With its 11 Oscar nominations, Joker provides proof that comic book adaptations occasionally, but not often, receive award recognition outside of technical categories. However, it's not the first comic book film to receive Oscar buzz. The Dark Knight was nominated for eight Oscars, with Heath Ledger earning a posthumous award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor award. Black Panther scored seven nominations, and won three; it was the first comic book movie nominated for Best Motion Picture. Then there is Logan, the first comic book movie nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and a film that deserved more love from the Academy.
Logan is the final chapter in the story of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. In a future in which mutants are nearly extinct, Logan and Charles Xavier must protect Logan's “daughter,” Laura, and help a group of young mutants escape their tormentors. The film delivers comics-accurate carnage and tells a heart-wrenching story about redemption, loss and family.
While the story differs greatly from the comic it takes inspiration from, Old Man Logan, it is an excellent adaptation given the film's limitations. Since Fox did not have the full catalog of Marvel characters, storylines featuring Hawkeye and Hulk ended up being removed. Instead of staying true to the graphic novel's plot, the film focuses on the imagery, thematics and emotions of the book, which makes it a strong script for comic fans and movie lovers alike. This subversive narrative about refugee children searching for sanctuary and the dynamic cinematography do the most important thing in filmmaking: showing instead of telling. Audiences are given clues about what happened to the mutants and the world at large instead of being fed blunt exposition.
The film also departs from the superhero genre by creating a contemporary western. Throughout the movie, the western Shane (1953) is referenced, most notably when Laura recites lines from the film at Logan's funeral. Logan's story parallels the narrative in Shane, while also reinterpreting many western tropes. This includes Logan as the lone stranger, Laura as a mysterious woman with a tragic past and the apocalyptic setting as a stand-in for the lawless frontier. By inverting both the western and superhero genre, writer and director James Mangold demonstrates how well versed he is in filmmaking with his fun, subversive script, stunning cinematography and killer score.
Mangold and his crew couldn't do this alone. To carry the weight of this genre-bending film is an all-star cast. Oscar-nominated and Tony Award-winning Jackman reminds audiences he's more than just an "action star" as he demonstrates ridiculous feats of strength. However, it's his interpersonal moments that have many fans feeling a new sense of connection to his character. Besides Jackman is acting icon Patrick Stewart, who emulates the torment and heartbreak one feels while slowly losing their mind. Accompanying these seasoned actors is up-and-comer Daphne Keen, who plays Laura. She steals the film without saying a word for a majority of it; however, audiences still understand what she means from her performance alone.
While this movie was a critical and financial success, it received only one Oscar nomination. This wasn't a surprise a few years ago since superhero films rarely received the bigger nominations like Best Motion Picture or Best Director. These kinds of movies are usually reserved for technical categories like Sound Editing and Visual Effects. Though, Logan didn't even get a nod in these categories, which is perplexing given how tight the filmmaking was.
Logan should've received more attention from the Academy, especially in comparison to the most nominated film this year, Joker. Both films reimagine the superhero genre. Joker is a villain's origin story disguised as Scorsese film while Logan is a chase through the Wild West circa 2029. Both films star broken, societal outcasts who watch over a mentally deteriorating senior. These characters also have manic breaks and resort to graphic violence as a form of release and justice. Furthermore, both characters require their respected actors to go through physical transformations.
These films are different at large, but the quality of performances, mastery of genre and ability to please comic book fans, critics and casual viewers raises the question why did Logan not receive the same awards attention that Joker is getting?
One reason could be that the Academy does not often recognize genre films or franchise films. Rarely do movies of this nature receive the grand awards, unless its The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). However, the 2018 Oscars did award two genre films with their bigger honors. Get Out (2017) won Best Original Screenplay and The Shape of Water (2017) won Best Motion Picture and Best Director.
While the Oscars are making progress for horror and fantasy, the superhero genre has struggled to break through up until a year ago. While Ledger's performance won an award for The Dark Knight in 2009, it wasn't until the 2018 Oscars that another comic book film was nominated outside of the technical departments with Logan. Even that was a surprise given that two other superhero films were snubbed that year. Wonder Woman (2017) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) were critical and financial successes and marked major progress for Hollywood in terms of behind-the-scenes representation; however, they went unnoticed at the Academy Awards. Nowadays, the Oscars are a bit more lenient when considering comic book adaptations, as seen with Black Panther and Joker.
Another potential explanation is the fact that Logan is the end of a franchise while Joker is a stand-alone film. It cannot be denied that both films are influenced by their comic book histories; however, Joker does not have the task of concluding seven years of storytelling. Stewart and Jackman had years to explore their characters, and the cinematic world of the X-Men had been fleshed out over the course of several movies. Despite being tonally different from most superhero films, the history of the X-Men links Logan to a genre that Academy members seem to look down on. This kind of baggage, which Joker lacks, could have lead to Logan being overlooked.
Logan is one of the best superhero films and one of the best western films in cinematic history. It paved the way for more comic book adaptations to be taken seriously during the award season, and it's a shame that it could not receive the same amount of Oscar love that Joker has gotten.