Logan

Score:  ****1/2 out of ***** (A-)

Directed by James Mangold
Starring Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Patrick Stewart
Running time: 137 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Logan is the third "solo" film for Hugh Jackman's iconic superhero character, likely also his final.  This film is darker than others in the X-Men franchise, not just because of the increased violence due to its R-rating, but also because Logan and others are confronted with heightened personal crises.  While therefore not a cheerful one, this is a more emotionally powerful superhero film than most, and thoughtfully made.  Highly recommended.


In 2029, few mutants remain in comparison to the heyday of the X-men; none have been born for twenty-five years, and the remaining population barely struggles on.  Among the survivors is Logan (Jackman), once known as Wolverine.  With his mutant powers in decline and his old friends almost all gone, he quietly works as a chauffeur.  He also cares for his old mentor, Professor Xavier (Stewart), who has begun to lose control of both his formidable mind and powers and must be kept at a safe distance from society.  Logan's routine is interrupted, however, by a woman who is desperate for his help.  She begs him to take her and her daughter to the Canadian border where they can find a safe haven - and he must be the one to do it, or so she insists.  When Logan confronts the forces seeking this woman, he reluctantly decides to help her, taking the dependent Xavier with him.  Although Logan wishes to spend the rest of his life in peace and quiet, he is forced to once again confront duty to his people - both past and future.

Logan has relatively few familiar faces for an X-Men movie, but the cast is solid all around.  Returning for a seventh film in the role of Logan, aka Wolverine, is Hugh Jackman.  There is no question that Jackman knows the character; at this point, he is Logan, however similar that may or may not be to the comic book version.  Jackman brings a familiar sense of weariness and moral heaviness, but it is also very clear that he is at the breaking point here.  His acting conveys the passage of time - mainly, that it's been a long time since fighting with the X-men, but also simple aging - both through a more subdued yet mature demeanor as well as a still-impressive yet ravaged physique.  Patrick Stewart is equally affecting in his return as Professor Xavier.  He is even more clearly on the edge, portraying a physical suffering and exertion as he never has before in playing the wheelchair-bound leader of mutants.  Joining them is one final mutant, a young girl played by Dafne Keen.  She does not speak for most of the film, but still conveys a wild, sometimes frightening fierceness while also being a shy, very human child in need of a guiding figure.

Logan is a fairly thoughtful, though also brutal, superhero film that - there's no point in beating around the bush here - likely will serve as the final chapter for Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine.  The mood and look of the film is immediately more desolate than other X-Men films - from the desert environment to the jarring sight of Logan as a chauffeur.  For Logan, however - always the outsider on a team of outsiders - this is perfectly appropriate.  The fortunes of mutants, even as powerful as him and Xavier, have soured, not due to any apocalyptic events or enemies but rather simple time and the curse that their once world-saving abilities have become.  This allows the film to focus on a familiar choice for Logan, though this time with finality: to eke out the most dignified, quiet retirement he can from the world and all its troubles, or to put everything he has into a service greater than himself.  As he joins the fray again, and the film turns into essentially a chase scenario, the heaviness is relieved by an unexpected but touching detour into "normal" life that rewards both Logan and the audience.

Just as quickly, events turn more bleak and brutal than ever before, accentuating the urgency of Logan's mission.  The villains and their plot are not all that new and exciting, but that doesn't end up being a big problem.  The good guys - both familiar and new - are clearly more vulnerable this time around, and so their mission and very survival is the main source of tension.  This is made all the more gripping by the aforementioned brutality, which mainly serves not to shock (though that it does) but to illustrate the depths Logan must go to and the psychic damage all this must have done to him over the years.  After one last bloody, slicing-and-dicing battle, Logan gets the ending he deserves.  His sacrifice is not for those in his past, but for those - including the young girl mutant - who now have a future.

***

Logan is a very good superhero film by itself, but it also represents how franchises can be brought to a close in a satisfying and - hopefully - truly final way.  Made possible by the success of Deadpool, this film takes the license for an "R"-rated superhero film and uses it not gratuitously but to finish the theme and tone of the Wolverine character as it should be.  While the X-Men can be overshadowed at times by the more famous and popular comic pillars like Batman, Superman and the Avengers, Hugh Jackman's achievements in longevity and quality are arguably greater than any other.  Even as the faces and styles changed around him, Jackman's Wolverine was the anchor for the entire franchise - someone who could kick butt as well as any other hero, but also provide character depth and growth in the puzzle of his past as well as intriguing relationships (particularly with Professor X and Jean Gray) and his outlook on the world itself.  Bravo, Mr. Jackman, and thank you for creating such a great character to watch over the course of seven films.  If you, too, have seen the other X-Men films, Logan is a must-see.




