It’s refreshing when the comic book world sneaks up and surprises you and that’s exactly what Logan (2017) did when it delivered the third installment of the Wolverine movies on the big screen earlier this year. It’s a role that has become synonymous with Hugh Jackman, who has been incredibly successful at bringing the character to life in a total of eight movies. While X-Men: First Class set things in motion for a younger cast for the franchise going forward, there was still room for more old school Wolverine action.
The previous films in the trilogy have spent a lot of time delving into the detail of one of the most popular X-Men from the franchise. X-Men Origins: Wolverine covering the back story and The Wolverine filled in the details with his current state of mind and fringe history. Logan, on the other hand, will take us way into the future to look at the character in his twilight years as a new threat surfaces and you can take a look at what to expect from the release in the trailer below. You can also see the latest from the film with the trailer #2, which features a lot more of X-23 doing a lot of damage to anyone that gets in her way.
UK release date
Cinema:
The film had a US and UK release date of Friday the 3rd March 2017, making it the first big superhero flick of the new year. It arrived in the UK on the same weekend as scrappy Ice Cube comedy Fist Fight, spooky Kristen Stewart drama Personal Shopper and Michael Fassbender’s crime drama Trespass Against Us. It’s one of a few Marvel films out this year with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 and Thor: Ragnarok all planned for later in 2017.
DVD, Blu-ray and digital download:
The Logan DVD had a UK release on the 10th July 2017, when it was also made available to buy on Blu-ray and digital download rental. It’s also getting a release on 4k Ultra HD, so you’ll be able to see the claws slashing in more detail that is probably healthy. However, the digital download version was the first opportunity to own the film, arriving on the likes of iTunes, Amazon Video and Xbox Store on the 24th June 2017. The DVD, Blu-ray, digital download and 4k Ultra HD version of the film came out in the US a month or so earlier than in the UK with a release date of the 23rd May 2017.
Story
Details were initially a little sketchy on the plot, but there was plenty of speculation online about what to expect. What was immediately apparent though right from the very start was that it’s a different slant on the character with the R age rating it was been given in the US, so you should expect a lot more ferocity from the film.
There were more than a few clues to go on, not least of all the Tweets from director James Mangold, who posted an edited version of the second page of the script for the film. In this he refers to Logan as being long in the tooth, while also reiterating the damage the film is going to deal before the credits role, so if you were expecting an 80s A-Team shoot-out where no one gets hurt, let alone dies, you might want to redress your blood-o-metre in advance of picking up the DVD.
He also went on to confirm that Logan has lost his mojo a little, as his self-healing capabilities are fading fast, leaving him in a perpetual state of the ouchie-oochies, which he’s decided to deal with using nature’s remedy: booze. This has led many to assume that it has been based on the comic book, Old Man Logan, which is set in a mixed-up future where all the superheroes have been defeated, but that turned out not to be the case.
Another big clue came in the teaser poster that has been released for the film, which you can see a close-up of above, showing Logan, claws out, holding the hand of a kid. This resulted in a lot of speculation about the prospect of X-23 – the clone daughter of Wolverine in the comic book world – being at the centre of the story and the recent arrival of the trailer confirmed that to be the case with Logan on the run with an aged Professor X as they try to protect the kid.
Age rating
Logan has been given an age rating of 15 by the British Board of Film Classification in the UK with strong bloody violence and strong language.
Logan DVD and 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray cover art:
Blu-ray special features
While the DVD release doesn’t include any special features, the Blu-ray four main add-ons with the coolest being the black and white version of Logan, which should make for an impressive alternative view on the film:
- Logan Noir – black and white version of the film
- Audio commentary by director James Mangold
- Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by James Mangold
- Making Logan – behind-the-scenes documentary
Cast
Obviously, Hugh Jackman (Eddie The Eagle) is back in action as Wolverine and Mangold has also confirmed that Patrick Stewart (No Man’s Land) will feature as Professor X once again. Boyd Holbrook (Gone Girl) has also been attached with the film, which he confirmed recently on his Instagram page with a shot of the Logan poster, and it’s a similar story for Richard E. Grant via Twitter and Stephen Merchant (The Crystal Maze Stand Up To Cancer Special) in a similar style.
The release of the trailer has also confirmed that Dafne Keen will be taking on the role of Charles and Logan’s young charge, Laura, AKA X-23.
Production
The film has been directed by James Mangold, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049) and Scott Frank (The Wolverine), along with the story working with David James Kelly. It has been produced by Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner.
Review
The arrival of the trailer below added to the expectations for the film and the full release didn’t disappoint with well pitched risk thanks to the higher age rating . The cast looked an odd mix, but they all came together well to deliver what is possibly the superhero movie of the year in 2017. Wonder Woman promised to be its biggest competition and while Gal Godot and Chris Pine put in great performances, the film just misses the mark. Read our full review for more details.
Logan is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest DVD releases of the year and with strong review scores across the board from critics, averaging 4/5 stars, it’s been very well recieved since its big screen release. Check out the official trailer below to see what to expect and you can watch trailer #2 at www.tuppencemagazine.co.uk/logan-trailer-2.
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