Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Rebecca Blunt
Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Brian Gleeson, Jack Quaid, Hilary Swank, Daniel Craig, David Denman, Jim O’Heir, Macon Blair, Farrah Mackenzie, Rebecca Koon, Charles Halford, Jon Eyez, William Mark McCullough
Soundtrack: David Holmes
Boy oh boy is it good to have Steven Soderbergh back.
Not that he’d left us entirely, but he hasn’t done a theatrical feature since 2013’s Side Effects (which is GREAT, by the way; I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before), and I don’t really have time for television (what with all the movies I see), so, as far as I was concerned, he was out of sight. Logan Lucky is not only a welcome cinematic return for him, but, at the tail end of one of the best movie summers I can ever remember, it’s at least a contender for Top Movie of the Season.
Soderbergh’s obviously no stranger to the ol’ heist movie, nor is he a stranger to films with a comedic tone, but Logan Lucky is a special blend of the two that is so enjoyable and light-hearted (without being total fluff) that I would have happily spent more time in my seat just to hang out with the characters a little longer.
This is not to say it’s a perfect film. The most glaring weakness is Seth MacFarlane. I think I understand what his character is supposed to be, but it’s rather muddled, and his fake British accent is simply not good enough for a live-action movie (might work for a cartoon, but not here); unless, of course, it was supposed to be fake, but I never got any indication of that. In a similar vein, I felt like we should have gotten a little more from Sebastian Stan’s character. I don’t really have an issue with his performance, per se, and perhaps at some point there was a longer cut of the movie where he was featured more, but ultimately he just feels wasted.
But hey, why focus on the bad when there’s so much good?
First and foremost, Channing Tatum as Jimmy Logan is utterly charming. You can’t help but root for him. For an actor I didn’t really have an opinion on until the past few years, he has come on strong with roles in Foxcatcher, The Hateful Eight, and Hail, Cesar!, and this film is no exception (I think I might actually be looking forward to Gambit at this point).
On top of that, you’ve got a bunch of fantastic supporting performances, namely from Adam Driver and Riley Keough as the fellow Logan siblings, not to mention the James Bond-sized elephant in the room: Daniel Craig.
Prior to Logan Lucky, I don’t think I’d ever seen a Daniel Craig role that wasn’t dark and brooding in some way, so his performance here is a downright revelation (not to mention his reciprocal accent is head and shoulders above MacFarlane’s). He’s an absolute scene-stealer.
Also, they don’t get a whole lot of screen time, but Katherine Waterston and Dwight Yoakum do very well with what little they’re given (insert seasoning/food metaphor here).
Quite simply, Logan Lucky is some slick Country-fried fun with likable characters and a classic heist plot in an interesting location. It might not always be perfectly paced, but it made me laugh quite a bit (which is the end goal of any comedy), and at times it was even a little heartwarming.
And, with a PG-13 rating, it’s good for date nights and family nights alike (as long as your kids are old enough to appreciate it).
Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)
P.S.
No stinger scene, but the credits are pretty short (relatively speaking), and there’s a funny disclaimer at the end.