Thank You Hugh Jackman!

Jackman and Steward in Logan

The third solo Wolverine movie, Logan, is a fitting capstone to its headliner’s seventeen-year run playing the adamantium-clawed mutant on the big screen. Similar to Deadpool, Logan largely unfolds as a standalone, character-driven story – one containing references to the greater X-Men film universe that enhance the viewing experience for longtime fans, but avoid alienating newcomers or those less well-versed in X-Men mythology, at the same time. X-Men movie franchise connections aside, Logan is a grisly and somber character drama that sends off Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine on a high note.

Jackman gets the chance to flex his acting muscles more than any solo Wolverine movie or X-Men film before it has – and the Oscar-nominated actor rises to the occasion, capturing the physical/emotional wear and tear that the character has accumulated with equal aplomb. As believably worse-for-wear and otherwise grizzled as Jackman’s Wolverine here is, however, he is matched by the wild-eyed intensity and personality of his younger co-star, Dafne Keen, who makes Laura/X-23 a memorable character through a largely-silent performance of her own. Rounding out the central trio in Logan is Patrick Stewart, back as a frailer-than-ever Charles Xavier/Professor X in a performance that allows Stewart to be more outright funny, vulnerable and heartbreaking than ever he was before in the role of the X-Men’s famous mentor.

Logan, Laura and Charles shared a moment of happiness and laughter

As irreverent and comically R-Rated as Deadpool was, Logan is equally but effectively morose and grounded, with its own mature take on the X-Men movie franchise and the Wolverine character specifically. The movie thus succeeds as a moving sendoff to the Jackman-led era of the X-Men cinematic universe, as well as yet another demonstration of how different in tone and style a superhero comic book movie adaptation can actually be. Longtime X-Men fans are in turn advised to prepare themselves emotionally for a somber Wolverine movie.