LOGAN : Awards Nominations and Wins

[jo]

The MTV Movie and TV Awards has announced its nominations for various categories. Winners will be announced on May 7, 2017.

LOGAN has received three nominations!

LOGAN for BEST MOVIE/Hugh Jackman for BEST ACTOR/Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen for BEST DUO!


deadline.com/2017/04/mtv-awards-get-out-actor-actress-categories-adam-devine-1202063471/

MTV Movie & TV Awards Axes Actress And Actor Divisions; ‘Get Out’ Leads Nominees – Full List
by Greg Evans

April 6, 2017 9:00am




Lots of walls are tumbling at the newly christened MTV Movie & TV Awards. In addition to the previously announced expansion to cover television and streaming, the awards will mix film, TV and streaming nominees together in some categories, and gender divisions are being eliminated: This year’s May 7 ceremony will do away with Best Actress and Best Actor categories, with performers competing in non-gendered races for Best Actor statues.


That means the Best Actor in a Movie category pits Daniel Kaluuya against Emma Watson, Hailee Steinfeld, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Taraji P. Henson, while the Best Actors in a Show (TV and streaming) are Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Gina Rodriguez, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mandy Moore and Millie Bobby Brown.
Overall, Get Out, Jordan Peele’s crazy good horror/comedy/social commentary hybrid, leads the pack of nominees, scoring six nods including Best Picture and Best Actor (Kaluuya). Beauty and the Beast and Stranger Things follow with four nominations each, with Atlanta, Game of Thrones, Hidden Figures, Logan, Moonlight and This Is Us each taking three.


The MTV Movie & TV Awards airs live Sunday, May 7, 8 pm ET/PT from the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. Adam Devine, nominated for Comedy Central’s Workaholics, will host. Deadline reported on the 25-year-old MTV Movie Awards in March, when the expansion to TV categories was announced, along with news that the show would return to its live roots.

Also new this year, the awards will combine nominees from film, TV and streaming in the various “fan-favorite” categories like Best Kiss, Best Hero and Best Villain. New categories include Show of the Year, Best Host, Best Reality Competition, Tearjerker and Next Generation.

MTV also is introducing what the network describes as two “new and timely” categories: Best American Story, awarded to the show or film that showcases America at its best (“open and diverse”) and Best Fight Against the System (characters who “best exemplify fighting against a system that tries to keep them down”).
Two additional categories will be revealed closer to the show. Fans can begin voting in other categories immediately at MTV.com.

Casey Patterson serves as Executive Producer for the second consecutive year, with MTV’s Garrett English. Melanie Block is Executive in Charge of Production, Wendy Plaut serves as i Co-Executive Producer and Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent. Amani Duncan is Executive in Charge of Music Talent.

Here is the full list of nominees for the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards:
(Note from Jo: Only LOGAN-related nominations are listed here. Please check link for other nominations.)



MOVIE OF THE YEAR 
Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Logan (20th Century Fox)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
The Edge of Seventeen (STX Entertainment)


BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE
Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Emma Watson – Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Hailee Steinfeld – The Edge of Seventeen (STX Entertainment)
Hugh Jackman – Logan (20th Century Fox)
James McAvoy – Split (Universal Pictures)
Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures (20th Century Fox)


BEST DUO
Adam Levine & Blake Shelton – The Voice (NBC)
Daniel Kaluuya & Lil Rel Howery – Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Brian Tyree Henry & Lakeith Stanfield – Atlanta (FX)
Hugh Jackman & Dafne Keen – Logan (20th Century Fox)
Josh Gad & Luke Evans – Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Martha Stewart & Snoop Dogg – Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party (VH1)

[jo]

Are these awards won by public voting???

Where???

[jo]

Here's the VOTE site --

www.mtv.com/movie-and-tv-awards

Keep voting ( if multiple clicks are allowed) -- and spread the word around!!


Unfortunately, foreign voting is not allowed


JO

[mamaleh]

Voting is limited to those in the US. We can vote once each day.

Ellen

[njr]

Voted for LOGAN and Hugh!

