Slice of Life (Day Four): Watching Logan Run

(This is for the Slice of Life challenge, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. We write all through March, every day, about the small moments in the larger perspective … or is that the larger perspective in the smaller moments? You write, too.)

My youngest son, age 12, wants to see Logan. Ain’t happening. I went with my nearly-17-year-old son last night, and I have to say, finally, there’s a movie out of Comic Book Land that has a rich story and a real heart, overwhelming the magical wonders of watching a character with a superhero power. But man, Logan (rated R, for good reason) is very violent. This is not a kid’s movie. (By the way, one preview piece I read before the movie repeated that phrase three times IN CAPITAL LETTERS. I concur.)

With three boys who love movies and who love comic books, I’ve had to sit through some real awful doozies, in my opinion. The Avengers‘ movies were a mess. Same with Civil War. Iron Man? Didn’t do much for me.  If I never see another Batman or Superman movie again, I’ll be just fine with that. The new Lego Batman Movie? It was OK, but not nearly as inventive as the first Lego Movie. If they never make another Batman VERSUS. Superman movie again, the world will be a better place. Trust me.

Give me Ant Man any day, though. I enjoyed the lightness of that one. I wish Doctor Strange were a bit better, but I liked it. I am a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, which is my youngest son’s favorite movie of all time.

But so many of these Marvel and DC Comic movies are just so over the top with effects and glitz, with no attention to character and story. You get lost in the haze of fighting. Fighting for the sake of flashy violence. I often walk away from the theater, barely remembering what we watched.

Logan is deeper than most of the superhero movies (including the various XMen movies that disappointed me), as a character grapples with themes of age and family. There is a complex narrative that weaves through this flick, one that resonates most in the quiet moments. But the Wolverine has always been a dangerous character, so danger comes and so, too, does the fighting to survive. And the scenes are graphic, even as the violence and its impact on those who wield it is part of the thread of the story. I suspect some parents might make a counter-argument on the nature of the violence and why it is needed.

So yeah, our youngest son? He can wait a few more years on this one …

Peace (not war),
Kevin

10 Comments
  1. Thanks for the honest review. I think that many parents think that because these are superhero inspired that they are ok for younger children and take them anyway. I’m glad you didn’t.

  2. Loved Ant Man too. I’m remembering when my nephew was too young to decide about movies for himself. I was the judge for Jurassic Park. He held his breath waiting for my thumbs up. I wish I still had that much sway over him. But I was his fave when he got my call.
    So many dumb movies to sit through though with TUvia’s granddaughter.
    Thanks for reminding me…

    • Just imagine: if every dumb movie never got made but that money got put into food pantries … we’d prob have solved a big part of the hunger issues. But no. Pump millions into a stupid plot.

  3. Can’t wait to see this movie, even though I’m not a big fan of other superhero movies. I’m quite of a fan of blood and gore myself, but definitely doesn’t sound like it’s for kids. I have a vivid memory of watching a horror movie at a friend’s party at age 11. I was so terrified that I slept in my Mum’s bed every night for a month after that.

  4. I have never heard of these films until yesterday. Good to know about the violence as it didn’t seem like a good fit to begin with and now I know. I too suffered through the action films-comic book movies as my son grew up. What I loved most about them was the family time they occasioned. My husband I suspect was reliving his youth as he recalled a lot of these movies from the comic books of his youth.

  5. Reading about the ages of your boys, juxtaposed next to your original slicer badge, makes me feel like so much time has based. They were so little when you started writing. I can’t believe how much time has passed. It feels like just yesterday…

    I’ve never been into superhero movies. Or “Star Wars.” In fact, I refused to see the most recent “Star Wars” with my husband. Fortunately, my dad offered to be his ‘date’ to the movie! 😉 That said, it’s amazing what we do for those we love. (I’ve seen plenty of doozies my husband has picked. And, yet, I still let him pick flicks.)

  6. Having just one daughter, we spent our time watching Disney princess movies. My poor husband. Now that she is grown up, it seems that we only watch James Bond movies or westerns. Oh well, I had my time.

  7. Kevin, I admire your stickability to sit through these movies with your boys. It is a genre i avoid quite strongly. I need the narrative and special effects are not a sustainable substitute for a story-line. Your considered view on Logan regarding violence is to be admired.

Leave a Reply to Amy Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *