Critics’ reviews

Logan (2017)

22 reviews from 22 publications. Critics’ score 81: 17 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative.

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81
Positive
17
Mixed
0
Negative
1

Most critics respond warmly to Logan’s stripped-down Western approach, finding an affecting character drama in its treatment of ageing, care and makeshift family. Praise centres on Hugh Jackman’s weary, pained performance and Patrick Stewart’s contribution to the Logan–Xavier relationship, with Dafne Keen also drawing strong notices. The reviews credit Mangold’s direction with giving the violence emotional consequences and allowing relationships to matter more than spectacle. Its sombre tone is widely seen as a strength, though not a promise of easy entertainment.

The reservations concern how fully the film escapes familiar superhero plotting, and whether its brutality helps or hinders the drama. The Los Angeles Times admires the performances but finds that the violence sometimes undermines the seriousness. Screen Daily is the clear dissenter, seeing formula and clichéd emotion beneath the mournful tone, while still acknowledging Jackman’s charisma. The spread therefore runs from emphatic praise to rejection, but the balance is firmly positive.

The i Paper
1 March 2017 · ★★★★★ · Matthew Turner
100

The critic calls it a deeply satisfying send-off and unmissable treat, with note-perfect direction, adult sensibility and gritty, moving script. They single out Hugh Jackman's sensational performance as the grizzled, pained Logan for particular praise.

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The Times
3 March 2017 · ★★★★★ · Kevin Maher
100

Logan is an immense, perfect piece of filmmaking that gets everything right as the payoff to 17 years of the franchise. It is soul-stirring with Hugh Jackman at a career high as an ageing alcoholic Wolverine.

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The New York Times
2 March 2017 · Manohla Dargis
85*

The critic finds “Logan” a strong, noirish western-like entry that feels like a real movie rather than a typical comic-book retread, praising its raw violence, intimations of mortality, and shift to a more humanist story. It singles out the performances and Mangold's direction for making it authentic and fresh.

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Total Film
17 February 2017
85*

The critic describes it as the gritty, R-rated Wolverine movie fans have been waiting for and a fine, fitting finale for the movies' greatest mutant. They single out the gutsy decision to wrap things up properly, along with juicy surprises and strong performances in key sequences.

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Empire
6 March 2017 · ★★★★ · Dan Jolin
80

The critic hails it as the best solo Wolverine yet: grown-up, ballsy, character-driven and grounded, with a sombre, elegiac mood. They praise the deep exploration of Logan's struggle between killer instinct and humanity, especially in interactions with Xavier and Laura, while noting some weaknesses in the final confrontation.

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Little White Lies
17 February 2017 · 2/4/4 · David Jenkins
80

The critic finds the film a successful, soulful revisionist comic-book yarn that finally gets Wolverine right with ultraviolence and western influences. It singles out Jackman’s committed performance and the emotional core for praise.

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Radio Times
18 February 2017 · ★★★★ · Jeremy Aspinall
80

The critic describes a visceral, genuinely moving drama with an end-of-an-era tone and ferocious action. It singles out the A-game performances from Jackman and Stewart for praise.

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The Independent
1 March 2017 · ★★★★ · Geoffrey Macnab
80

The critic finds Logan a Marvel movie with soul and grit that plays like a late-period John Wayne western. They praise its surprising attention to character and relationships over action, while noting it may feel downbeat for audiences seeking wham-bang spectacle.

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Time Out
17 February 2017 · ★★★★ · Tom Huddleston
80

The critic calls it a bleak, bruising and moving swansong that feels like a wake rather than a typical Marvel movie. It singles out the strong performances by Jackman and Stewart and the weighty themes of loss and regret.

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Los Angeles Times
2 March 2017 · Kenneth Turan
75*

The review praises “Logan” for aspiring to be authentic drama beyond a typical comic-book movie, succeeding largely through strong performances by Jackman and Stewart and Mangold's direction, but criticizes the brutal violence that occasionally undermines its serious intent.

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Slant Magazine
17 February 2017 · ★★★/4
75

The critic notes that Logan rectifies the loner archetype by understanding Wolverine as a cog in larger systems, praising its haunting quality and recognition that ordinary villains like bureaucrats pose the real threat. They single out the poignant, dystopian future setting and thematic depth.

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Screen Daily
17 February 2017 · festival review
40*

The critic finds it a dark, mournful and bloody affair that aspires to epic grandeur but remains formulaic with clichéd emotional underpinnings. It singles out the graphic violence and Jackman’s charisma as highlights amid the frustrations.

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The Guardian
17 February 2017 · Peter Bradshaw

The film is a downbeat survivalist thriller and poignant study of ageing and infirmity for an arthritic Wolverine caring for a declining Professor Xavier. It preserves the X-Men's exotic idealism while focusing on intimate character drama over superhero spectacle.

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The Hollywood Reporter
17 February 2017 · festival review · Sheri Linden

The critic praises the film's stripped-down neo-Western approach melding Marvel and Western mythology, highlighting Hugh Jackman's nuanced performance as the aging, reluctant Wolverine. They single out the emotional urgency in the surrogate family bonds and the evocative production design.

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Vulture
17 February 2017 · Anthony Riesman

The critic calls it one of the best superhero stories in two decades, praising its brutality, humor, tenderness, and masterful storytelling that stands on its own. They single out the allegory about makeshift families and expanding notions of family for survival.

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/Film
17 February 2017 · 9.5/10 · David Chen
95

Logan is a near-perfect, genre-defying X-Men film that feels fresh and inventive by focusing on character over formula. It stands out for its visceral violence serving a deeper purpose, the intimate portrayal of the Logan-Xavier relationship, and strong work from Dafne Keen.

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Collider
1 March 2017 · A- · Matt Goldberg
90

The critic views the film as a fitting conclusion to the Wolverine story and X-Men saga, praising Mangold's neo-Western approach, the emotional toll of violence, and standout performances from Jackman, Stewart, and Keen. It singles out the focus on character and farewell over franchise setup.

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Deadline
21 February 2017 · Pete Hammond
90*

The film is a smart, exciting, bittersweet send-off to the Wolverine series that works on every level and transcends prior entries. It draws inspiration from classic Westerns like Shane, blending fan-familiar elements with unexpected substance and humanity.

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HeyUGuys
17 February 2017 · ★★★★ · Jon Lyus
80

The film delivers a raw, brutal and emotionally charged take on Wolverine that stands apart from typical comic book movies. It excels through its intense action, strong performances especially from newcomer Dafne Keen, and themes of legacy and connection.

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The Ringer
3 March 2017 · K. Austin Collins
80*

The critic calls it a satisfyingly adult superhero experience that stands alone, praising the genuine interest in violence aesthetics, graphic fights, and emotional resonance around death and legacy. It singles out the shift toward a road Western with political undertones.

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The Wrap
17 February 2017
70*

Logan is an exceedingly entertaining road movie with an aging hero, though the screenplay does not use the R rating for anything bolder or more complicated. The explicit violence and salty language add much-needed fizz to the Wolverine sub-franchise.

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Den of Geek
21 February 2017 · 4.5 out of 5 · David Crow

Logan succeeds as a stripped-down, bitter character study and the best superhero film in years since Christopher Nolan's work, thanks to its Western influences and gritty tone. The critic praises the intimate focus on aging mutants, strong performances from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, and visceral violence while noting minor flaws in some supporting villains.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate