Hello, Steemers. I finally got around to viewing Logan the other night. Below is a short analysis of some ideas that I haven't seen commentated on yet.
It’s been seventeen years since I sat in a cinema and watched the first X-Men film. Having been a big fan of the comics and in particular, the character of Wolverine, my expectation were high, and thankfully Brian Singer did not disappoint. But after X2 my interest in the characters and the world of the franchise waned. With the exception of ‘ X-Men First Class’, I always felt that the films never really went into the depth that the characters deserved. In particular Wolverine. That was until I saw ‘Logan’.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t like superhero movies because this really isn’t one. Conversely, if you’re someone who does like superhero films and in particular X-men, then you're in for a real treat with 'Logan'. And, that’s what this movie does so well, it’s makes humans out of mutants, and brings us characters that we've seen before, but in a new light.
The film has been out long enough, that I don’t feel the need to summarise. Type Logan, into your search engine and you will instantly hours have of Commentary and Analysis.
But, after watching a lot of these videos, I’d like to focus on something that hasn’t been spoken about. And that’s the idea of what happens to us as time moves past us.
Everything about this film is different to what has come before. The rustic golden brown colour palette that Director James Mangold & Cinematographer John Mathieson create separates us instantly from Brian Singers sleek and stylish original movie. Gone are the fast paced action cuts and replaced instead by the slow close-up fight scenes. Even the choreography has slowed down. The director has chosen to give us messy fight scenes, more like drunken brawls that you’d see on a Saturday night, rather than people who’ve been fighting their whole lives.
And it all works, because that’s what this movie is really about, getting old. Watching the world around you change and leaving you behind. Such is the world of the mutants in this film; they are now a dying breed soon to be extinct. They have become rarities, their stories left to comic book creators to create myths about the glorious days of the X-Men.
X-Men have always shown us characters who are on the outside of society. Cast out by the people they try to protect. But, Logan shows us a character who is not just cast out but forgotten. Logan belongs to another place and time, longing to be away from the world, a character longing to die. But, who has to come out one last time, for one last fight.
That’s what makes this film so different. It’s not just the typical story of conflicted superheroes struggling to do the right thing in the face of some dreaded force. These men (Logan & Charles) have been beaten, by the most powerful force of all…time.
There is so much more that can be said about this film. It is one that I will most certainly go back to watch again. I had actually begun to wonder if there was ever going to be a superhero movie that could compete with ‘The Dark Night’ and for me ‘Logan’ comes damn close. Let’s hope its success lets Hollywood see that all the CGI and fast paced explosions will never come close to a story about real human beings…even if they're mutants.
Thanks for reading
‘Shine on you crazy diamonds’
