First Wave of Reviews Declare Logan Is Hugh Jackman's Best Wolverine Movie

Over a span of 17 years, Hugh Jackman has portrayed Wolverine nine times in 20th Century's Fox's [...]

By Jay Jayson - February 17, 2017 05:36 pm EST

Over a span of 17 years, Hugh Jackman has portrayed Wolverine nine times in 20th Century's Fox's X-Men cinematic universe, including a memorable and expletive-laced cameo in X-Men: First Class. His performances have always been very well-received by audiences — even if the films themselves didn't quite measure up to expectations. He has always been grateful for the support he has received from his loyal fans and has always shown an unwavering enthusiasm for the role itself.

Now that Jackman is on the wrong-side of 40, the Australian actor is ready to move on from the fast-healing, slow-aging, retractable-clad mutant with attitude. And to make sure he goes out in style, director James Mangold — the director of The Wolverine (2013) — was brought to helm his sendoff.

So, what are the critics saying about Logan? Based on these early reviews, the consensus is Jackman and Mangold delivered the quintessential Wolverine film. Perhaps, box office analysts will have to revise up their $55-$60 million opening weekend projections.

Click on "Start Slideshow" to find out what has critics raving.

In 2024 the mutant population has shrunk significantly and the X-Men have disbanded. Logan, whose power to self-heal is dwindling, has surrendered himself to alcohol and now earns a living as a chauffeur. He takes care of the ailing old Professor X whom he keeps hidden away. One day, a female stranger asks Logan to drive a girl named Laura to the Canadian border. At first he refuses, but the Professor has been waiting for a long time for her to appear. Laura possesses an extraordinary fighting prowess and is in many ways like Wolverine. She is pursued by sinister figures working for a powerful corporation; this is because her DNA contains the secret that connects her to Logan. A relentless pursuit begins … In this third cinematic outing featuring the Marvel comic book character Wolverine we see the superheroes beset by everyday problems. They are ageing, ailing and struggling to survive financially. A decrepit Logan is forced to ask himself if he can or even wants to put his remaining powers to good use. It would appear that in the near-future, the times in which they were able put the world to rights with razor sharp claws and telepathic powers are now over.

Logan stars Hugh Jackman (Logan), Boyd Holbrook (Donald Pierce), Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Dafne Keen (X-23), Doris Morgado (Maria), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Gabriela), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice). James Mangold is directing and helped on the screenplay along with Scott Frank and Michael Green.

Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

MORE: Why Pierce Is After X-23 / Holbrook Reveals When The Predator Films / Patrick Stewart Reveals Differences In Charles Xavier

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ComicBook.com

"Logan is a violent, emotional masterpiece, and the perfect ending to Hugh Jackman's run as the Wolverine." - Brandon Davis

The Wrap

"Whether or not the Wolverine movies have a future — Jackman swears this is his last go-round — Logan is an exceedingly entertaining one. Given that 2016 gave us the rollicking and raunchy Deadpool and the bafflingly boring X-Men: Apocalypse, it seems like a no-brainer for the mutant movies to get wild and crazy if they want to survive." - Alonso Duralde

The Playlist

"Unburdened by any obligations to a connected universe, Mangold and Jackman finally create a Wolverine movie that follows its narrative threads right to its organic ends. The X-Men series has always been about pushing forward the message that it's okay to be different, and to embrace the very things that make you stand apart. It's taken forever, but the filmmakers are finally taking that advice themselves, and it has resulted in Logan, a Wolverine movie that bravely beats with a bloody heart." - Kevin Jagernauth

Screen Crush

"There have been some R-rated superhero movies over the years, but Logan might be the first that doesn't simply use an adult rating to drown the viewer in 'adult content'; it's a mature consideration of the ideas underpinning its comic-book motifs. It's also easily the best Wolverine movie of the three, and an impressive sendoff for Jackman's version of the character." - Matt Singer

Digital Spy

"It's a mighty swan song for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, a tour de force for Stewart and an amazing debut from young Keen. Don't bring your kids. Do bring your hankies." - Rosie Fletcher

Crave

"I'd hesitate to call Logan the best superhero movie ever, since it represents only a small fraction of what the genre can do, but there's an argument to be made and I wouldn't go out of my way to fight it. The film reflects the bellicose and world-weary psychology of the warriors whose battles inspire us, long after their prime, and it forces us to think about just how human our heroes are." - William Bibbiani

IndieWire

"Yes, this is yet another superhero movie that suffers from a worthless villain, but the fact of the matter is that Logan is ultimately fighting himself, and Mangold never forgets that (on the contrary, he sometimes takes the idea far too literally). A stretched-out story of redemption in which the destination is far more interesting and important than the journey, Logan has a much clearer sense of where it's going than it does of how to get there." - David Ehrlich