Logan [DVD]

This movie is trapped between a rock and a hard place in different ways. On one hand the public has come to expect a family friendly movie that their kids can enjoy without worry. On the other hand the source material is brutal. Our hero is essentially Freddy Kruger so to show Logan/Wolverine action scenes with the claws being implied is like watching a declawed cat trying its best on a scratching post. On top of that we have come to expect comic book heroes to save world or at the very least a city. We also expect them to be there for everyone else over themselves. We expect superheroes to be the moral pillars that society can look up to and attempt to emulate even if not all of them are as clean-cut as Captain America. Logan/Wolverine is an iconic superhero that fans of all ages want to see.Not only does Logan buck all of that, it stomps those expectations into the ground without an apology. The world doesn't need saving nor does a city. No one needs or wants our heroes. Our heroes, all of them, are in very bad situations. Rather than a macro focused comic book movie, this is a movie where our heroes are trying to save themselves. They have been living extremely rough lives in order to survive so they are very angry and rough around the edges. They are not pillars of morality or moral beacons of light. They are on the verge of being purged from humanity. They are not fighting for justice so when threatened they truly fight for their lives. There are no mind games or political power plays, it is brute force vs brute force. As with real-life heroes they are not perfect people. It's a constant struggle to stop acting like a wild animal backed into a corner but to be better. Though the movie is not what I would not think safe for child eyes, I will say that the movie also does a good job of handing off "morals to story" without slapping you in the face with them. By the other reviews here you can see many people zone in and focus on the violence and bad langauge. While some people will miss those values entirely or simply diminish the value of them because of the violence and language that accompanies those values it actually makes me respect the story and direction more. They didn't sacrifice their story to appease the masses. This movie is a lot more grounded than many movies without the science fiction elements. Character interaction for most of the film (not of all it) felt pretty geniune in the sense characters acted in a way I would expect people to respond in those situations. Not all of those responses are the "right response" but they are the response of someone with those interests in that situation would choose. Some of those responses will probably make more than a few parents feel queasy.There are plenty of kid friendly movies. What we do lack is movies like Logan. It brought a different take to the comic book movie scene. I felt it was a very refreshing take even if it was a dark movie. Maybe Hollywood will see movies like Logan and realize they don't need to try to appeal to everyone. You can have a target audience and still be successful. Not even comic book movies need to be kid friendly especially when the core fanbase are adults. Rated R movies in the '80s were still pretty tame. I think parents are learning that Rated R movies these days are not kid friendly. To be clear, I'm not suggesting all comic book movies be Rated R. I'm saying don't be scared to go that route if it makes sense in that situation.LOGAN NOIRFirst Blu-Ray extra I looked forward to seeing, mostly because they had a limited screening in theaters for a very short time that I missed. It is also the first Blu-Ray/DVD extra I actually enjoyed watching and thought was worth my time. I won't say you need to see the movie this way but you absolutely should watch it in B&W if you have the opportunity to. It fits the mood of the movie very well.In some ways I'm bummed this was a standalone movie in that universe but at the same time I could see some possible movies that could jump off from this storyline if they decided to keep this timeline and style direction going. I don't think I've written a movie review prior to this because I never saw the point but I absolutely wanted to support this movie and show my appreciation. I will probably write one for Wonder Woman as well as both movies are joining Guardians of Galaxy for my favorites right now.

Great movie, but obviously not for the squeamish. The discs work perfectly, and the movie is awesome.

Where do I begin? What do you say I get this obvious detail out of the way: this is Hugh Jackmans' 9th time in person playing one of pop cultures' best loved icons, and from what I hear from the media, his final outing as the titular character. Also reprising his famous role for the 7th (and POSSIBLY final) time is Patrick Stewart as Prof. Charles Xavier, leader of the X-men and founder of the Xavier Academy for gifted youngsters. New to this installment of the "X-MEN" saga are Stephen Merchant as the albino mutant tracker Caliban, Richard E. Grant as Dr. Xander Rice, Boyd Holbrook as Donald Pierce and Dafne Keen as Laura. As for the movie itself, the action sequences alone are worth it. And why wouldn't they be? The vast majority of viewers and fans alike already know of Wolverines' six retractable 12 inch claws coated with Adamantium, his healing factor and his feral rage when it comes to dispatching his enemies. But don't worry. There's also an engaging, insightful storyline and well thought out character development to help balance the plot and spectacle. The story itself revolves around Logan struggling to eke out a living in a future where no mutants have been born for a very long time all the while taking care of an ailing Professor Xavier with the help of Caliban. But one day, Laura, a young girl with abilities like Logans' shows up on the run from Donald Pierce, leader of the Reavers, a gang of mercenaries working for Dr. Xander Rice, a scientist employed by Transgien Industries, the corporation responsible for creating mutants in this tale. What follows is a touching, edgy and violent look at what it means to have a cause worth fighting for and to be a family (albeit a disfunctional, blended one.) As a fan of Wolverine, "LOGAN" simply fails to disappoint me. I personally loved how Mr. Jackman and company completely upped the intensity of the action for an R rating. That means it is in no way family friendly (Parents of children who are fond of superheroes, take note). So, if you haven't seen it yet, please do yourself a favor and do so. Or if you have, how about a repeat viewing or two? "LOGAN" flat out proves that action films as well as comic book films do not need to be all style and no substance. As a cinematic achievement, "LOGAN" ranks as an action flick up there with "THE DARK KNIGHT" trilogy and "MAD MAX: FURY ROAD" and as a drama feature on the line of "THE GODFATHER" trilogy and "UNFORGIVEN". Sorry "SPIDER-MAN 2" you've just been dethroned by "LOGAN" as the best comic book film I have ever seen and the best Marvel outing of all time. One final thought I would like to share: I hope young Mrs. Keen has a long and successful career after her wonderful performance in "LOGAN".