On March 3, 2017, the third and final chapter in the trilogy of standalone Wolverine films berserker-raged its way into theaters nationwide.
Directed by James Mangold, Logan is beautifully tragic noir Western disguised as a superhero movie, and that’s meant in the absolute best way possible. Not only is Logan the best Wolverine solo film; it also gives franchise favorites X2, X-Men: First Class, and even Deadpool a run for their money.
Logan is filled with so many outstanding moments that it definitely warrants repeat viewings. It’s full of action, drama, and there’s even some much-welcomed humor sprinkled in. It’s hard to pick just one part of this film that stands above the rest, so here are the 10 best moments from Logan (spoiler warning):
The Opening-Scene Bloodbath
Right off the bat, Logan establishes the fact that it’s unlike any of the other X-Men films we’ve seen before by delivering the blood, gore, and brutality that’s been so sorely lacking for the past 17 years. It’s not gratuitous for the sake of being gratuitous, but rather it’s more in line with the Wolverine from the comics.
As the film begins, a drunken Logan awakens in the back of the limousine he now drives for a living to find a group of gangbangers attempting to steal the vehicle’s chrome rims. After trying to reason with the gentlemen, one of the thugs shoots Logan, and it’s here that we see that his healing factor is a fraction of what it used to be, as Logan slowly stumbles back to his feet.
Unfortunately for the would-be thieves, Logan still has his quintessential berserker rage, and boy oh boy do the gloves come off as Wolverine rips the men to shreds, putting claws through skulls and separating limbs from bodies like nobody’s business. It’s Wolverine as we’ve always wanted to see him, and it’s an absolute shame that it took this long to make it to the big screen.
Professor X: Horse Whisperer
Not all of the best moments in Logan are filled with violence and cursing. Some of them are more subtle, like when Charles Xavier helps round up a group of horses that get loose on a busy freeway.
Early on in the film, it’s established that Professor X’s mind – once considered the greatest mind on the planet – has greatly deteriorated as the result of a degenerative brain disease. Because of this, Charles is unable to control his powerful telepathic abilities, often suffering psychic seizures that hurt those around him. However, when a truck hauling a trailer full of horses runs off the road and the animals escape, the part of Professor X’s mind that wants nothing more than to help others takes over.
When Logan pulls over at the request of his former mentor, Charles is able to use his psychic abilities to telepathically guide each of the horses back to their trailer before any of them are harmed. Again, it’s a subtle moment, but it’s the one moment in the film where we get to see Professor X uses his powers to help others again, rather than inadvertently hurt them.
The Reveal Of The Adamantium Bullet
Did the reveal that Logan carries around an adamantium bullet essentially forecast the finale of the film? Yes. Did it evoke memories of the unbearably bad X-Men Origins: Wolverine? Yes. Still, the bullet serves an integral purpose in the film.
For starters, it’s a nice little continuity throwback by James Mangold to reveal that Logan carries around the same bullet used in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, regardless of your feelings about that film. Furthermore, it speaks to just how physically and emotionally damaged Logan is at this point in his life, where suicide might actually be a viable option rather than waiting for the adamantium already in his body to slowly and painfully poison him to death.
The Hotel Room Slayings
While on the run from the Reavers, Logan, Laura, and Charles decide to take respite in a hotel room at an Oklahoma City casino. Unfortunately, the villainous enforcers are soon able to track the trio down, and to make matters worse, when Logan discovers the Reavers have found them while he’s standing outside of the hotel, Professor X suffers another one of his destructive seizures.
As Logan slowly claws his way back to the hotel room where he left Laura and Charles, he sees several of the Reavers, frozen in a state of temporary paralysis just as they were storming the room. Still fighting through the effects of Charles’ seizure, himself, Logan lays waste to the Reavers in an excruciatingly slow, brutal fashion, and is eventually able to give Professor X an injection to alleviate the effects of his telepathy.
It’s an incredibly unique scene that certainly stands out as one of the shining moments of the film.
X-24 Kills Professor X
When news broke that Patrick Stewart would no longer reprise his role as Professor X, it pretty much telegraphed the fact that the former head of the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters was going to bite the bullet. Still, even with this in mind, it doesn’t make the scene any less powerful.
As Charles lies in bed at the home of the Munsons - the family who he and Logan assisted on the freeway with the horses - he tells the man that he believes is Wolverine that this had been the most peaceful night he’s had in quite some time. The man stands beside Charles and puts his hand over his heart, and just you’re filled with so much raw emotion, three adamantium claws project from the hand and pierce right through the Professor’s chest.
