Review: 'Logan Lucky' is a fun ride

Posted Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at 3:46 PM Central

by John Couture

If you ever wondered what Channing Tatum or Adam Driver would sound like as rednecks, then Logan Lucky is for you.

If you secretly wished that the Ocean's Eleven films would have been set at a NASCAR track, then Logan Lucky is for you.

If you wanted the "Blonde Bond" to become the "Platinum Blonde Bond," then Logan Lucky is for you.

If you want to be highly entertained by a smart caper film filled with characters a few bricks shy of a load, then you need to check out Logan Lucky.

Director Steven Soderbergh retired from filmmaking after 2013's Behind the Candelabra, but thankfully, he didn't stay away from a movie camera for long. Logan Lucky signals the end of Soderbergh's retirement and proves that his decision to continue making movies was the right one.

Logan Lucky follows a clan that is cursed with unfortunate luck, but Jimmy Logan is convinced that he can reverse the curse on his family with a bold heist at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600. Naturally, the film blends the high points of Soderbergh's earlier Ocean's films with an honest and interesting look at the southern American culture.

The cast is littered with veterans from Soderbergh's earlier projects including Tatum and Riley Keough and talented newcomers (to Soderbergh's world) such as Adam Driver and Daniel Craig. Steven Soderbergh has never been shy about attracting talented actors to his films and Logan Lucky works as well as it does thanks mostly to the talented cast.

I know the gut reaction is 'No, not another Ocean's Eleven film,' but Logan Lucky is so much more. Sure, there are elements in the movie that will placate those fans, but the fun camaraderie between the Logan siblings really elevates the final product. I don't know if there's a more bizarre performance from a mainstream actor this year than Daniel Craig in bringing his character Joe Bang to life. Naturally, Joe Bang (what a name) is an explosives expert and Craig's acting choices are brilliant.

I actually watched this film twice. Initially, I watched a low-quality streaming screener of the film. This version allowed me to focus on the humor since the visuals were terrible. For the review, I was able to enjoy the 4K UHD version and the difference between the two experiences from a visual standpoint was like night and day. The 4K UHD version looked amazing and the slick action sequences complimented the humor quite nicely.

Naturally, the audio track on the 4K UHD was quite nice as well. The DTS-HD audio track was the same as the one on the Blu-ray and I was sort of hoping there would have been a Dolby Atmos track, but the DTS-HD holds its own, especially during the NASCAR scenes.

Overall, the film is fun, smart take on the heist genre. While the glitz and glamour of Vegas are replaced by the idiosyncrasies of Southern culture, the heart and soul of Ocean's Eleven is still apparent in Logan Lucky. Steven Soderbergh is a master storyteller and I'm glad that his retirement was short-lived.

Logan Lucky is now available on 4K UHD, Bluray and DVD.