Nancy

[jo]

[njr]

I'm sorry, but I think it's just dumb not to have separate actor/actress awards. The men will win most of the time!

JMHO,
Nancy

[jo]

The box office results for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST are almost double that of LOGAN, at least in the USA (only USA voting is allowed). So, since this is public voting, it seems Emma Watson may have the best chance to win it, even if many people believe Hugh's portrayal is, to quote a comment on IMDB2 ( an offshoot board to the original IMDB board) : "Hugh's Logan is 10 times better than Emma's Belle".

Of course maybe at least half of those who saw BaTB are probably too young to vote on the internet

We'll see...

Jo

[jo]

Pitching for an Oscar for Hugh Jackman's portrayal in LOGAN --

moviepilot.com/p/amazing-movie-performances-that-are-often-overlooked/4246375

#Movies
15 Amazing Movie Performances That Are Often Overlooked
April 21, 2017 at 18:46PM

ByMark Anthony Wade Lynch, writer at Creators.co


Praise for the greatest on-screen performances are usually given to dramatic performances — Leonardo DiCaprio, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington are usual contenders for their roles in various movies. While these actors are all fantastic, a lot of other performances are often overlooked for multiple reasons...


6. Hugh Jackman As Logan In 'Logan' (2017)

Is this role under appreciated by the fans? Absolutely not. But, it will be under appreciated by the Academy. Hugh Jackman went further than just playing a comic book character. I'd go as far as to say he revolutionized what it means to play a role in a comic book movie. He was everything that I remember #Logan being in the comic books, and then some. Hugh Jackman should be the first actor to receive a major award for his role as a comic book hero.

Nobody is going to play the role of a father, caretaker, friend, savior and a hero in one movie. And if they do, they damn sure won't do it as good as #HughJackman.

Plus he also played the anti-hero X-24


Jo

[jo]

Anne Thompson, veteran Hollywood scene observer, talks about the chances of comicbook hero movies for Oscar glory --

www.indiewire.com/2017/06/wonder-woman-oscar-gal-gadot-chris-pine-patty-jenkins-1201837826/

She thinks WONDER WOMAN may attract OSCAR attention -- and also mentions that LOGAN is the other movie that could appeal to the AMPAS --

Although George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” landed 10 nominations including Picture and Director, and six eventual wins, the cinematic actioner did not land acting nominations for the magnificent Charlize Theron or Tom Hardy. But their roles were virtually without dialogue. “Wonder Woman,” like James Mangold’s end-of-the-road Wolverine finale, “Logan,” gives its actors plenty to do — a little romance, adventure, action; there’s more for the actors to hang onto. (That’s another comic-book movie that could yield some nominations this year.)

On the basis that the Academy will continue to lean into inclusion, I’m betting that both Gadot and Pine will be nominated, as Best Actress and Supporting Actor, respectively, with Jenkins — depending on how generous the Guilds and critics will be at year’s end — scoring some Best Director nods.

Will Hugh get nominated for LOGAN? What about competition from his coming portrayal of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN?


Jo

[jo]

Even social media is looking at the competing films --

Please vote

[hughmanity]

I'm such a child. I was hoping LOGAN would be the only superhero movie in the Oscar conversation...hope there's room for both of them!

[jo]

LOL - let's be kiddies together


Honestly, I think the case for WONDER WOMAN is more of one supporting the current issue for feminism...albeit it is supposed to be quite an entertaining movie. And we know how inclusivity permeates conversations these days, including Oscar talk (Look at some of the more recent Oscar winners for Best Picture and Best acting honors).

But the fanboys overwhelmingly agree that LOGAN is the movie for Oscar glory ( see survey)


In the statistically-adjusted ( using quantitative method analysis to afford more credible comparison) Rotten Tomatoes ratings, LOGAN comes out # 1, followed by THE DARK KNIGHT and WONDER WOMAN which came in at # 2 and # 3, respectively.

editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/50-best-superhero-movies-of-all-time/5/


(But still Jealous) Jo

[jo]

Variety puts out a list of possible Oscar nominations, at the half-way mark.

variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/oscars-halfway-mark-deserving-contenders-1202473420/


*LOGAN is included on the list of BEST PICTURE possibilities

*Patrick Stewart is on the list of Best Supporting Actors.