At this point, it’s revealed that the man Charles was talking to was actually X-24, another clone of Wolverine that appears nearly identical to Logan in his younger days (he was also played by Hugh Jackman, after all). Despite going into this film knowing it very well may be the last time you see Patrick Stewart’s Professor X on-screen, it’s still an incredibly shocking scene, especially given the fact that X-24 proceeds to then kill the entire Munson family, as well.
Weapon X Versus X-24: Round 1
Twice in Logan, we get to see the titular hero square off against the aforementioned X-24, and both times, it’s incredibly powerful, well-shot, and beautifully choreographed. However, the first bout is definitely the stronger of the two.
Right after Logan carries a dying Professor X to the bed of his pickup truck, he’s confronted by the vicious X-24, and the two adamantium-clawed brutes promptly begin beating the tar out of one another. The fight itself is a thrilling visual spectacle, but what makes this scene so profound is the symbolism behind it.
X-24 is clearly meant to be a physical manifestation of Logan’s inner-demons. When Logan fights X-24, he’s battling the sins of his past, back when he, himself, was a feral, remorseless killer. It’s an outstanding and thought-provoking piece of storytelling, and quite fitting for Wolverine’s swan song.
Professor X Acknowledging The Westchester Incident
Early on in the film, it’s established nearly all of the mutant population has been wiped out, including Logan’s fellow X-Men. When Professor X asks, “Logan, what did you do?” it feels as though perhaps the film is going to go in the direction of the Old Man Logan comic book story, where Wolverine inadvertently slaughters his teammates after being manipulated by Mysterio. However, it turns out that line is merely a red herring.
Later on in the film, after Charles’ massive seizure in Oklahoma City temporarily paralyzes hundreds of civilians, you can hear a news report over the radio that compares the incident to one that took place not long ago in Westchester, NY, which resulted in the death of a number of people, including some of the X-Men. Although Logan promptly shuts off the radio, it’s at this point that things start to become more clear.
Finally, before he dies, Charles acknowledges what the audience has begun to assume when he says, “I did something. . . something unspeakable. I remembered what happened in Westchester. This is not the first time that I’ve hurt people. Until today, I didn’t know. You didn’t tell me, so we kept on running away from it. I think…I finally understand you.”
It really shows just how far Charles and Logan have drifted from where they were when they first met. Back then, Logan was the dangerous one but now, he needs to protect others from the man he considers a father.
Laura And Logan Take On The Reavers In Mexico
Throughout Logan, we get to see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine unleashed like never before. Still, as great as it is to see this fanboy dream realized, it’s all the more satisfying when you add Dafne Keen’s Laura Kinney, AKA X-23, into the mix.
The first time we see X-23 in action is when she and Logan take on a small army of Reavers at the abandoned Mexican smelting plant that Logan, Charles, and Caliban call home. The fight choreography is masterful, and the brutality is off the scales from the moment Laura rolls the severed head of one of the Reavers over to Donald Pierce just before the brawl truly begins. We even get to see X-23’s foot claws get some use, and boy do they prove to be useful.
The movie may be called Logan, but in this sequence, X-23 nearly steals the show, and the character couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the live-action X-Men universe.
Wolverine’s Berserker Rage
At various points throughout the film, we see Logan tap into his primal side and unleash his berserker rage. However, when he uses an entire vial of the power-enhancing serum Rictor leaves for him and lets out that ferocious growl that echoes through the forest, you know that business is about to pick up.
Logan, who at this point is on his last legs, sees that the Reavers are in pursuit of Laura and the rest of the young mutants that escaped from Alkali Transigen. Knowing he’s in no position to aid them on his own, Logan injects himself with an entire vial of the aforementioned serum, returning him to prime fighting condition, which he takes full advantage of as he slaughters countless Reavers, preventing them from apprehending the children.
Unfortunately for Logan, the serum only lasts a short while. Still, seeing Wolverine unleash the beast is one of the most thrilling moments of the film and shows just how much Logan is willing to put himself through in order to save his newly-discovered daughter.
The Death Of Wolverine
Much like Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone coming into this film that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine dies at the end of Logan. Once again, though, it’s hard to prepare yourself for the moment the character Jackman has played for the better part of two decades finally breathes his last breath.
After the Reavers are taken out, Logan, Laura and the rest of the young mutants still have X-24 to deal with, even after literally dropping a truck on him. Logan uses his brute strength to push the clone to his limits but is eventually impaled by the limb of a downed tree. Fortunately, Laura had taken the adamantium bullet from her father earlier on, and she uses it to blast a massive hole through the head of X-24.
However, the wounds prove to be too much for Logan, whose healing factor was all but gone at this point, and he sadly dies at his daughter’s side. What makes this even more devastating is hearing Laura call Logan “daddy” for the first and last time. Still, it’s a fitting ending for Wolverine, who truly goes out like a hero in his final outing.
What about you? What are your favorite moments from Logan? Let us know in the comments section!