Review of Logan Lucky (2017) by Thequietgamer — 01 Dec 2020

Can we please start giving Channing Tatum more credit as an actor? I'm not saying the guy is Oscar worthy, but for goodness sake the man is working alongside Adam Driver here and at no point does it look like he has no business sharing the screen with such a soulful performer. Which to me says he's a bit more than the mediocre talent Hollywood only keeps around for the pretty face and hot body he brings to the table his detractors often try to paint him as.

Anyways, this is a southern fried heist flick with a comedic slant. One where the seemingly simple minded and down on their luck rednecks come up with a shockingly complex and intelligent plan to rob a motor speedway while delivering plenty of laughs along the way. It's never an outright laugh riot in the traditional sense even though it will get you to guffaw at times. That's because the humor is most often delivered in a straight-faced, downright deadpan manner. The most cartoonish aspect of the whole thing is Seth MacFarlane's character, making you realize just how much the genre tends to rely on the absurd or loud to get a reaction from the audience. Logan Lucky on the other hand is funny due to the naturalistic cleverness of its material.

There's also a heart to the whole thing that makes it easy to get invested in the characters and their schemes. That's because the cast are playing a bunch of average, luckless southern joes with charming down-home sensibilities. The lead of which is trying to do the best for his daughter and others close to him after losing his job. You want to see them succeed so you'll sit on the edge of your seat during every close call in-between the chuckles. Think of it like a lighter, fluffier version of Hell or High Water that's just as enjoyable.