The case for Logan as one of the ten Best Pictures of the year

Why a nomination for Logan is super deserved

With the exception of Nolan’s World War II film Dunkirk, and Spielberg’s journalism drama The Post, the 2017 Best Picture Oscar race is free of the usual categories we expect to see. It’s the kind of year where the next likely nominations are a horror film (Get Out) and a creature feature (The Shape of Water). With a small lot of films that worked in 2017, perhaps this is the type of year where a quality super hero film could join the ranks of Best Picture nominees.

I’m not talking about Patty Jenkins’ crowd-pleasing Wonder Woman, I’m talking about Logan, director James Mangold's modern Western that elevated the superhero genre to new heights and made audiences forget it was a comic-book movie.

Logan is unburdened of comic book trappings. There is no doomsday villain nemesis, aliens invading our planet or superpower origin story. This down-to-earth film expertly fulfills the promise of the moment we were first introduced to Hugh Jackman and his Eastwood-gruff character in 2000. The R-rated Logan is gritty, raw, original and before the film is over, we finally get to see Wolverine let loose on film. It’s about bloody time; Logan is the Wolverine movie we've waited 17 years for.

It should also be noted that Jackman and the esquisite Patrick Stewart share some powerfully-written scenes that rise above the format. Fans were pleased and first-timers have a stand-alone film to love. Cue the sunset.
 
Most superhero films aren’t worth ten bucks which makes me respect this one even more. With Logan, Jackman’s Wolverine (the single most iconic onscreen superhero) finally has his The Dark Knight. Oscar voters, I suggest a nomination for Best Picture contender Logan.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.