Trailer Review 047 Logan
Logan
(Rated R)
[Third of March, 2017]
Chance of Success = definitely 100% and over
< Full disclosure: the second trailer is essentially the same except for a couple of R-rated scenes. You've been warned! >
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Confirmed by the director himself, this particular storyline takes place in the timeline restored back in place after the events in Days of Future Past and to not further be confused by the number of timelines exist in the Fox's X-Men Universe, let's leave it at that and imagine this loose adaptation of Old Man Logan took place after that movie but years in the future.
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Opening the trailer with a grieving Logan looked from afar to his probably close friend's funeral (Jean Grey or Rogue?) and dealing with it the only way he knew. Setting the background of mutants dying away and leaving him behind all alone, ...
... his grievance pushed him to take care the only living acquaintance at his side, revealed to be Professor Xavier, lying motionless with a blank gaze staring nowhere in the downed water tower, effectively letting us know the current dire condition he was in compared to how he was back in the day.
(There's a storyline in the comic of a new epidemic affecting only the mutants in the future and probably Professor X was infected as well, only hanging on by a thread just with his brainpower)
Seemingly out of his trance, the mentor let Logan know of the girl that's "very much like you".
(Asides from the informed comic fans, she is X-23, a clone of Wolverine in every each way since she's the product of Weapon X experiment replication and Professor X probably knew of her when tapping into her mind with his remaining telepathic abilities)
Caliban, the mutant fully covered in clothes (probably in response to the current hatred of mutants and them being constantly hunted down, he's covering his altered physical appearance to make sure he blended in), has the ability to locate any (remaining) mutant in the world and appeared to side with the fully armed enemies in exchange for his own life, leading them all the way to where Logan had resided (based on the writings on the police cars above, it is set in Mexico).
The human military group was led by a man with a robotic limb who confronted the restrained mutant that was burning up inside because of his crusade in eliminating his kind.
(the leader, Donald Pierce, led the Reavers in the comic against mutants and it's more than likely would follow that storyline in this movie although they might be looking for the girl instead of him)
His once teacher told him to help her and although his jaded perspective kept him from offering a hand to one of his kind in need, he soon took a liking to her after getting away from the militia together and even share some short but sweet moments together.
Seeing him in an unfamiliar position, the through line of this third and last hurrah for the now beloved character would be on his depleting regenerative ability as he was finally affected and ravaged by time. Living day by day, seeing himself a scarred shell and of his former self and depleting of vigor he taken for granted now, a knowing look of his dog tag seeing himself looking back to his origin and how he first gained the abilities by force, and maybe relate with the girl more deeply.
(there's no real reason yet how his ability is dwindling, but the mutant epidemic could be the catalyst)
For the first time in a while, he brandished his signature claws with forceful intent to protect the ones around him and punished those that were in his way. The next scene saw Professor X in his own signature wheelchair with a couple of the Reavers by his side as the girl crawled towards him.
(That shot of the claws straight through the skull was in the international trailer, a representative shot of the Wolverine movie going full R that would let him going full berserk and spill as much blood and cut as much limbs as he can.
Regarding Professor X, there's a theory of him losing control of his extraordinary abilities and the possibility of it being a ticking bomb, counting down to the inevitable of himself blowing up and affecting others in the vicinity physically and/or mentally. In the trailer though, he appeared to be holding them down with his pulsing brain wave as X-23 tried hard to get to him and get him somewhere safe.)
With the Reavers fast approaching and cornering them into a corner, the girl appeared to be fighting back in the same manner as Wolverine was back in the day but nevertheless was captured and cuffed by them, probably after a few casualties. The timeline of the events in the trailer couldn't exactly be pinpoint correctly but the highlight is certainly when Logan shielded himself with his claws against an oncoming set of claws from above, an opponent with the same offensive ability as him.
(If you've read my explanation above of her origin, you knew it was the girl, or X-23, a clone of him, having a couple of claws protruding out of each hand and a claw each out of each feet. In this instance, she might be losing control of herself as she was consumed by the 'berserk rage' he was infamously known for, lashing out even against him)
Whether this was before the scene in the hallway or after, he was running towards them in full force and retaliate in the only way he knows how, jumping high with his brandished claws towards an unfortunate Reaver.
Based on the blood and wounds on his hands and body, this scene was followed right after he dispatched a whole crew of Reavers, but apparently not without a casualty of his own. Looking over a grave (based on the shovel in his left hand), his shaking right hand was slowly grabbed by the girl's own, maybe trying to comfort him by being by his side. Closing the trailer with the same theme opening the trailer, he was dealing with it by his own away from the crowd in the graveyard while he was forced to bury one of his own close friend but had someone to accompany him to deal with the grief and moving on.
(It could possibly be Professor X, judging by the expression on Logan's face and the girl)
"Logan, you still have time."
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+ Highlights +
Perfectly used soundtrack that set the tone and feel for the trailer,
a fresh and new location for a mutant movie to set in,
the scarred, shaken and bloodied Logan showing us a side of him we've never seen before,
the once strong leader in Professor X is now old and brittle,
the smaller scope compared to its predecessors is a nice change of pace and allow the movie to focus on the trio and emphasize the theme of family, punctuated with a lighthearted moment they shared together,
forced to faced an army, Logan was pushing himself over his limit to cut them down (with R-rated action and violence) and with a couple of help by the girl and the mentor, although a casualty is inevitable.
? Points of contention ?
The aspect of time and possible epidemic on the mutants and how it affects their physical and mental abilities,
his past coming back to haunt him or force his hand in helping the girl suffering the same origin,
how strong is the influence of the Reavers to include the Mexican police in their hunt for the mutants,
Caliban stabbing his own kind in the back (although there's a scene of him being forced to do so),
the mental condition of Professor X would play a huge part in Logan's actions throughout,
- Lowlights -
The unknown improbability of this particular storyline to tie in with the current FOX Mutant Universe especially considering Professor X and Mr. Sinister would be in active use for both.
! Scenes to Admire !
the downed water tower, the shot during dawn in the forest, the self-reflection of Logan in front of the mirror, the lights through the water tower lighting its inside, the last somber scene over a grave ...
Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Boyd Holbrook as Pierce, Doris Morgado as Maria, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Sienna Novikov as Mutant Child/X-23(?) ...
- Synopsis -
Set in the future of 2024, Logan and Professor Charles Xavier must cope with the loss of the X-Men when a corporation lead by Nathaniel Essex is destroying the world leaving it to destruction, with Logan's healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier's Alzheimer's forcing him to forget. Logan must defeat Nathaniel Essex with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine.
(Director James Mangold [the Wolverine], Budget $127 Million USD, Genre - Action, Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi, FOX Mutant Universe)
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