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Get Out

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Directed by Jordan Peele
Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, et. al.
Running time: 103 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Get Out is Jordan Peele's first movie - not a comedy, but a horror.  Peele's insight and intellect clearly guides this film beyond typical genre material by using race, which accentuates the horror and vice versa.  Daniel Kaluuya gives a great performance as the intriguing surrogate, through whom we feel the chills and dread of race relations, mortal danger - and sometimes both at once.  Highly recommended.


A young couple in love, Chris (Kaluuya) and Rose (Williams) go to her family's home in the country for the weekend.  Before they leave, Chris discovers that Rose has not told her family that he is black, making him more nervous about meeting the family.  When they arrive, Chris feels a little more at ease; Rose's parents embarrass her and they seem to like Chris, even if they are a little naive.  There are also several black staff members who work at the house, although they are mysterious.  Soon Chris meets more of Rose's family, including her odd brother, and a whole gathering of older relatives at an annual get-together.  Despite suffering the type of slights and affronts that Chris is accustomed to, all seems relatively normal: except that the more time he spends with Rose's family, the more her family seems to be interested in him...

Get Out has a good cast that effectively transitions from ordinary drama to wacko horror stuff.  Leading the way is Daniel Kaluuya, who is fantastic.  This is a horror film, so there's not a lot of character development here, but he is a very effective and charismatic surrogate for the audience.  And I'm not talking only about the horror elements, but also the everyday drama.  Kaluuya shows how Chris patiently weathers some of the milder (often unintentional) racial moments, but the overall impact of Rose's family's behavior affects him in a variety of ways, both when he is with others and when is by himself.  And he does the horror elements just as well, particularly several scenes of extremely unsettling hypnotism.  The focus of the film is almost entirely on Chris, but others fill out supporting roles admirably.  Allison Williams is his steadfast defender as girlfriend Rose, though love for family does eventually pull her in different directions.  Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are both perfectly believable parents as well as - I doubt this is too spoiler-y - creepy horror villains.

While Get Out follows many horror genre conventions, it stands out for being driven by - and effectively illustrating - race relations, both everyday and more broadly.  Like many horror movies, it starts "normal", just a few young people taking an average trip; with the exception of some eerie, lingering shots and foreboding music.  And by the end of the film, little mystery remains while a considerable amount of blood has been shed.  Both the early and the later parts do their jobs well without being too terrifying (thankfully, IMO).  The film also has some good humor in it, particularly with Chris's friend Rod, a TSA agent (usually participating on his phone), although there isn't as much as I would have expected in a work from Jordan Peele - he of Key and Peele.

The formula stuff is fine and entertaining, but the social commentary is truly interesting and well done.  It's a simple idea, yet gets at some complex, nuanced realities.  A young black man is meeting his white girlfriend's family for the first time, and they are a regular, modern - even liberal - group.  Thus, Get Out uses its early scenes not just for horror build-up, but actually more to illustrate common interracial interactions.  Chris withstands everything from overcompensating niceties, to blatant, ignorant remarks from older family members that set his - and the audience's - teeth on edge. And Chris himself is observer, too, as he looks on the subtly yet significantly different ways that the family treats their black staff than they do him.  The racial component builds in parallel with the horror, and you get a sick feeling as you think you know what's going on but don't want to believe it.  Sure enough, the master plot behind it all is a disturbing allegory for race and society.  All is not lost, though:  for a horror movie, it has a pretty good, "happy" ending.

***

I had not even heard of Get Out until just before its release, and then I quickly dismissed it since it is a horror movie.  However, great reviews came in (99% on RT!!!), and I learned more about it - the social commentary and Peele's involvement.  The horror genre is still one I'm going to stay away from most of the time, but I'm definitely glad I saw this one.  Daniel Kaluuya is so fun to watch here, and thus makes all the social commentary more meaningful but not the least bit preachy.  So even if you're not a fan of the genre, I'd give this a try - though I recommend seeing this either in a packed theater or at least with a group of friends to get the most out of it.