*Dafne Keen is on the list of Best Supporting Actress.

*LOGAN is also cited for possible Best Editing nod



No recognition of Hugh Jackman's ( Best Actor) and James Mangold's ( Best Director) work in the movie! That would be a travesty!

Kris Tapley and Variety have gone d*mb -- LOGAN is nowhere without the work of Jackman and Mangold


Jo

[jo]

Reposted from GREAT SHOWMAN thread --



Variety trots out the Oscar possibles/probables at the halfway mark of 2017!

variety.com/2017/film/news/oscars-2017-halfway-logan-get-out-and-women-directors-1202474803/

Oscars at the Halfway Mark: ‘Logan,’ ‘Get Out’ and Women Directors

Tim Gray
Senior Vice President
@timgray_variety





June 22, 2017 | 07:00AM PT


The year is half over and Oscar voters need to catch up on their homework. There have been many worthwhile films in the first six months of 2017, including “Get Out” from writer-director Jordan Peele (Universal, Blumhouse); “Logan,” the dark, tender neo-Western from director James Mangold (Fox); and the sumptuous mega-hit “Beauty and the Beast” (director Bill Condon, Disney).

A few years ago, these would have been extreme longshots, at best. But there have been changes in Academy voters and their tastes. Recent winners including “Moonlight,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Ex Machina” prove that voters are redefining what is considered “Oscar bait.” The blurred definition is a challenge to awards strategists, but good news for hopefuls.


The January-June period has seen many other films with Oscar potential in various categories; see the accompanying reminders by Variety colleagues Kris Tapley and Jenelle Riley. And, needless to say, other contenders will be covered a lot before the March 4, 2018, Oscar ceremony.


Diversity has been a key theme. This year, several films directed by women could be in the mix, including Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled” (Focus Features), Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” (Warner Bros.), and Aisling Walsh’s “Maudie” (Sony Pictures Classics). Still to come are works from Kathryn Bigelow (Annapurna’s much-buzzed “Detroit”), Dee Rees (Netflix’s “Mudbound”); Margaret Betts (Sony Classics’ “Novitiate”) and Angelina Jolie (Netflix’s “First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers”).

There are also upcoming works from international filmmakers like Sebastian Lelio, Alfonso Gomez-Rijon, Michael Gracey, Yorgos Lanthimos and Taika Waititi. They will join veterans including Guillermo del Toro, Alexander Payne, Stephen Frears, Richard Linklater, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Here are month-by-month opening dates, followed by a list of films that made a splash at the year’s film festivals so far. And the upcoming festivals will also add a few twists to the Oscar race.

The director and stars are listed for purpose of jogging readers’ memories; it’s not a matter of handicapping, since it’s pointless to make predictions about films that have not been widely seen.


July: “War for the Planet of the Apes” (directed by Matt Reeves; starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson; Fox)

August: “Detroit” (Kathryn Bigelow; John Boyega; Annapurna); “Logan Lucky” (Steven Soderbergh; Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig; Bleecker Street); “Patty Cake$” (Geremy Jasper; Danielle Macdonald; Searchlight); “Wind River” (Taylor Sheridan; Elizabeth Olsen; The Weinstein Co.).

September: “American Made” (Doug Liman; Tom Cruise; Universal); “Battle of the Sexes” (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris; Emma Stone, Steve Carell; Fox Searchlight); “First They Killed My Father” (Angelina Jolie; Netflix); “Victoria and Abdul” (Stephen Frears; Judi Dench; Focus).


