Logan Lucky, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a heist comedy featuring an ensemble cast including Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterston, Sebastian Stan and Daniel Craig.
The film follows Jimmy Logan (Tatum), a doting single dad, who teams up with his one armed veteran brother, Clyde (Driver), sister, Mellie (Keough) and demolition expert, Joe Bang (Craig) to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina during the Coca-Cola 600, as a way to gain enough money to move closer to be with his daughter.
The film starts off well and provides viewers with a good understanding of the Logan siblings and the notorious ‘Logan Curse’, which gets mentioned throughout the film and alludes to the mishaps and misadventures of the Logan brothers. In other words, both Jimmy and Clyde are known for being struck with bad luck, no matter what they do.
The lead up to the heist is significant, as each character is developed, showcasing their individuals talents. Despite the build up and a number of comedic moments, the subsequent robbery just felt rather lacklustre and dull. The pacing of the film felt tired and despite such prominent actors in the film, I was bored by the dialogue between them.
While watching the film, I felt as if I was just simply going through the motions, watching the heist unwind. Perhaps I had expected a more clever Ocean’s 11 type heist, or at least one which provided some sort of suspense and thrill to the audience. Instead, the entire heist just felt a little silly.
As a fan of Channing Tatum’s earlier work, I was disappointed by the lack of acting prowess required in this film. Even Daniel Craig’s character, Joe Bang, wasn’t the kind of genius demolition expert I had expected. In many ways, I felt that the film could have done with better, more entertaining characters, or at the very least, a more gripping story.
There was little else that really carried the film. Soundtrack and graphics were certainly lacking, with the only real saving grace being Clyde’s fake arm, which essentially became the main joke of the film. Even then, the arm just didn’t have enough reach to entertain me nor provide any real substantial entertainment for the film.
One of the only aspects which I enjoyed in the film was the bond that Jimmy had with his daughter and the portrayal of that bond in the film. It was touching to see what lengths the single father would go to in order to be around his little girl.
Despite many others enjoying Logan Lucky, I personally felt that it was a film I could have done without watching. It was a slow, rather tedious film to watch with only a handful of actual good jokes and marginally interesting heist planning and execution. The slow pacing and lack of intriguing plot meant that the film felt monotonous and is one that perhaps we’d be better off without.