The first ‘Logan’ trailer speaks to us of emotional desolation and the vacancy of peace that reflects in only the most difficult of times. Opening with the self-injecting anthem of stripped strength but incessant hope that is ‘Hurt’ as covered by Johnny Cash, Hugh Jackman’s Logan appears to be at the end of his very long downward spiral, a mutant who’s lost everything including his way. This moral dilemma is visible in the landscape, a stripped desert, littered with sideways buildings, where even tumbleweeds dare to tread.
The first ‘Logan’ trailer speaks to us of emotional desolation and the vacancy of peace that reflects in only the most difficult of times. Opening with the self-injecting anthem of stripped strength but incessant hope that is ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails as covered by Johnny Cash, Hugh Jackman’s Logan appears to be at the end of his very long downward spiral, a mutant who’s lost everything including his way. This moral dilemma is visible in the landscape – a stripped desert, littered with derelicts, mercenaries, and sideways buildings, where even tumbleweeds dare to tread.
AR now brings you a breakdown of the trailer’s most memorable moments:
“Logan… What did you do?,” the now fragile and breaking voice of our beloved Professor X (Patrick Stewart) asks as the trailer dawns, Logan standing with a twitching, anxious, yet unclenched hand like a gunslinger crawling for a fight.
Possibly my favorite shot in the entire trailer comes about 10 seconds in; Logan is sitting idly outside what appears to be a toppled and bullet hole-ridden water tower. The gorgeous structure looks like a rust covered air balloon, braced in frozen metal. Logan states in a haunted tone, “Charles… the world is not the same as it was…”
“Mutants… they’re gone now,” Logan finishes his lament in the overlapping dialogue as he’s seen drinking at a graveyard in the distance of a burial, no names on any of the tombstones visible. In a previous teaser photo released on social media, the question, “Where are all the mutants?” was seen scratched out in a tattered bathroom stall. Are mutants becoming scarce? Are they dying out? Memories of the Legacy Virus that ran throughout the pages of the 90’s X-Men comics come to mind, but given the upcoming moments of the trailer, death by strife is likely to be weaponized via means other than a manufactured plague.
“I hurt myself today…” Open wounds on Logan’s hands? This image seems to suggest that the mutant once called Wolverine’s healing factor is in decline.
The scars visible upon Logan’s back here might suggest that he’s still able to heal from outrageous wounds, but perhaps not as quickly as he once was.
“I focus on the pain…”
Johnny Cash seems to vocally mirror the sunken-in awe of despair soaking the face of Charles Xavier as he lays upon a hospital bed, white knuckling upon its bars inside what can only be the toppled water tower from earlier in the trailer. The wheelchair next to him, and the plants on the table in the background bring hopes that he’s still somewhat lucid, but one can’t be sure from this image. If the powers of others are fading, or mutants are disappearing, who’s next to be lost?
Logan strides towards the opposite side of the structure he was seen sitting upon about 10 seconds in, holding what looks to be a bag of food? Maybe he’s paying good ol’ Chuck a friendly visit to see how he’s holding up. Or is that holing up? Are these two in hiding together?
The next shot cleverly placed directly after Logan is seen walking towards the metallic structure features a girl at a table opposite shelves of neatly organized goods, pots, pans and the like. The bracing of the table has a great shot of a very familiar criss-cross pattern. This is unlikely to be the same location but is a great segue to introduce X-23 (Dafne Keen).
“She’s like you,” Charles is heard saying as the young girl stands with her back to what’s likely to be a telescope. Stargazing in the desert? It can be a pass-time or even solace for the hopeful, the sullen, or the lonely.
Feds, huh? Somehow, I doubt it. Shots like these harken back to the Australian Outback days of the X-Men comics where they were hiding out in a ghost town the Reavers sought to take over as their own base, for their own reasons. Who the hell are these guys really?
Either someone forgot his/her sunscreen, Clint Eastwood has been a mutant all along, or this is likely to be Caliban (Stephen Merchant). If he’s packing a six-shooter, I will eat that hat with all the trimmings.
The silhouette of a gallows in the background? Maybe. X-23 stands alone, on some sort of night watch.
Memories that forever haunt. Logan considers his well-worn dog tags, etched with his name and bearing a long identification number.
The leader of the Reavers himself, Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) replaces his tinted aviators with a noticeably mechanical hand. The recruiter of the cyborg mercenaries known as The Reavers, this man has an agenda that has or will no doubt cost lives. The Reavers lacing the pages of the X-Men comic books wound up ultimately crucifying Wolverine (Uncanny X-Men 251) for getting in their way. What kind of interactions will they be having now?
We now see how Charles may be tending to his plants. Logan stands in a single shaft of light amongst a faux night of stars – rusted metal openings in this barren desert shelter.
But there may be hope yet. A well-worn saddened smile smacks of ill portent in the calmness of this gathering.
Another throwback; A similar vehicle to the beat up old jeep Wolverine used to drive in the comics.
X-23 watches over a newfound ally. It was Jubilee who wound up saving Wolverine in the comics, now it just may be the young girl before us.
Either you die… or you win. These Reavers behind Pierce may not be any of the originals from the comics, but they look like they’re ready to bear arms.
The Reavers obviously want X-23 for something less than holy.
He will make you hurt.
When you’ve made an enemy of this mutant… better come packing or pack it in.
Shades on, X-23 is careful to hold Logan’s hand at the wrist as she solemnly bows her head.
Funeral for a friend? I have my own ideas about who could be on the receiving end of what can only be a grave digging.
Stunningly and powerfully scorched earth from front to back, this first trailer for Logan finds a way to promise an emotional last ride.
Logan hits theaters March 3, 2017
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