October: “Blade Runner 2049” (Denis Villeneuve; Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford; WB); “Breathe” (Andy Serkis; Andrew Garfield; Bleecker Street, Participant); “Goodbye Christopher Robin” (Simon Curtis; Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie; Searchlight); “Marshall” (Reginald Hudlin; with Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall; Open Road); “Mother!” (Darren Aronofsky; Jennifer Lawrence; Paramount); “The Mountain Between Us” (Hany Abu-Assad; Idris Elba, Kate Winslet; Fox); “Thank You for Your Service” (Jason Hall; Miles Teller; Universal)

November: “Darkest Hour” (Joe Wright; Gary Oldman; Focus); “Last Flag Flying” (Richard Linklater; Bryan Cranston; Amazon); “The Man Who Invented Christmas” (Bharat Nalluri; Dan Stevens; Bleecker Street); “Mary Magdalene” (Garth Davis; Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix; TWC); “Murder on the Orient Express” (Kenneth Branagh; Johnny Depp; Fox); “Suburbicon” (George Clooney; Matt Damon; Paramount); “Thor: Ragnarok” (Taika Waititi; Chris Hemsworth; Disney, Marvel Studios); “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Martin McDonagh; Frances McDormand; Searchlight).


December: “The Greatest Showman” (Michael Gracey; Hugh Jackman; Fox); “The Current War” (Alfonso Gomez-Rijon; Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon; TWC); “Downsizing” (Alexander Payne; Matt Damon, Laura Dern; Paramount); “The Papers” (Steven Spielberg; Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep; Fox, Amblin); “The Shape of Water” (Guillermo del Toro; Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer; Searchlight); “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (Rian Johnson; Disney, Lucasfilm); “Phantom Thread” (Paul Thomas Anderson; Daniel Day-Lewis; Focus); “Wonder Wheel” (Woody Allen; Kate Winslet; Amazon).


And some of the festival hits so far this year:
Sundance: “The Big Sick,” (Michael Showalter; Kumail Nanjiani, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter; Amazon, Lionsgate); “Call Me By Your Name” (Luca Guadagnino; Armie Hammer (Sony Pictures Classics); “The Hero” (Brett Haley; Sam Elliott; The Orchard); Also: “Mudbound” and “Wind River.”



Berlin: “The Lost City of Z” (James Gray; Charlie Hunnam; Amazon, Bleecker Street); “Final Portrait” (Stanley Tucci; Geoffrey Rush; Sony Classics); “Maudie” (Aisling Walsh; Sally Hawkins; Sony Classics).

South by Southwest: “The Disaster Artist” (James Franco; A24).

Cannes: “Good Time” (Safdie brothers; Robert Pattinson; A24); “You Were Never Really Here” (Lynne Ramsay; Joaquin Phoenix; Amazon); “Okja” (Bong Joon Ho; Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal; Netflix); “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected),” (Noah Baumbach; Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller; Netflix); “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (Yorgos Lanthimos; Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell; A24); “The Florida Project” (Sean Baker; Willem Dafoe; A24); “Happy End” (Michael Haneke; Isabelle Huppert; Sony Classics); “Wonderstruck” (Todd Haynes; Julianne Moore; Amazon, Roadside Attractions).

There are also plenty of great documentaries, animated movies and foreign-language films, but those are for later columns.

[hughmanity]

Hugh and Logan nominated for Teen Choice Awards...but having trouble voting. Maybe 'cause I'm not a teen??!! See if you can vote. Ends tonight.

[jo]

Jun 22, 2017 10:06:39 GMT -5 jo said:

Variety puts out a list of possible Oscar nominations, at the half-way mark.

variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/oscars-halfway-mark-deserving-contenders-1202473420/


*LOGAN is included on the list of BEST PICTURE possibilities

*Patrick Stewart is on the list of Best Supporting Actors.

*Dafne Keen is on the list of Best Supporting Actress.

*LOGAN is also cited for possible Best Editing nod



No recognition of Hugh Jackman's ( Best Actor) and James Mangold's ( Best Director) work in the movie! That would be a travesty!

Kris Tapley and Variety have gone d*mb -- LOGAN is nowhere without the work of Jackman and Mangold


Jo

Love this response to the Variety article(s) -- re their early "predictions"

Jonathan Stuart-Brown says:
June 22, 2017 at 2:41 pm
Hugh Jackman has a strong body of work and still qualifies as a film star in an era where most box office actors have to hide their face behind a superhero mask. Jackman just adds sideburns.

