Logan Lucky

Have you ever seen a film that while you're watching you think, 

"Hey. I'm having a pretty good time. Not like a fantastic time or anything, but I'm enjoying myself." 

And then once you leave said film you think to yourself, 

"You know, I enjoyed that film. It was amusing. But I'd never really need to see it again."

That was me with Logan Lucky. 

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Steven Soderbergh's southern NASCAR heist film, as did most of my movie theater. Though I couldn't help but feel like I probably wouldn't remember it come several months from now outside of the stellar cast. 

Sometimes I find the side effect to seeing too many movies is it takes a really significant one for me to remember it come end of year. Logan Lucky is both a special film (in that it's original and unique) and an unspecial one (in that it's always gliding along without much conflict) at the same time. Confused?

We start the film with the Logan brothers, played by Tatum and Driver. They're apparently a "hexed" family and are just generally not very fortunate people. Things get set in motion and Jimmy Logan (Tatum) plans to rob a NASCAR course's vault on race day with the help of some of his friends (mainly Daniel Craig) and his brother, Clyde (Driver). The heist itself takes up most of the film and, while entertaining, is pretty much void of any major conflict, all things considered. It's here where the film is highly entertaining, but the stakes never feel quite that high. Not to mention, Jimmy and Clyde are positioned as very...simple...people so for them to have crafted this entire heist seems a bit outlandish. I'll admit, there's a bit of humor to be had in that fact anyway, but there were multiple times where I caught myself thinking, "Really? They thought of this?". Once everything is completed, the film takes an additional 30ish minutes to wrap up that feels a bit like a slog comparatively, even if I did appreciate the plot threads being tied up neatly.

So...suffice it to say that the plot of Logan Lucky was fun, yes, but pretty much otherwise just...there. Steadily trucking along, getting us from A to B to C and all the way through.

Patiently waiting for Magic Mike XXXXXXXXXL to break out?

So...did Rey cut of your hand?

Logan Lucky shines with its cast and its writing. Truthfully, it's these two reasons why the movie is solely enjoyable. Tatum is the "lead" and gets a few laughs of his own, but really the rest of them are left up to a combination of a one-armed Driver, a very Southern Daniel Craig (who's refreshing to see outside of the Bond tuxedo -- though I'm glad he'll be back for another), and some hilarious writing bits. Driver is very much a simpleton and delivers some dead-pan lines with ease. For nerds, there's also some gleeful humor to be had knowing that he's the big bad of the new Star Wars films too. Craig, clearly having a lot of fun with the role, is the film's scene stealer. Whether it's crafting a bomb out of gummy bears or telling someone not to peek cause he's gettin "nekkid!", he's consistently a delight. Then you have your handful of random scenes, often without main characters, that are just hilarious in their absurdity. A prison riot loosely tied to (and mocking) George RR Martin's Game of Thrones writing schedule is a highlight.

As is always the case with Soderbergh films, Logan Lucky is well-made. It features many of his signature camera angles and shots -- most of which are very well done because he actually lets scenes breathe -- and the editing is reminiscent of his previous films too. Outside of some of the pacing issues I mentioned earlier, there's a handful of fairly random scenes or barely connected characters that I found a tad bit irritating. Mainly just because I was waiting for some big reveal that never came and a lot of random characters were just that. 

"The name's Bang. Joe Bang. And I'm about to get nekkid!"

I realize this isn't a ringing endorsement for Logan Lucky, though I should reiterate how much fun, in the moment, I did have with the film. It's got some great moments scattered throughout, is generally a fresh and unique film, and seeing the cast have as much fun as they are is worth the price of admission alone. But it's also a bit hollow and, much like NASCAR itself, probably won't leave you thinking much about it once your butt is out of the seat. 

CONS

• Overlong. The end feels like a drag in comparison -- even with a pretty significant "cameo" -- and a few scenes in the main proceedings are random/unneeded
• Not much conflict throughout. Everything is mostly smooth sailing and the stakes never really felt that high to me
• Something I can't quite put my finger on where I enjoyed the movie, but wouldn't seek to watch it again

PROS

• Soderbergh's filmmaking style is always a joy to watch
• When it is funny, Logan Lucky can be downright hilarious
• Sharp, fun writing that has a lot of fun with the characters
• Speaking of fun with characters, it's clear the entire cast is having a blast too. Daniel Craig most of all
• Fitting soundtrack
• Good, original, old-fashioned heist story

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10