More than an X-Men tale

Film review: Logan

MANILA, Philippines - Do superheroes get old? They all seem frozen at that age when they look and are at their best. Which can be justified by their having superpowers. They do not wither at all.

X-Men though are not really superheroes. They are mutants. That means human beings who are different from the usual. Sometimes, these differences, like having adamantium nails, work as a kind of superpower that gives them an edge over ordinary folks. So, if they are not superheroes but are only mutants then they can get sick, grow old and die.

That is what happening to Wolverine in the comicbook Old Man Logan, which has now been adapted to the big screen as simply Logan. The year is 2029. Limping and bespectacled, Logan is now retired from his Wolverine chores. He drives a limo for a living and takes care of his aging mentor Charles Xavier, who is suffering from seizures that cause sonic shocks. Along with a fellow mutant, the albino Caliban, they live in this deserted plant in a gloomy part of Texas. They are old and alone and want to remain in hiding. But then something happens and Logan is forced back into X-Men business.

Those who expect Logan, the movie to be a satisfying X-Men adventure will not be disappointed. There are bad guys who hate mutants, a scientist representing big business with a smiling but venomous assistant and a cyborg army. There are petty thieves and government agents as well. Logan may be old but he can still slice through them with gusto. There are thrilling chases and crackling dialogue and eyepopping special effects. And the broken heads, ripped bodies and spurting blood are more plentiful than usual. This X-Men is big but not for kids.

Unlike its predecessors, Logan is more than the usual X-Men tale. Truth to tell, I never thought the saga would be able to come to this. But it has happened. You can blame or I would much rather say, praise director James Mangold for daring to take the risk. He did a good job with Wolverine a few years ago and was asked to do this repeat. But Mangold is no ordinary superhero director. He is also known for the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line and the western 3:10 to Yuma. With cred like that, he will certainly be allowed to take risks with the franchise by the powers that be at Marvel. Everybody is glad he was.

In Mangold’s eyes, Logan is a grizzled gunslinger off to his last duel, a Jedi knight in his final battle, a samurai contemplating his end. So while he has the slamming action down pat and provides speed and gore unabated, he has also given an elegiac feel to the film. The result is so glorious that it has me thinking. If this were a western, it would be a horse opera, if it were set in space, it would be a space opera, but what would you call Logan? I do not know but I would settle for film, the kind that morphs into classic for the ages.

Clawed again, although this time, just a shadow of his swashbuckling self is Hugh Jackman, who has played Wolverine at least 10 times during these past 17 years. This is his swan song as an X-Man and he has given his best Wolverine portrayal ever. He is the hesitant everyman constantly tucking himself into shadows. He is angry, cursing and snarling, but tenderly takes a mutant child under his wing. With biceps throbbing, he becomes the action hero incarnate. And when he plays off with Patrick Stewart as the senile Xavier, these two produce heart-wrenching moments.

I do not know how award-giving bodies feel about superhero movies. The western has long ago won acceptance. Recent times have seen space adventures also making the cut. Perhaps, Logan will be the first superhero film to win recognition. It is not only Jackman who excels here. Stewart is utterly unforgettable and Dafne Keen as the confused, hurting and violent child is an incredible find. Mangold has given these mutants a human dimension and created a feeling audience for them.

I do not believe that Wolverine can die. Not as far as a lucrative franchise goes. You can expect to see him resurrected again in various versions in the near future. But it will take a long time before there comes another Logan like this one.

By the way, did you know that Jackman was not initially hired to portray Wolverine? The part was assigned to another Aussie actor Dougray Scott who unfortunately met an accident just as filming had started in the first X-Men movie. That was when Jackman was drafted to take his place. What happened next is now history. And I wonder, what happened to Scott.