To say the marketing campaign for Steven Soderbergh's return to directing was less than stellar would be a large understatement. The trailers made Logan Lucky feel like a stupid redneck movie and the posters highlighted some of the director's weaker efforts like Ocean's 12. But moviegoers that were able to look past the poor marketing and give this film a shot were in for a treat as Logan Lucky is easily one of the most fun movies of the summer.
The film follows Channing Tatum's Jimmy Logan, a former football player now unemployed due to a knee injury. Jimmy's ex wife, played by Katie Holmes, plans to move south and take their daughter with her, leaving Jimmy needing money to take things to court. Jimmy enlists the help of his brother Clyde, played by Adam Driver, and the infamous Joe Bang, played by Daniel Craig, to rob a big Nascar race.
Pretty much every actor in this movie does a great job, as the comedy throughout hinges on their comedic timing and often deadpan delivery. Tatum is incredibly funny and also brings a lot of heart to scenes involving Jimmy and his daughter. I do however feel sorry for Tatum as in my opinion Adam Driver steals the show. His character Clyde has a missing hand, which plays for some hilarious moments, and the dry delivery of every one of his lines is hilarious. It is an especially fun performance to watch when you take note of the fact that he also plays a big villain in The Force Awakens.The brotherly bond between the two does a lot to build the story as well as the comedy. Another big stand out in the film is Daniel Craig as Joe Bang. Craig trades in his charming British accent and bevy of Bond gadgets for a bright blonde haircut and a prison jumper. His southern accent is always on point and his over the top antics make for some truly hilarious moments. The last actor I want to focus on is Riley Keough, who plays Mellie Logan. Mellie is Jimmy and Clyde's brother and is given a lot to do in the film. This is the first movie I've seen Keough in and I thought she knocked it out of the park. Much like everyone else, she brings a lot of great comedy, but also has great chemistry with everyone. Her relationships with everyone all seem very true and honest, which makes for some very great moments. A few other actors with smaller roles include, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan, David Denman, and Hilary Swank. Swank's role is the most serious role in the film, as she is an investigating FBI officer, while the other three are used more for comedy. That being said they all do an amazing job.
The script for this film shines brightly as the dialogue is filled with great dry humour that fits the scene incredibly well. It is a ridiculous movie that still manages to find room for some heart which is always good to see. The screenplay also has some very funny references to pop culture that do a great job of making the audience laugh, and making the film seem more real. Soderbergh is great in his return to directing, bringing a lot Ocean's 11 esque heist elements to the story. It's really funny to watch the parallels between Logan Lucky and Ocean's 11 as he tells the story in similar ways by showing bits and pieces as the film goes on and then revealing everything at the end. While this film is very different than Ocean's 11, Soderbergh's style made the movie even more fun than it already was.
As for my issues with the film, I just didn't like it from the start. I found the first portion of the film just didn't hit as well as the rest. I found a lot of the jokes stupid and unfunny and it was hard to pick up on what the tone of the film was going to be. Luckily the movie figures itself out and makes for a super fun ride to the finish line. I also think that the posters and trailers glorified roles that weren't very big. I was under the impression that Swank, Stan, and MacFarlane all had decently large roles, and while I still enjoyed the movie a lot, I was disappointed to not see as much of them as I expected.
Is this movie some super special heist film that will stand the tests of time? No. Is it the stupid comedy filled with nothing but redneck jokes I thought it would be? No. What Logan Lucky is, is an incredibly fun heist film, and a great way to finish off your summer. I would definitely recommend this one.
Rating 4.2/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
The film follows Channing Tatum's Jimmy Logan, a former football player now unemployed due to a knee injury. Jimmy's ex wife, played by Katie Holmes, plans to move south and take their daughter with her, leaving Jimmy needing money to take things to court. Jimmy enlists the help of his brother Clyde, played by Adam Driver, and the infamous Joe Bang, played by Daniel Craig, to rob a big Nascar race.
Pretty much every actor in this movie does a great job, as the comedy throughout hinges on their comedic timing and often deadpan delivery. Tatum is incredibly funny and also brings a lot of heart to scenes involving Jimmy and his daughter. I do however feel sorry for Tatum as in my opinion Adam Driver steals the show. His character Clyde has a missing hand, which plays for some hilarious moments, and the dry delivery of every one of his lines is hilarious. It is an especially fun performance to watch when you take note of the fact that he also plays a big villain in The Force Awakens.The brotherly bond between the two does a lot to build the story as well as the comedy. Another big stand out in the film is Daniel Craig as Joe Bang. Craig trades in his charming British accent and bevy of Bond gadgets for a bright blonde haircut and a prison jumper. His southern accent is always on point and his over the top antics make for some truly hilarious moments. The last actor I want to focus on is Riley Keough, who plays Mellie Logan. Mellie is Jimmy and Clyde's brother and is given a lot to do in the film. This is the first movie I've seen Keough in and I thought she knocked it out of the park. Much like everyone else, she brings a lot of great comedy, but also has great chemistry with everyone. Her relationships with everyone all seem very true and honest, which makes for some very great moments. A few other actors with smaller roles include, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan, David Denman, and Hilary Swank. Swank's role is the most serious role in the film, as she is an investigating FBI officer, while the other three are used more for comedy. That being said they all do an amazing job.
The script for this film shines brightly as the dialogue is filled with great dry humour that fits the scene incredibly well. It is a ridiculous movie that still manages to find room for some heart which is always good to see. The screenplay also has some very funny references to pop culture that do a great job of making the audience laugh, and making the film seem more real. Soderbergh is great in his return to directing, bringing a lot Ocean's 11 esque heist elements to the story. It's really funny to watch the parallels between Logan Lucky and Ocean's 11 as he tells the story in similar ways by showing bits and pieces as the film goes on and then revealing everything at the end. While this film is very different than Ocean's 11, Soderbergh's style made the movie even more fun than it already was.
As for my issues with the film, I just didn't like it from the start. I found the first portion of the film just didn't hit as well as the rest. I found a lot of the jokes stupid and unfunny and it was hard to pick up on what the tone of the film was going to be. Luckily the movie figures itself out and makes for a super fun ride to the finish line. I also think that the posters and trailers glorified roles that weren't very big. I was under the impression that Swank, Stan, and MacFarlane all had decently large roles, and while I still enjoyed the movie a lot, I was disappointed to not see as much of them as I expected.
Is this movie some super special heist film that will stand the tests of time? No. Is it the stupid comedy filled with nothing but redneck jokes I thought it would be? No. What Logan Lucky is, is an incredibly fun heist film, and a great way to finish off your summer. I would definitely recommend this one.
Rating 4.2/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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