Logan Lucky

(spoiler free)

Steven Soderbergh is certainly a versatile director, he’s proved this over the years as the films he has directed have had such a range of stories & genres. He’s tackled outer space with his remake of ‘Solaris’. He delved into the psychological thriller only a few years back with ‘Side Effects’ and of course he’s probably best know for his widely popular heist film, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. ‘Logan Lucky’ sees Soderbergh revisit this genre but in a much different context. Nonetheless this familiar territory surely meant odds were looking good for ‘Logan Lucky’.

Similarly to the Ocean’s films Soderbergh has recruited a star-studded ensemble cast for his latest film. Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, Adam Driver & Daniel Craig fill the more prominent roles. However there is also a wonderful collection of other performers featured in supporting or short cameo like roles. Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterson, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan & Hilary Swank all star in these kind of roles. It was so entertaining to see all of these famous faces in such a fun narrative. All of their performances are great and they are helped along by the entertaining character traits held by the individuals in the story. Each performer is as good as the next however it’s especially blissful to see Daniel Craig let loose from his brooding Bond persona.

You’ll be familiar with the story line here as the film follows the fairly standard heist genre structure. There’s nothing wrong with that though, when executed well these can be some of the most amusing movies going. ‘Logan Lucky’ definitely succeeds in this. The humour included is a big reason for this. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it’s one part comedy one part heist but there are enough moments of humour to effectively enhance the story. This occurs through dialogue, characters and plot points with one particular prosthetic moment that you’ll laugh your leg off at. Whilst the film is no doubt a blast to watch it falters slightly towards the end. It goes on a little too long and struggles to wrap up efficiently. A couple more energetic sequences or montages would have helped with this pacing issue but even still it’s a small flaw in an otherwise thoroughly entertaining film.

‘Logan Lucky’ is a refreshing breath of originality amongst the efforts of the year so far. Soderbergh has successfully reworked his previous outings into this genre offering something fresh and fun. The casting should definitely be applauded with such a quality range of performers on board.  The combination of this cast with the writing makes for a cracking cinematic caper.

Rating – 8/10

Question: What is your favourite Steven Soderbergh film?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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