The first big superhero film of 2017 is probably one of the most important. Logan will release on March 3rd and it's Hugh Jackman's final outing as Wolverine and it will be one of the most comic-accurate depictions of the character yet. After nearly 20 years of waiting, we will finally get a bloody, brutal Wolverine movie that shows the character in his truest form. The film's trailers show off a dark and emotional story/tone that will be sure to tug at the heartstrings and hopefully be a good ending point for Wolverine's story.
So, is this the film fans have been waiting for? Will this be one of the best superhero films of all time? It certainly sounds like it just might achieve that status or come damn close. It's absolutely killing it in reviews. Wolverine has had some pretty bad movies, but it appears Logan will make up for it. The final Wolverine film stands at a solid 96% on Rotten Tomatoes with 52 reviews at the moment, 50 positive and 2 negative. Below you will find a brief round-up of some of the reviews for the film from some of the top critics who have seen the film! We've purposely excluded some things from some quotes out of fear of spoilers.
The Hollywood Reporter
"Seamlessly melding Marvel mythology with Western mythology, James Mangold has crafted an affectingly stripped-down stand-alone feature, one that draws its strength from Hugh Jackman’s nuanced turn as a reluctant, all but dissipated hero. That he rises to the occasion when a child is placed in his care is the stuff of a well-worn narrative template, yet it finds a fair level of urgency in this telling. For fans who are intimately versed in the franchise’s playbook (and the comic-book source material), this chapter should prove emotionally satisfying."
Entertainment Weekly
"It’s both the most violent film in the series and the most sentimental one. When it’s not showering you in blood, it’s trying to make you spill tears. It’s much more comfortable with the former than the latter."
"Logan is essentially a road movie, but it’s a dark one (and a very long one). More than ever, Jackman’s Logan seems like he’s at an existential dead-end, and he’s never exactly been a barrel of laughs to begin with. Mangold shoots the film in a grungy, south-of-the-border Peckinpah palette. There isn’t a lot of hope in the movie. The stakes aren’t grandiose, no one’s saving the world. They’re saving this one special—and very, very violent child. Since Laura’s mutant physical gifts are so identical to Logan’s, there’s a melancholy to their relationship. She’s the daughter he never slowed down enough to allow himself to have. The loner has to learn to put someone else first. It’s both as manipulative and hokey as that sounds, but occasionally it works well enough that you might find yourself getting choked up against your better judgment."
IGN
"Mangold doesn’t pull any punches when dealing with how this group has reached this point in their lives, what has happened to the rest of the world’s mutants (and the X-Men), and where it’s all leading. It’s a refreshing take on the modern comic-book movie, where all bets are off and no holds are barred. That, combined with Mangold’s Western influenced stylings but also a willingness to still insert sci-fi elements, adds up to a thrilling, one-of-a-kind experience.
Logan is in many ways an emotional, heavy picture, but it’s also an uplifting one that reminds us that it’s okay to fight for something more, something better. It’s an amazing swan song for the Wolverine character, and for Jackman, and perhaps the best X-Men movie yet."
Nerdist
"Jackman, Stewart, Merchant, and Keen all deliver tremendous performances. Franchise mainstays Jackman and Stewart are especially good here, as you can tell they trust each other as actors and like each other as people. I was not expecting to get quite as much heartfelt self-reflection from the film’s second banana Xavier, but Stewart’s sad and fragile portrait of the character proves yet again what a brilliant talent he is and ever will be. Jackman has said he’s done playing Logan with this movie, and it is a fitting swan song, but if Stewart never plays Xavier again, this too would be a masterful final bow for the X-Men franchise’s second most iconic character.
I think fans of the comic will truly enjoy Logan, and even those who don’t–who maybe only have a cursory knowledge of the characters via media osmosis–will find a solid, gutsy action movie with more emotion than you’d get in a lot of blockbusters. This is honestly one of the best comic book movies of all time."
CinemaBlend
"James Mangold's Logan is the definitive Wolverine movie. Somber, mature, reflective and destructive, Logan arguably could be called the best X-Men movie, period. It is, for sure, the Wolverine movie that lifelong X-Men, Marvel, and superhero fans have been waiting for Hugh Jackman to make — the "Holy Grail" feature we've routinely been promised, right before something like X-Men: Origins — Wolverine shows up and disappoints."
"Without giving too much away, I'll say that by the end of Logan, I couldn't believe how much Mangold and Jackman were able to accomplish with this final, fantastic movie. I was floored by the film's impact on the legacy of this timeless character. I was deeply moved by Jackman's soulful, intense and, yes, Oscar-worthy performance, which draws from every appearance as the Wolverine but also puts a period on the end of the sentence that the actor started writing in the first X-Men movie. And I left Logan fully satiated by the totality of Wolverine's on-screen journey. When it comes to Hugh Jackman's unprecedented run as Wolverine, they saved the best for last."
USA Today
"There's a distinct lack of tights and an abundance of emotional grit in the excellent adventure (***½ out of four; rated R; in theaters March 3) directed and co-written by James Mangold (The Wolverine). Easily the best Wolverine outing, Logan is The Dark Knight of the mutant-filled X-franchise, a gripping film that transcends the comic-book genre by saying something important — and for Logan, that means coming to grips with needing loved ones in his life."
ComicBook.com
"Each sequence, including the few which appeared to be veering slightly off track on the way to Jackman's final moments as a mutant, culminate to make Logan an emotional masterpiece. It is a movie which will raise the bar for movies featuring super heroes going forward. Emotional gut punches, risky filmmaking choices, and beautiful performances from Jackman, Stewart, and Keen make Logan an absolute must see movie for anyone who can handle it.
Logan is a violent, emotional masterpiece and the perfect ending to Hugh Jackman's run as the Wolverine."
Logan releases March 3rd, 2017.
