all of us, are subject to the ravages of time. This vulnerability is
more relatable to an adult crowd. Xavier is fighting senility, which is ironic
for a mutant who could control minds. Logan’s once buffed body is etched with
scares and raked with pain. Fighting and winning have taken their toll.
This said
there are stock and trade Wolverine battles. He uses his talons like a five-star
chef skewers kabab. Professor X’s senior moment is befuddlement but still cataclysmic,
an echo of his vast power.
There is a
new crop of pre-teen mutants who were fabricated in the lab. One special mutant
is an eleven-year-old named Dafne Keen, who has a special bond with Logan. The relationship
is tenuous but grows warmly over time. There is a lethal element to her precociousness.
Logan is the reluctant father figure reining in the wild child. They do not
have a cuddly relationship and Logan’s clueless parenting skills make for funny
situations.
There are a
few lulls in the movie, but these small breaks give space for reflection. There is plenty of action for all but when you
need to take your medicine before going in to battle that is a reality check.
Medicare has a high deductible for decapitation.
The movie
has seeds of sequels. Those cute pre-teens mutants will surely appear in forthcoming
movies as strapping teens in tights and bullet bra’s. Keeping the franchise
alive is imperative (all x-men films to date-$4.8b box office).
