The cast of “Logan Lucky.” Courtesy of Bleecker Street.

“Logan Lucky” Is A Raucous Robbery That Delivers The Goods

Matthew Garrell
Aug 22, 2017 · 3 min read

As a genre, the heist movie is far from new. From the earliest days of film with The Great Train Robbery up to today, there aren’t a lot of new or interesting ways to make a movie about a theft. The heist movie isn’t even a new venture for director Steven Soderbergh, having previously directed the Ocean’s Trilogy in the early and mid 2000s. And yet, by being solidly funny and inverting a lot of the usual conventions of the heist film, Soderbergh manages to craft a winning entry with Logan Lucky.

Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is a salt of the earth blue collar worker trying to get by in the world and have quality time with his daughter, despite being divorced from his ex-wife (Katie Holmes). After losing his job as a construction worker at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmy decides to break what his family perceives as a decades long run of bad luck by teaming up with his one-armed brother Clyde (Adam Driver), his sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and a slightly crazy explosives expert named Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) to try and rob millions from the speedway.

The single biggest reason why Logan Lucky works is its freewheeling sense of fun and laid back atmosphere. Channing Tatum isn’t some criminal genius. Adam Driver isn’t some suave sophisticate who can con his way past security guards. And Daniel Craig most certainly isn’t playing James Bond in this one. Instead, the film takes working class guys and puts them in the scenario of committing a multi-million dollar robbery. Along the way, the amusing cast of characters bounce off each other in numerous hilarious ways. And the comedy comes from a wide array of sources, be it basic pratfalls to amusing references to Twitter and Game of Thrones. It’s a consistently funny romp that keeps the audience guessing.

While Logan Lucky is thoroughly enjoyable, it isn’t without its flaws. There’s only so much Steven Soderbergh can do to subvert the heist movie genre. Changing things up by making the characters blue collar and setting the story at a NASCAR race is a start. But that’s as far as it can go. Additionally, the film doesn’t really have anything to say in terms of a message. It has little on its mind beyond just being a comedic joy ride. It changes things up enough, but it’s certainly not reinventing the genre.

The large number of characters also causes some issues. It’s great having talents like Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Sebastian Stan, and especially two-time Best Actress Oscar winner Hilary Swank. However, when they’re underutilized, it feels like a disappointment. Seth McFarlane also plays a racing team owner who comes across as exceptionally grating and unfunny, complete with an obviously faked accent. The ending of the film also is a bit troublesome. It’s not bad, but it really feels like it comes out of nowhere. While such an ending isn’t a new thing for a Steven Soderbergh heist film, it still feels rather abrupt. I can forgive it because I’m used to Soderbergh’s style. But, some viewers might find it to be an issue.

In the end, Logan Lucky provides a roller coaster of happiness and thrills. It brings together a wonderful cast of eccentric characters and a riotously amusing script under the talented hand of an expert director. Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, and the rest of the ensemble acquit themselves very well, even if some of the actors aren’t used to their fullest potential. The ending is a bit of a left turn, but not something that is exactly out of place in a Steven Soderbergh effort. It’s a highly enjoyable joy ride that I highly recommend.

Grade: B

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Matthew Garrell

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"People who LIKE movies have a favorite. People who LOVE movies couldn't possibly choose." - Nicole Yatsonsky

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