Frankly the Oscars should now honour the popular global box office actors and crew in movies the public want to see as evidenced by paying to see them. This will shore up box office credibility. Oscar winners who are begging for almost any work a few years later does not act as a showcase for the industry nor the blue riband award ceremony.

Before long there will be movie posters bragging that the movie had ‘No Oscar Nominations’ guarantee of quality and therefore might be considered likely to be entertaining with a good story.

Kris Tapley has been "castigated" by readers for Variety's early predictions and for their choices. The funny thing is he went on the defensive and kept replying to the readers's observations. Good - because it meant that he felt the negative feedback to his relatively new hiring by Variety.


Jo

[jo]

I think Variety made a mistake in ignoring Jackman and Mangold! I think the nods to Patrick and Dafne were lip service and were given simply to hide the fact that they wanted to ignore the importance of superhero movies. How could the performances of those two register if there had been no strong and excellent Jackman portrayal of the central character ... and to which Prof X and X-23 were reacting to, emotionally and dramatically?? And to ignore what Mangold has done in directing those performances - again, they were trying to ignore the singular work of a writer/director who took a major step in genre evolution. Variety was afraid to acknowledge that LOGAN was a true hallmark in film-making for a genre that the supposed intellectuals in film criticism were looking down their noses on. Maybe even the AMPAS may be rethinking its stance now? Look at where all the top actors are moving to -- blockbuster territory!

The movie and Hugh's work has been acknowledged by so many ( It is still #1 on Rotten Tomatoes list of Top Superhero Movies of all Time, which is being updated when new reviews for films involved come in! ) and Mangold has been praised by peers for the contribution made to the evolution of the genre (now suffering somewhat from fatigue).

Jo

[jo]

Jim Mangold was asked what the correct interpretation of the last scene was when Logan said " So, this is how it feels like.." ( or something more exact). Did Logan meant his feelings about how he would welcome death after all those long years...or was he referring to the newly-discovered feelings of a father?

Mangold said the original intention was to portray Wolverine's reaction to impending death ... but that Hugh acted it out so well that it became open to either interpretation!


Now, that is called acting, subtle but impactful!


And VARIETY does not think that the Jackman very nuanced portrayal (sometimes subtle and thoughtful...occasionally cynical and distrustful...sometimes exhibiting moments of extreme anger when he goes berserker...or just being human and being emotional) is outstanding. That is the nature of the beast! That is who Wolverine is all about -- someone who is actually a deep and introspective person and someone who could not fully accept his nature! What did Variety expect -- that Wolverine be rampaging all the time...and that his moments of sorrow be overly dramatic. That Jackman piece of acting when he kept repeating to the dying Prof X that " it wasn't me...it wasn't me" was heartbreaking. Or that final moment when he says goodbye to his cloned daughter ( most fanboys said they actually shed manly tears)...or that berserker anger expressed when they were violated ( that moment when he breaks the gun was awesome -- controlled violence! Or those subtle moments of humor ( " Not OK!...then does his own shop-lifting). Or his reaction to his violent clone X-24, as he fights with the evil side of his persona -- the loathing and the sadness in equal measure! Or coming to terms to what he is! Just to look at the pain in his eyes and at the slowly deteriorating physical strength was actually seeing one of the subtlest but probably the saddest aspect of Jackman's Wolverine portrayal!


No offense meant -- and this is very sincerely meant --but in a way the Patrick and Dafne portrayals were more one-note than the more nuanced Logan portrayal. Prof X was very interestingly portrayed only when he was in the ravages of his Alzheimer affliction - in quieter moments, he was too cerebral ( like a classical stage actor declaiming on stage). Dafne was only eye-popping in moments of extreme violence and stress! Otherwise, she was just a typical shy or quiet child actor. It is their interaction with Logan...and the interaction of all three together --- that was the heart of the movie, with full acknowledgement of their acting in quieter moments. But it was Logan who faced many of those varied moments!


Variety must be blind!