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The Lego Batman Movie

Score:  ***1/2 out of ***** (B)

Directed by Chris McKay
Starring Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Zach Galifianakis, et. al.
Running time: 104 minutes
Rated PG

Long Story Short:  The Lego Batman Movie is the follow-up to 2014's smash hit The Lego Movie.  This time we move into the superhero world - and meet nearly all his friends and enemies along the way.  Lego Batman is very similar in style and structure to The Lego Movie but is a far cry from that gem. Still, it's a worthwhile, entertaining option for most - especially families with young children - whether seen in the theater or later at home.


Gotham City is home to an infestation of criminals, but luckily it also has Batman (Arnett).  When the Joker (Galifianakis) hatches a plot to destroy the city, helped by a team of fellow do-badders, the Dark Knight is there once again to stop him - in style.  Unable to capture his foe, Batman still delivers him a devastating wound when he tells the Joker that he holds no special place among the gallery of Gotham's criminals.  The caped crusader returns to his impressive home, attended only by Alfred (Fiennes), and seems to enjoy a quiet break of solitude.  He returns to the city, as Bruce Wayne, to attend the retirement ceremony of Commissioner Gordon.  There he meets a young man named Dick (Cera), who in his awe for Wayne soon becomes attached.  The two listen as Barbara, the commissioner's daughter, announces that the police plan to start fighting crime without Batman.  The plan soon comes to fruition: the Joker launches another attack and this time Batman puts him and his partners away for good.  As Batman grapples with his sudden obsolescence, an evil plot is underway that may require not just his return to action, but an entirely new method of fighting crime.

The Lego Batman Movie has a very fine voice cast, although it doesn't quite take full advantage of its wealth of talent.  Will Arnett reprises his role as Batman from The Lego Movie, this time taking the spotlight.  He does a fine job, taking on the deep, gravelly style made famous by Christian Bale; although since it is much more heavily used here, it does get a bit tiring as the film goes on.  The focus of the Batman character is on his independence and narcissism, which is particularly effective (and humorous) early on.  Joining Batman is the team of Dick Grayson/Robin (Cera), Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Dawson) and Alfred the butler (Ralph Fiennes).  These actors were all well-chosen, their voices strongly reflecting their personalities.  Robin is the young, exuberant (almost puppy-ish) sidekick; Batgirl is a tough, skeptical feminist; and Alfred is the refined mentor.  Last among the main characters is Zach Galifianakis' Joker.  Zach has quite a range of vocal styles, and here he uses a much gentler tone (though still smirking) than recent iterations (Ledger, Leto).  There is also, as in The Lego Movie, an impressive cast of cameos but few stand out much in my opinion; the lone exception is perhaps Eddie Izzard's Voldemort.

The Lego Batman Movie is a finely produced film that follows a formula similar to its predecessor The Lego Movie, but falls well short of that masterpiece in almost every way.  By far the strongest part of the film is the first act; we are treated to a flashy action piece to re-introduce Batman, and it's about as good as those from The Lego Movie.  Following this is an extended look at Batman once he's done for the day, and it does an excellent job of fleshing out his character flaws and is quite funny.  It's downhill from there, though.  I think ultimately this is a result of the approach itself: if you've seen The Lego Movie, you're already familiar with the structure and style, and then the characters - how many incarnations of Batman have you seen? - are plenty familiar, too.  There simply isn't enough here that is fresh or at least done with exceedingly high quality.  It is entertaining throughout, though, and the pace doesn't drag (it might be a little too stuffed, actually).  There is consistent humor as well, mostly from its satire of Batman, but it became less and less effective for me because the characters themselves aren't as funny.  Finally, the film has its own pop anthem, like The Lego Movie's "Everything Is Awesome"; this one, called "Friends Are Family", is also catchy but - sense a pattern here? - just not as good as its predecessor.

***

The Lego Batman Movie is an entertaining and well-made family film, but I had higher expectations for this follow-up to The Lego Movie.  I think it's likely, in fact, that your familiarity with The Lego Movie, and also the Batman franchise to a lesser extent, will determine your enjoyment of this one.  If you haven't seen The Lego Movie, this will probably seem much more fresh and interesting; but if you have seen it, be prepared for much of the same (just not nearly as good).  I'd also add that The Lego Movie has a level of maturity equivalent to that of Pixar films (therefore similarly interesting to adults), whereas The Lego Batman Movie is more like a typical Dreamworks production that is better suited for a younger audience.  This is a fun movie that can appeal to a broad audience, but you may want to take your experience (or lack thereof) with The Lego Movie into account when deciding to see it in the theater or waiting for it to come to Netflix.




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