'Logan' Trailer 2 Breakdown: The Best Superhero Film of 2017?

With the newest look at March's Wolverine sequel, Logan, popping up this week in the film's second official trailer, I couldn't help but run though some of my thoughts concerned one of the darkest and most human superhero films set to release this year. Already establishing its gritty western tone, offering up an aged and weary Logan/Wolverine who has prominently separated himself from his past with the X-Men, Logan aims to show us one of the big screen's -- and comics' -- biggest mutants at his breaking point. With the newest trailer teasing not only a greater peek at the characters of X-23, as well as the baddies facing the titular mutant, but also the heightened sense of self-awareness present in the film, Logan remains one of the most promising and highly-anticipated films of 2017. With that, here are some of the elements the newest Wolverine film could bring to the table to make it one of the best superhero films of the year:



Most of the time, when one thinks about comic-book or superhero movies, there's typically either a earth-shattering blue beam rocketing into the sky or a slew of CGI-filled action sequences not to far behind. From The Avengers to the more recent Suicide Squad -- with a few minor exceptions in between -- the superhero genre has mostly dedicated itself to delivering big budget action to the big screen, with slim, at times impactful, character development. A trend that continues to astonish moviegoers, while blindly cheating them of a movie with any true substance, superhero and comic-book films thrive on a mostly PG-13 diet of "popcorn" entertainment -- selling something that looks, sounds, and seemingly feels good, but never truly contains that much depth to it. However, before I turn this into an essay about the flawed super-powered genre, I'll quickly transition into my main point.

This movie looks hardcore. Not simply for its ultra-violent nature and dusty western vibe, but also for its intriguing narrative of regret, loss, and the strange melancholy happiness you find in between, Logan looks to be one of the grittiest and most emotional superhero/comic-book movies I've ever seen. While that might feel a bit premature to say, the remarkable sense of sentiment and utter adrenaline I got from the second trailer of Logan has promised me that this film is shaping up to be a massive game-changer for not only the X-Men franchise, but the entire superhero genre as well. While its impact on the genre as a whole might remain a mystery for now, Logan's poignant and hot-blooded appeal could usher in a new flavor in the genre, one that 20th Century Fox and Marvel have already set the stage for with last year's Deadpool.


Love or hate Deadpool, the meta-humor, action-heavy blockbuster of 2016 did manage to set the bar pretty damn high for R-rated superhero films. Jumping onto that bar, 20th Century Fox and Marvel decided the best way to send off their top money-maker, Hugh Jackman, was to give us Wolverine at his bloodiest. While its hardcore emotional center might be my main draw into the film, many fans have been eagerly awaiting the chance to see the clawed mutant slice and dice the best way he knows how -- with little remorse and a whole lot of well...carnage. While a slew of blood and guts might not make Logan a top-tier superhero film, the raw and uncensored violence at the center of the character could elevate the mutant from a simple team player to a fascinating creature haunted by his dark past. With the second trailer offering up a bit more depth to Jackman's aged mutant -- now emotionally scarred and seemingly broken from all ties to his past with the mutant team, the X-Men --  the film could explore a darker side of the character we've not yet seen fully fleshed out on-screen. That being said, some of Logan's darkest memories might not be that pleasant, nor that PG-13.


But as I mentioned before, eye-popping action can't save a superhero film in its entirety, no matter how violent you get. What could make Logan such a dynamic entry in the superhero genre, is its great sense of belonging. While the past X-Men films have gnawed at the themes of family and togetherness, striving to form an unstoppable team of mutants to break the barriers of diversity and keep the world safe, Logan looks to feed on an entirely new sense of family. With the rumored  introduction of Wolverine clone, X-23, in child actress Dafne Keen, the film looks like it could possibly explore not only the relationship between Logan and Keen's fragile young mutant, but also the immense bond between him and Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier. All characters broken by their haunted pasts, the fresh bond created in the fire of the past could feed exponentially into the dramatic core of the film.


While Logan could certainly turn out to be just another "popcorn" X-Men film, or just as thematically satisfying as 2013's The Wolverine, the film's far-more-grounded premise and focus on maturing its characters into actual human beings could elevate the film to be a lasting send-off for one of the big-screen's most beloved mutants. While 2017 already aims to shake things up in the superhero genre with films like Wonder Woman, Thor: Ragnarok, and eventually Justice League, March's gritty entry from 20th Century Fox still looks like it could throw a hefty, emotional curveball to shift the way the superhero genre deals with its super-powered heroes.

What are your thoughts on the new Logan trailer? Do you think the third solo take on Wolverine could be enough to keep the X-Men franchise alive? Let me know your thoughts on the film in the comment section below!         

Comments

Popular Posts