Logan Lucky

I think today was just the day I check out some of the more underrated films of 2017.

Similar to Colossal, I heard some movie critics talk great things about Logan Lucky but it was definitely a movie that went under a lot of people's radar. That being said I'm taking a look at the movies that came out last August and... the pickings were pretty slim anyways. I don't know, let me know if you saw this one and what you thought, but I really liked it.

Logan Lucky was directed by Steven Soderbergh. If that name sounds familiar, you may know it from him directing the Ocean's 11 trilogy. And if you liked that, then you're in luck because Logan Lucky is basically Oceans 11 if the heist was carried out by a bunch of West Virginia rednecks.

Logan Lucky follows the story of Jimmy Logan (played by Channing Tatum). He is a former high school football star who, with his brother Clyde (played by Adam Driver) and his sister Mellie (played by Riley Keough), seem to just have perpetual bad luck. Clyde is convinced there is a curse on their family but Jimmy is determined to change his fate.

Early on, he recruits his brother and another local guy by the name of John Bang (played by Daniel Craig) to pull off a heist of a NASCAR Speedway. 

And like I said, this is very much the red neck, slightly less expensive version of Oceans 11 because it has a lot of the same unique characters lining up to either be apart of the heist or be victims of the heist. All the while, the main character Jimmy is not only doing this for the money, but for some kind of validity from his loved ones, even though they don't know he's actually pulling off the heist. Very similar to Danny Ocean from Oceans 11.

The really entertaining part about this movie is just the combination of characters and their interactions with one another. Channing Tatum plays your straight man while Adam Driver plays this super quirky brother who only has one hand (and don't tell him he has only one arm). Driver actually steals this show and while I won't say I want to go back and watch all of Girls because of this show, I really think he has a very bright career in front of him and a lot of that is due to Star Wars.

Daniel Craig gives a performance that is night and day from his performance in Spectre. He actually looks like he's having fun in this role and he's really entertaining as the member of the team who is in prison and from his appearance and demeanor you can probably guess he belongs there.

There's a lot of star power in this cast that comes in for small roles. Seth MacFarlane and Sebastian Stan have really funny roles in the movie that add some humor. Now this does work against the film as Hillary Swank and Katherine Waterston play really small roles that don't really amount to a whole lot.

 I think the fun thing about this movie is just how much of a small gem it is. You don't really expect much from it and I don't think it's really going to make that big of an impression, but when you do watch it, it will impress you and give you a good ride.

I don't think I really want an Ocean's 11 style trilogy for Logan Lucky and I would be totally happy if they kept it at just one solid film, but at the same time it's a film that I think could be fun with a sequel with these guys who are not very smart criminals. In many ways they are the antithesis of Danny Ocean and the crew from Ocean's 11 but they bring a lot of the same charm and humor.

Logan Lucky falls into a very similar category that Colossal did where it is a very solid film. It's not the greatest thing I've ever seen but it is a hidden gem that I think a lot of people unfortunately missed. If you have Amazon Prime, check it out. Other than that I don't know if I would spend money to go see this movie but finding it on streaming service or a cheap rental is definitely worth your time.

But those are my thoughts on Logan Lucky. What did you think? Do you think they should make a Logan Lucky trilogy in the same vein as Ocean's 11? What would you think about an Ocean's 11 and Logan Lucky crossover... I'd watch that. Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

Thanks, I'll see you next time.