****
Old, tired and battle weary, Logan is in hiding as a taxi driver in Mexico, desperately trying to save enough money for a boat he's seen in a magazine. However, his plans go awry with the appearance of Laura, a strange child with a dangerous secret...
The BBFC cites 'strong bloody violence' and 'strong language' as it's reasoning behind Logan's 15 certificate, and after only five minutes, the film certainly lives up to these pointers. And, gosh, isn't it all the more refreshing for it! Logan, or Wolverine, has always been a man of violence with a potty mouth, but, stemmed by the 12A rating we've never really got to see such a savage side of him. That is, until now. Mentally broken and physically ruined, the Logan of this film is a far cry from the fresh-faced hunk of the original X-Men. It therefore works in the character's favour that director James Mangold has chosen to take this story down such a dark and bloody path. Part Western, part road trip, part coming of age story, the latest addition to the X-Men franchise is as human in its emotional range as it is super hero movie. Led by Hugh Jackman's embittered central performance and supported by an excellent cast, haunting soundtrack and beautiful landscape shots, there is much more to admire here than in Wolverine's previous standalone ventures...
That's not to say that the film is perfect, however. Clocking in at 139 minutes, it is indeed too long and some sections feel overly long and stretched. This might be because the film is trying to fit too much story into the runtime - this would have been a much more effective, fast-paced film had it been a basic hunt story. However, the overly complicated mutant backstory soon becomes embroiled in Logan's tale, weighing it down and adding an unnecessary extra element.
It was seventeen years ago that we first saw Logan grace our screens and, for me, he has remained the most relatable, likeable mutant throughout the entire franchise. A bloody and bitter story, the Logan we see here seems a long way from the one we originally met, and yet the film seems entirely befitting of this battle-hardened character. Making the role completely his own, Hugh Jackman heads up an impressively bleak comic book film that will leave you with a lump in your throat.
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