The superhero's swansong

Wolverine's journey comes to an end with 'Logan', but not before captivating the audience

There’s a running gag on the internet about popular superheroes, such as Batman and Superman, having had a lot of actors play them on the silver screen in  recent years, but there has been only one Wolverine — Hugh Jackman. 

Logan, directed by James Mangold, is the closing chapter of the Wolverine series. Jackman reprises his role as the titular Logan, also known as Wolverine. But don’t expect to see the same mutant as seen in Wolverine (2013). Logan is about the ageing Wolverine, who seeks solace in alcohol and drugs. 

The film is set in 2029, when Logan is old and has been reduced to an alcoholic and a junkie from a spandex-wearing superhero. He has left his crime fighting days behind, but not Professor Charles Xavier (portrayed by Patrick Stewart). Afflicted by a degenerative brain disease and seizures that paralyse those around him, Xavier has to spend his remaining days in hiding near the Mexican border. Logan and Caliban (Stephen Merchant) —another mutant who can track down others of his kind — have taken it upon themselves to take care of the now senile, Professor X. It is informed that there are not many mutants left but then Logan comes across 11-year-old Laura (Dafne Keen), a mutant bred by Transgien and hunted by the same. Unintentionally, the mutant trio gets embroiled in the conflict and Logan takes it upon himself to protect the girl. The rest of the film revolves around the fate and safety of the trio. 

Though an action thriller, Logan is not entirely about hacking and slashing. It is about how immortality, too, does not last forever. It showcases how Wolverine, one of the strongest characters in the X-Men universe, has been reduced to an aged drunk whose regenerative abilities are now dying. Mangold, in his brilliant directorial venture, intersperses humanity with deification; superheroes are treated as gods but this film shatters that illusion and underlines how even the invincible can, one day, fall. 

However, this is not a film for children. It is dark, grisly and has the kind of violence that the previous X-Men films have never seen. But the dark tone helps underline the solemnity that has taken over the world (in the film). 

Mangold’s direction is visible in the intricacies — Logan’s despondence, Professor X’s helplessness and Laura’s innocence. Mangold has amalgamated the three and come out with a film that would please not only the fans but also every single moviegoer. 

Jackman plays the part with effortless finesse. He portrays the ageing superhero who is coming to terms with his diminishing invincibility. Though he has been playing Wolverine for about 17 years, Jackman still manages to bring something new to the table in this film. It is fascinating to see how he has metamorphosed over the years, not only as Wolverine but also as an actor. 

Interestingly, he decided to hang up his boots as Wolverine after meeting Jerry Seinfeld, who told him it’s better to bow out before the audience asks you to. If you’ve ever liked Jackman in any of his films, Logan is a must-watch because of the acumen he shows. 

Stewart has always played his role as Professor X with elegance. But in Logan, he has been reduced to a helpless 90-year-old mutant. He plays the transformation from being the head of a school for mutants to a senile old man well. 

But it is Keen who takes the cake. In her debut, she outshines almost everyone. If Jackman holds Logan together, Keen is the what keeps the film going. 

Logan is not just the last film of the solo Wolverine franchise, but it is also an homage to the character itself. It is about the journey the character has undertaken ever since its conception. It is about the human side of superheroes, the side that no one can see. Much like the pained Batman battling his demons, Logan, too, battles his own. Above all, it showcases that nothing lasts forever — not even the invincibles.