‘You Logans must be as simple-minded as people say…’
Nobody likes to feel left out. This explains why people lash out at the most popular movie franchises. You will find no shortage of movie goers who will tell you that Harry Potter is childish, that Star Wars is nothing special, that Lord of the Rings is just a bunch of people walking for 12 hours. It’s instinctual. If a bunch of people love something but one person doesn’t get it, they start to resent that thing. I became aware of this within myself a long time ago and made a conscious effort not to be suckered in by it. With cinema, I have mostly succeeded. If something becomes hugely popular now, I go into it wanting to like that thing, actively straining to see what makes that thing so beloved by others. I haven’t quite grasped this in terms of music. I have an irrational hatred for The 1975 for example, but I try to approach all movies with an open mind and an open heart…
…which makes it all the most upsetting when I still just don’t get it.
Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde (Adam Driver) are the Logan brothers. And they have a plan. To carry out this scheme, they must enlist the help of the Bang Brothers. One issue is that Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) is very much in prison, while Fish (Jack Quaid) and Sam Bang (Brian Gleeson) are a pair of wildcards. This motley crew must band together if they are to achieve the impossible.
I wanted to like Logan Lucky, I really did. The problem is, it has a number of things working against it. Channing Tatum is as stale and lacking in charisma as ever. Daniel Craig likewise. And while Adam Driver does his very best to save this movie, even he can’t quite elevate Logan Lucky from being just another Coen-by-numbers heist movie. There are flashes of brilliance, and it is lovely to see Katie Holmes return to the big screen (an actress who I was hopelessly in love throughout my teenage years), but ultimately, Logan Lucky brings nothing new to the table.
I’ve always thought of myself as a fan of director Steven Soderbergh but aside from the Oceans movies (a series of heist movies that anyone can enjoy), there isn’t actually much in his filmography to recommend him. There is a whole bunch of 7/10 flicks in there. There is obviously something there that I am not getting, but I find most of his films to be a chore. He can’t hold my attention. More explosions please. More bright flashing lights. The monkey brain demands it.