Logan Lucky (2017)

[baumer]

Discuss

[aabattery]

I love heist movies so much.

 

Career best performances from everyone. Really great.

[WrathOfHan]

This is a very fun return to cinema for Steven Soderbergh. I didn't expect the movie to be as emotionally powerfully as it was either! It's a tad long, but Logan Lucky is a really fun ride from start to finish. 9/10 | A-

[filmlover]

This was a blast and proof that nobody can pull off a fun heist movie as well as Steven Soderbergh (welcome back, we missed you!) can. I liked that it embraced the more cartoony nature of its North Carolina setting (the accents of pretty much the entire cast: ) yet still treated the characters like real people and not walking, talking stereotypes. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are very good leading a great ensemble that also includes Riley Keogh, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Jack Quaid, Brian Gleeson, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan, Dwight Yoakam, and Hilary Swank (some with much more screentime than others), but the movie belongs to Daniel Craig, who is clearly having the time of his life in a part that allows him to completely cut loose. It kinda runs out of steam by the end, but it's so much fun that I can't really complain too much. B+

[Webslinger]

I knew Steven Soderbergh’s “retirement” in 2013 wouldn’t last, and I’m glad that his return to filmmaking is as vibrant and deliriously enjoyable as Logan Lucky. With Soderbergh’s slick Ocean’s 11 style transplanted to the south and paired with a script that feels like it could have been penned by the Coen Brothers, nearly every single minute of the two-hour running time works on some level. The film’s greatest strength is the presentation of its characters: even with their notable quirks and occasional lapses in logic played for comedy, they’re drawn on such realistic and sympathetic terms that it feels as though we’re being called to laugh knowingly with them rather than derisively at them. As always, Soderbergh’s direction of his actors feels spot-on at every turn, including: Channing Tatum in a surprisingly complex performance that balances his character’s simplicity with shrewdness; Adam Driver at the most relaxed and amusing he’s been since his small role in Inside Llewyn Davis; eye-catching, quirk-embracing work from Riley Keough; and Daniel Craig in a terrific against-type performance that showcases his surprisingly strong aptitude for comedy. While the film is admittedly somewhat encumbered by the decision to introduce an investigation during the final half-hour, it’s a blast of fresh, original air that ranks among the top entries of a rather impressive summer field. More than anything else, though, it feels like exactly the kind of film off the well-beaten path that Soderbergh clearly wanted to make, and I hope that its weak box office performance will do nothing to hamper the return of one of the most consistently intriguing directors in the business. 

 

A-

 

Stray Thoughts:

 

1.) While the film is plenty interesting and somehow establishes its own identity despite following many of the same beats as Ocean's 11, I find it somewhat ironic that the film that breaks Soderbergh out of his retirement - which was essentially spurred on by the belief that Hollywood only wanted to make a few specific types of movies - could very easily be described as a new take on his most financially successful film in a different setting.

 

1a.) But was Soderbergh ever really retired? I totally believe the theory that he ghost-directed Magic Mike XXL.

 

2.) The audience I saw it with last Friday laughed often and heartily.

 

3.) I hope that Daniel Craig's extremely amusing and laid-back performance here means that he's ready to do another Bond film with freshness and energy. I'm quite surprised to hear that he's going to return to the role after his comments on Spectre's promotional trail and the critical and financial underperformance the film posted.

 

4.) The Game of Thrones scene was fantastic! I can only imagine how those characters would feel upon meeting new inmates who have seen the newest season...

 

5.) I loved the movie and all, but the ending... 

Spoiler

I get that they're clearly trying to end on an ambiguous note that suggests that the Logan curse may be alive and well with Hilary Swank presumably overhearing their conversation, but it's framed a little too much like a sequel hook for a film that clearly doesn't need one. A minor nitpick, to be sure, but it didn't feel like the right note for ending the film.

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Joe Bang is life.

[baumer]

Well, allow me to break away from the circle jerk.  The last 30 minutes is good but the first 90 is really hit and miss...more miss.  I like heist movies too, but I found this one to be lazy and highly improbable.  The plan to steal the money was literally impossible.  It relied on way too many things to go right.  One small example is that if Joe Bang didn't get help from the guys in prison, it never would have worked.  And then to get out of the prison was highly improbable and then to get back into prison, highly improbable.  