Jo

[jo]

Richard Roeper reviews the films of the first half --

chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/2017-movies-so-far-unexpected-treats-surprising-disappointments/

Excerpts --

Nearly halfway through the 2017 movie season, the most interesting superheroes were a tiny plastic Batman, a burnt-out Wolverine and a wondrous World War I heroine equipped with serious bracelets and a true heart.

The best movies of 2017 so far:

“Beauty and the Beast”
“Colossal”
“Get Out”
“Gifted”
“John Wick: Chapter Two”
“Logan”
“The Lovers”
“Split”
“T2: Trainspotting”
“Wonder Woman”

Best performances by actors in leading role: Chris Evans, “Gifted”; James McAvoy, “Split”; Hugh Jackman, “Logan”; Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”; Tracy Letts, “The Lovers.”

[jo]

Someone writes a strong rationale for an Oscar for Hugh Jackman for his work in the WOLVERINE saga, culminating in LOGAN!

bookriot.com/2017/06/22/and-the-oscar-goes-to-wolverine/?utm_content=buffer40bd6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

And the Oscar Goes to… Wolverine?

Josh Corman
06-22-17


OK, we’ve got about ten minutes between superhero movie releases this summer (I kid, I kid), so I want to take a quick second to examine Hugh Jackman’s performance as Wolverine (in Logan and the other X-movies) and explain why it deserves to be recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I’ll start with a caveat: I know that this isn’t going to happen. Hugh Jackman is not going to receive an Oscar nomination for his role as Logan/James Howlett/Wolverine in James Mangold’s Logan. He’s not even going to eek out a nomination because of the Academy’s famous (infamous?) but unspoken if-you-do-something-long-enough-and-keep-doing-it-reasonably-well-when-you’re-older-we’ll-give-you-an-Oscar policy. Let’s call it the Scorsese corollary.

There are a lot of reasons for this. First off: Logan is a superhero movie. Really, that’s the only reason the Academy needs, since, in the their minds, superhero movies are terrible, no good, very bad leeches that suck attention from the kinds of mid-budget, Very Serious Dramas that they love giving awards too. (And, just, let’s not bring The Dark Knight into this, ok? It’s widely regarded as the best superhero movie ever, and it took the tragic death of one of its stars to goad the academy into finally admitting that, yes, ok, maybe the actors in superhero movies could be something more than a tool for selling more action figures.)

And it’s not just the bitterness toward the tentpole summer blockbuster-type movies that plays a role here. Put simply, the Oscars have a genre caste system. Very Serious Dramas are at the top (special consideration for movies about war, sports that were at their most popular in the 20s and 30s, period pieces, gangster movies, musicals, and movies about movies). Genre movies made by already-decorated directors also get a seat at the table, as do movies starring pretty people who suffer through 5 hours a day in a makeup chair to look less pretty for their roles. Let’s call it the Charlize corollary.


But wait! Isn’t Logan one of them there genre movies directed by an award-winner? Why, yes it is!

Ooh, now that’s interesting. Confronted with two competing Oscar ideologies, which side will the academy choose?

I’m just kidding. The academy is gonna do what it has (almost) always done and ignore the non-technical contributions of a really good SFF, comics-sourced movie because it doesn’t fit their ultra-rigid standard (maybe the Golden Globes would do it, but not the Oscars).

It’s a shame for a number of reasons. Yes, Jackman has put in nearly two decades of work in developing a character who’s as layered and interesting as any other onscreen superhero, and yes, Logan is an excellent departure from the city-destroying scope of typical Marvel/DC fare.


But it’s also a shame because Logan represents something that those who look down their noses at most comics adaptations claim to want: scaled-down, thoughtful, character-driven drama in place of bloated, CGI-laden action figure commercials (which is, I’m afraid, exactly how they see comics adaptations). Logan, for me, showcases the best of what Wolverine brings to the table. Sure, it’s been tons of fun over the years to watch Mr. Adamantium sink his claws into any number of faceless villains (and there’s plenty of that to be had in Logan), but Jackman and Mangold (who also wrote the script) deliver the loneliness, loyalty, and pathos that has defined the character in his comics iteration for decades. You can tell that Jackman relishes playing the battered “Old Man Logan” version of the character and he shows off in his interactions with Professor X and Laura, the child he’s helping escort to a safe haven that may or may not even exist.

