Logan

            Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, super hero movies follow a prescribed formula. There’s a generic villain with an overly elaborate plan, extended fight scenes that drag on forever, some witty banter, and then our heroes fight some giant hole in the sky. By the end, the heroes win, the villain is defeated, no one of consequence dies, and the pieces are set in place for the next installment. Blessedly, Logan, the last film to involving Wolverine from the X-Men franchise, avoids all of these clichés. There’s no big CGI-laden fight scene where everyone clearly stood in front of blue screens and did wavy hand motions at one another. There’s no tedious call-backs to other movies or cameos. Instead director James Mangold and Hugh Jackman offer up a modern Western in the guise of a superhero movie.

            In Logan, Wolverine isn’t trying to save the world; he just wants to make it through the day. The movie opens with Wolverine napping in his car, only to be awoken by a bunch of carjackers trying to steal the tires off his car. One of the gang members shoots him, but soon winds up slashed into pieces by Wolverine’s claws. Meanwhile, Patrick Stewart’s aging telepath Charles Xavier is losing control of his mind. His seizures paralyze anyone nearby. So he and Logan have hid out in the Mexican desert. In between caring for Charles, Logan runs his own private Uber, chauffeuring frat bros and sorority sisters around the Southwest. He’s saving up his money, so he can buy a boat. Then he and Charles can spend the rest of their days living out on the sea. When Logan comes home for the day, he has to deal with the angry, confused, and lonely Charles. It’s part tragedy and part old married couple bickering. You haven’t seen dark humor until you hear Patrick Stewart, with his classically trained diction, extol the virtues of a Taco Bell Chalupa.

            Visually, Logan is the most realistic and grounded of any of the X-Men movies. When Wolverine’s claws come out, they hurt him. His knuckles are bruised and bloody. As he slashes up carjackers and anonymous Blackwater soldier types, the blood and limbs fly everywhere. Logan takes a beating (and numerous bullet wounds) from a variety of bad guys. As the film goes along, it’s clear that he isn’t in much better shape than the Professor. Wolverine’s famous metal claws are slowly poisoning his body from the inside. He grows paler and grayer as the movie progresses. Only a massive injection of steroids can get him ready for the climactic battle. Instead of the bright palette of a cartoon, the landscapes of Logan are pale and deserted. There doesn’t seem to be much left in the world for Wolverine and Professor X.

            Mangold isn’t subtle in making Logan references to classic Westerns. A frightened woman asks Wolverine to care for her mutant daughter. He grumbly refuses, but eventually takes on the job to save her from nefarious forces. Ravaged by guilt about being able to save his friends, Wolverine packs up the Professor and the girl and they take a road trip across the Southwest. They dodge enemies, switch cars, and bond with one another in many of the film’s quieter moments. At one point, Charles watches Shane on TV. If you know anything about Shane then you can guess how the movie ends. Despite its bleak themes, Logan appeals to its comic book roots and to ends on a moment of hope and redemption. In place of CGI vapidity, Logan offers artistry and maturity.