SYNOPSIS: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

REVIEW:

Hey Moviegoers, here we are again treating you to two reviews for the price of one. Two perspectives from yours truly Cinemarcos and my lovely partner in crime and everything else, Priscilla.

Logan: Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long.

Wow! This is not your typical X-Men movie. Take it from a fan from the very beginning and who has enjoyed pretty much every one of them including all the spinoffs. Some of them have been stronger than others, yes, but I did enjoy watching them all regardless. This one is no exception except that the experience is so much different this time. This film is dark, edgy, and in your face. It is by far the most bloody and gory, no doubt about it. It is also entrancing and dramatic. I couldn't look away from the screen. The story is actually quite interesting which helps. Mutants have dissipated and yet there is a new evil that still revolves around them.

Logan: Who is she?

Charles Xavier: She's like you... she's very much like you.

As far as performances are concerned, and believe me they are worth mentioning, we will start with the youngest of the bunch, Dafne Keen in the role of Laura, the mutant with the blades like Logan. She was spot on and did an incredible job for such a youngster especially with all the action scenes. A strong performance in every sense of the word. I admire Hugh Jackman for his consistency and dedication to this role and the numerous times he has reprised it. This is so not common in the cinematic world although it is generally getting better. Regardless, Hugh, from a fan to your ears, THANK YOU for being Logan, the Wolverine so many times and for so many years. As usual, he gives a strong performance and this one arguably has the most depth. My last but definitely not the least honorable mention in this subject of performances is Sir Patrick Stewart. Always refined and in control, we see him in a surprising and completely different light. Of course he nails his performance as well and as usual. One aspect that makes this movie so out of the norm for an X-Men movie is watching these two larger than life characters, the Professor and Wolverine, reduced to a shell of themselves in this view into the future, as especially evident in their behavior and language. I'm sure Priscilla will expand on that subject so without further a do . . .

As Cinemarcos mentioned, our favorite X-Men are not what or who we are used to in this film. I mean, yes Logan is still the Wolverine, but lets just say he's more human than what we have previously seen. I have to admit that as the movie began, I was not sold. Seeing Logan in this aged, imperfect state, the Professor not the strong protector of the "species" and mutants as a race nearly non existant, was just a bit too depressing for my taste. The feel of the film is semi-apocolyptic, at least as far as mutants are concerned. Gone are the bright days of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning and life at that glorious mansion with young mutants laughing as they walk to their next class. Speaking of young mutants, little Laura, who definately does remind me of a certain Wolverine, was excellently played by little Miss Keen. So much so that I had a maternal moment in which I thought "this little girl is going to be traumatized from playing this character"! She's quite convincing in the violent scenes and then she turns around and makes you want to hold her during the last moments of the movie which, again, made me kind of mad because I could not accept it! Overall, I'm a purist and want characters and stories to go on the same way forever, which is not the case for this film, but I wouldn't take back seeing it for the world.