And, no, I don’t think that Jackman failing to get a nomination (or Logan potentially missing out as a film) would mean that writers and directors won’t try to do interesting things with familiar characters, but it would be an important nod from a body that has done its best to vilify comic book movies as Hollywood’s latest harbinger of artistic and creative doom.


Of course not all superhero movies are good, but the idea that they’re nothing more than second-class entertainment has been exposed as ridiculous by the number of top-shelf directors that have already taken shots at crafting more interesting versions of the prototypical superhero blockbuster in the past few years. Yes, Ava DuVernay (Black Panther), Edgar Wright (Ant-Man), and Michelle McLaren (Wonder Woman) have backed out of the director’s chair over creative differences with studios, but decorated pros like Ryan Coogler and Patty Jenkins have stepped in to make sure that our heroes are in great directorial hands.

If you’re a fan of comic book adaptations, you want high-level directors like these interested in telling your beloved characters’ stories, and you want actors fully invested in delivering the goods when the cameras roll.


Since 2000, Hugh Jackman brought that kind of committed approach to Wolverine, even when the movies around him didn’t rise to his level. Logan is where performance and story — not least of all because there aren’t a dozen other X-Folks vying for screen time — came together. For that, a lot of people deserve credit, but nobody more than the man who has brought Logan to life since the turn of the century.


Now get that man a statue, bub.

[jo]

Erik Davis ( Fandango exchange of tweets re best superhero movies this year) --

ErikDavis‏
Verified account
 @erikdavis Jun 23

Guardians, Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, Big Sick, Spider-Man, Apes - all great, entertaining movies. I'm down with this summer so far...

***************************

Jordan Vogt-Roberts‏
Verified account
 @vogtroberts Jun 23

*Ahem*

***************************
ErikDavis‏
Verified account
@erikdavis

Replying to @vogtroberts
Early March don't count for summer! But I do think Logan/Kong is the year's best back-to-back so far

[mamaleh]

Huh! Entertainment Weekly's June 30 issue lists The 10 Best Movies of the Year So Far including,along with the expected indies, THE LOST CITY OF Z, JOHN WICK2 and WONDER WOMAN. But conspicuous by its inexplicable absence is LOGAN. Given its super-high "fresh" score and nearly universal praise as the best superhero movie ever, this omission is a head scratcher.

Ellen

[hughmanity]

I was  disappointed but not terribly surprised because I remembered that Chris Nashawaty, who reviewed LOGAN for EW, only gave it
a B-  !

Jun 26, 2017 8:31:27 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

Huh! Entertainment Weekly's June 30 issue lists The 10 Best Movies of the Year So Far including,along with the expected indies, THE LOST CITY OF Z, JOHN WICK2 and WONDER WOMAN. But conspicuous by its inexplicable absence is LOGAN. Given its super-high "fresh" score and nearly universal praise as the best superhero movie ever, this omission is a head scratcher.

Ellen

[hughmanity]

Not as well known as EW, but at least this site recognizes LOGAN as one of the best so far.

mashable.com/2017/06/26/best-movies-2017-so-far/#oZMNZU5FcSq5

Jun 26, 2017 8:47:27 GMT -5 hughmanity said:

I was  disappointed but not terribly surprised because I remembered that Chris Nashawaty, who reviewed LOGAN for EW, only gave it
a B-  !

Jun 26, 2017 8:31:27 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

Huh! Entertainment Weekly's June 30 issue lists The 10 Best Movies of the Year So Far including,along with the expected indies, THE LOST CITY OF Z, JOHN WICK2 and WONDER WOMAN. But conspicuous by its inexplicable absence is LOGAN. Given its super-high "fresh" score and nearly universal praise as the best superhero movie ever, this omission is a head scratcher.

Ellen