Review: Logan Lucky

Bringing Steven Soderbergh out of retirement is Logan Lucky, a Southern fried caper that finds the versatile director in good form. The film refers to the heist as Ocean's 7-11, taking the obvious comparison for a ride. However, its a good comparison. Logan Lucky has the same DNA as the Oceans films Soderbergh made, just the names and locations have been changed.

What also has changed is Soderbergh's heart for his characters. Unlike the cool Danny Ocean and gang, the Logan family has had a bad run of terrible luck. Clyde (Adam Driver) lost his hand in Iraq whilst on his way to the airport to return home. Jimmy (Channing Tatum) was a football star who got injured and his now divorced. When the film opens, he is let go from his job working on repairing sinkholes at the local NASCAR racetrack.  These brothers are richly formed characters with a heartfelt motive behind their decision to rob the racetrack.

Jimmy and Clyde enlist Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) to help with blowing the safe. Only problem is that he is incarcerated. No worries, the Logan Brothers devise a rather fun plan to bust him out. Logan Lucky is just that, fun. The film relishes in its Southern flavor of crime. Roaches, homemade explosives, redneck hackers and muscle cars all play a role here. Soderberg and his "screenwriter" Rebecca Blunt have concocted something fresh that treats its characters with love rather than contempt. This approach is key to what makes the film a blast.

Craig is having a blast in the film as Joe Bang. His performance is so far from the broken, haunted James Bond he is known for. This performance shows his immense range and hopefully will provide him with more comedic roles. Tatum and Driver both imbue their performance with authenticity, never overplaying the hillbilly qualities of their character.  Rounding out the great ensemble is Riley Keough as Mellie, the Logan sister. She stands out as someone to watch, elevating what could have been a Daisy Duke type character into something more complex. The only shortcoming is Hillary Swank's performance as an FBI agent tracking the Logans. Luckily she comes into the film late and doesn't deter from the joys the film's clever ending.

The film under scrutiny could certainly be criticized for some inconsistencies. The elaborate plan that Jimmy concocks seems at odds with how the film portrays him elsewhere. Here is a guy who can't remember what day to pick up his daughter but he is also tactical genius. This may bother a few but I suspect most people won't care as the film moves quickly and is full of laughs and thrills.

Logan Lucky is a late summer surprise. Well-crafted, beautifully shot, full of great music and performances; the film hits on all cylinders.

4/5