Logan Lucky Review

     Unlike its trailer which promised us a thrilling heist film, Logan Lucky moves closer to the pace of molasses. It’s a deliberately paced movie whose long and drawn out moments of silence prevent it from capturing the exciting energy that a story like this is perfect for. Sections of the film, such as the start of the heist, take over half an hour rather than under 10 minutes. While that could be a turned into a positive, using the extra time to add a lot more character development and story, Logan Lucky’s drawn out moments feel like they drag on long past their welcome. 

     This pacing issue also flows over to the overall structure of the film. You think the film is coming to a close and instead it keeps on going. Since many of the scenes are so long and drawn out, the movie feels even longer and you leave the theatre thinking you’ve been given more than you wanted. I think one of the best things a movie can do is leave its audience wanting more. Better that than overstaying its visit. It’s length may have not been such an issue if the script had some more energy. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

     The other issue I had with the movie comes directly from the plot. There’s too many convenient elements that all come together for the characters while the heist is happening. A small example is when a cop happens to turn his head the other way in the exact moment they come speeding down the highway. It would have been easy to let it go if that was the only instance but there’s a few more that I noticed that really bothered me. 

     Despite all these shortcomings, Logan Lucky still succeeds on some fronts. The script is witty and well thought out with plenty of laughs. The jokes feel original and clever. All the acting is very good as well. Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, and Adam Driver all go against type and it works. They pull it off and it’s very believable. I like seeing actors take a change of pace from their usual roles. The ending was also better than what I expected from it.

     Logan Lucky didn’t reach my expectations. However, lots of fans are raving about it and it definitely feels like a perfect summer release. I’m holding out hope that it will be like Step Brothers. A movie I hated and got bored by at first but now absolutely love. Regardless of how I felt, I appreciated that Logan Lucky feels like a much smarter and well-made comedy than a lot of the dull, lowbrow humor we get nowadays. 5.25/10