Rebels With A Claws; As ‘Logan’ Dominates The Box Office, The Cast Touches On The Deeper Message
It doesn’t take a superhero fan-boy to know that Logan will be clawing its way into theaters this weekend- and completely conquering the box office while it’s at it, and there have already been swarms of reviews that reinforce that the film is not only incredible, but that it is also perhaps one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. The movie not only gives fans of the genre what they are truly looking for as it offers depth, intensity, and true grit, but it also poetically concludes a seventeen year era in cinema as the movie showcases the revered Hugh Jackman taking his final bow as the Wolverine.
In 2000, no one could have ever expected the impact that X-Men would have had on film. Sure, there had been superhero films in the past- and they were undoubtedly classic and successful. But, X-Men was different. X-Men wasn’t just a superhero movie, and it never offered the simple formula of good versus evil. X-Men powerfully told the story of civil rights and the fight for equality through a deliciously fantastic metaphor with the most talented actors in the business- Academy Award winners and nominees that showcased the beautiful vulnerability of these anti-heroes and villains with a tremendous richness and never-ending nuanced layers. When asked about playing his fan-favorite and beloved character, the esteemed Jackman stated;
“It seems to me that the strength of X-Men and the strength of Wolverine is more his humanity than his superpower. In exploring this character for the last time, I wanted to get to the heart of who that human was, more than what his claws can do.”
And after nine years, the gifted actor has shown that he is far from a one-trick pony, and that his performance truly never gets old. It’s amazing to think how many superhero movies and television shows have been spawned since X-Men first exploded into theaters, and how far the genre has come as far as rich storylines, incredible directing, outstanding performances, and solid writing. Even the very highly praised 2008 film The Dark Knight, which earned Heath Ledger his Academy Award, very much re-told the story of an evil villain challenging a righteous hero, and while…