 

Riley Keough is electric and I can watch her in almost anything.  But other than her presence, the film really was kind of a mess and it asked you to accept a lot of bs.  And that really took me out of the film. 

 

6/10

[WrathOfHan]

49 minutes ago, Stutterng baumer Denbrough said:

Well, allow me to break away from the circle jerk.  The last 30 minutes is good but the first 90 is really hit and miss...more hit.  I like heist movies too, but I found this one to be lazy and highly improbable.  The plan to steal the money was literally impossible.  It relied on way too many things to go right.  One small example is that if Joe Bang didn't get help from the guys in prison, it never would have worked.  And then to get out of the prison was highly improbable and then to get back into prison, highly improbable.  

 

Riley Keough is electric and I can watch her in almost anything.  But other than her presence, the film really was kind of a mess and it asked you to accept a lot of bs.  And that really took me out of the film. 

 

6/10

The last 30 minutes are the worst part though  

[Fancyarcher]

My review - https://dailyuv.com/norwich-vt/920295

Edited September 1, 2017 by Fancyarcher

[4815162342]

The movie really committed to that Game of Thrones joke

[CoolioD1]

13 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

The movie really committed to that Game of Thrones joke

i thought it was funny but it's also the only thing that immediately puts a date on the movie.

[4815162342]

4 minutes ago, CoolioD1 said:

i thought it was funny but it's also the only thing that immediately puts a date on the movie.

 

I laughed because I'm a book reader and I know the pain, but yeah it will date the movie going forward.

 

 

I enjoyed the film overall, it felt a bit derivative of the Ocean's films but the acting was strong and it was breezy fun. Probably could have trimmed about 15 minutes though.

[aabattery]

6 hours ago, 4815162342 said:

 

I laughed because I'm a book reader and I know the pain, but yeah it will date the movie going forward.

 

 

Can't age if GRRM never releases the book 

[Blankments]

Logan Lucky is a really sweet ride. The laidback vibe gives it more style than most of the other films this summer. It's a film that should constantly feel thrilling but instead feels fun in the best sense. The ensemble is fantastic, with the clear standout being Craig's Joe Bang, but really, everyone has their moment to shine. The script knows exactly when to take detours for comedic purposes, and Soderbergh's direction is top-notch as always. The first twenty minutes are a bit rough though, feeling like it's just spinning the wheels until Joe Bang first appears. Logan Lucky is an enjoyably unique caper that really entertains once it finally gets going. A very good time at the movies. B+

[Avatree]

Really enjoyed it, a lot better than the oceans movies. Really couldda done without that game of thrones joke though...

[Goffe]

Soderbergh is average af and this movie only reinforces that opinion.

 

Heist parts bad. First half hour good. Tatum great. Surpringly quite a bit of heart. 

 

It does show some promise, tho. Soderbergh captures this “white trash” culture without being condescending. Remove the heist plot from the equation and you would have a pretty good movie me thinks.

 

5/10

[Barnack]

2 hours ago, Goffe said:

Soderbergh captures this “white trash” culture without being condescending.

How true is that, I would be curious because I felt like there was some laughing at them going on not just with them and the movie didn't not work at all it seem in those regions.

[Rman823]

Rented it last night and would say it’s in my Top 5 of the year. Im a huge fan of the Oceans films but think I may have enjoyed this more. 

[Avatree]

rewatched it, it really is good fun. Much stronger film in pretty much every aspect, than Ocean's 11 (and certainly more than O11's awful sequels). Characters are by no means fleshed out but I could actually sympathise with them. Performances are fantastic, especially Daniel Craig and Adam Driver. The whole set up and execution is done terrifically. It's a right laugh and I could easily rewatch it. Love the theme/setting of redneck america, and like someone said above, it's never condescending.

 

Only complaint is I wish they gave a bit more space to some of the supporting characters, like Riley Keogh or Katherine Waterson. Oh and the very end, post heist bit is rushed.

[RandomCat]

Took a bit to get going, but it started to pick up steam and didn't really stop. My kind of flick.