Review of Logan Lucky (2017) by Gabe B — 24 Aug 2017

The Logan family is historically plagued with bad luck. The divorced Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) can't hold a job due to his leg injury, and his brother Clyde (Adam Driver) lost his arm - no, sorry, his hand - on the way home from the Iraq war. Most see the Logan's misfortune as a reason not to try, but Jimmy tries to find an opportunity to reverse his misfortune. Luckiest of all, this film delivers for the audience.

Logan Lucky is filled with fantastic performances. Channing Tatum delivers an extremely likable easy going country boy who proves himself a heist mastermind by the end of the film. Adam Driver plays a much more comically uptight character, a different role for Driver he knocks out of the park. Also starring, Daniel Craig kills the teams token pyrotechnic. Craig helps ground the film, while also adding some of the greatest comedic moments in its entire run time, at one point pausing the heist to explain the chemistry behind his gummy bear powered explosive device.

For those who are unaware, this is Steven Soderbergh's return to film direction after a nearly five year hiatus. Unsurprisingly, the director of Oceans 11 knows how to direct a heist film. That's the saving grace of Logan Lucky, in anyone else's hands (well, anyone less adept at filmmaking that is) Logan Lucky could have felt like just another Summer blockbuster. Instead, Soderbergh delivers an experience that will more than satisfy those who are only after a fun time at the theater, but still offers more to those looking for it.

Logan Lucky still drags in places, specifically a story regarding Jimmy's daughter's competition in a local pageant. It pays off in the end, playing its way into Jimmy's long term plan for the heist, but still, every time we cut to the pageant it feels like a break of pace and I couldn't help counting the seconds until it was over. Making your leads more human is important, but finding a way to do it without abrasively affecting the pacing is much more important.

Although not a comedy, Logan Lucky manages to be constantly hilarious in a smart witty sort of way, delivering some of the most quotable lines of the year. Logan Lucky is a welcome addition to the end of Summer movie line up and a definite recommendation.