美国国家公共电台 NPR In 'Logan,' Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Shines His Badge One Last Time

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

In the last 17 years, Hugh Jackman has clawed his way through nine X-Men movies as Wolverine. Now in the film "Logan," his mutant character is finally being allowed a change in style. Bob Mondello says "Logan" plays less like a superhero movie and more like a Western.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE¹: The year is 2029, and Logan is tired. Mutants like him have been hounded very nearly to extinction². And this now-greying wolverine has been reduced to driving a limo for drunken teens. He's often drunk himself, a barely functioning alcoholic³ with terrible aches and pains, especially when those metal claws pop out of his knuckle⁴.

You get the sense that he'd be happy to ride permanently⁵ into the sunset if he didn't have to score black-market drugs for Professor Xavier, who's old enough now that he bridles⁶ at being called a mere⁷ octogenarian. Patrick Stewart is crusty and addled⁸ as Xavier, talking wistfully about family as he hallucinates in the abandoned water tank they call home.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOGAN")

PATRICK STEWART: (As Xavier) People who love each other - you should take a moment, feel it. You still have time.

MONDELLO: And then a young girl comes into their lives, needing protection, exhibiting unnervingly familiar skills and baring a comic book.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOGAN")

HUGH JACKMAN: (As Logan) We've got ourselves an "X-Men" fan (laughter). Maybe a quarter of it happened and not like this.

MONDELLO: Still, a reason to saddle up again, no?

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOGAN")

STEWART: (As Xavier) She needs our help.

JACKMAN: (As Logan) Someone will come along.

STEWART: (As Xavier) Someone has come along.

MONDELLO: They have a bullet-riddled '24 Caddy. It's road trip time. Director and co-writer James Mangold is consciously calling up the Wild West here and not just by setting most of the film near the U.S.-Mexico border in the near future, where there does not seem to be a wall, for what that's worth. This film has specific callouts to scenes from the Wild West classic "Shane" and dialogue that sounds like "Shane" updated.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOGAN")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Looks like Mr. Munson hired some muscle.

ERIQ LA SALLE: (As Will Munson) He's a friend of mine.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) A friend with a big mouth.

JACKMAN: (As Logan) I hear that a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) And you probably hear this too.

(SOUNDBITE OF GUN LOADING)

JACKMAN: (As Logan) More than I'd like.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) And you know the drill. I'm going to count to three, and you're going to start walking away.

LA SALLE: (As Will Munson) I got rights to this one.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) One...

LA SALLE: (As Will Munson) I have a lawyer now.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As man) Two...

JACKMAN: (As Logan) Three.

MONDELLO: Logan snaps the rifle in half.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOGAN")

JACKMAN: (As Logan) You know the drill. Get the hell out of here.

MONDELLO: Hugh Jackman is weather-beaten, weary and majestic⁹ as the reluctant claw man, shining up his badge one more time. And his surroundings, dark and dystopic even when the sun shines brightly, make this "X-Men" installment¹⁰ feel grounded in a way most comic-book movies don't. There are stretches where it's possible to forget you're watching a superhero epic¹¹ and others where the director pulls out the ultraviolent stops on a special-effects scale that actually makes sense - not overblown and rocking city blocks but human-sized.

Hugh Jackman's "Logan" was always the most plausible¹² X person, credited now with showing how the whole X-Men series could grow by growing more down to earth. I'm Bob Mondello.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WAY DOWN WE GO")

KALEO: (Singing) And way down we go, go, go, go, go. And way down we go, go, go, go, go. So way down we go, go, go, go, go. Way down we go.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

3 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

4 knuckle   

n.指节；vi.开始努力工作；屈服，认输

参考例句：

• They refused to knuckle under to any pressure.他们拒不屈从任何压力。
• You'll really have to knuckle down if you want to pass the examination.如果想通过考试，你确实应专心学习。

5 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

6 bridles   

约束( bridle的名词复数 )； 限动器； 马笼头； 系带

参考例句：

• The horses were shod with silver and golden bridles. 这些马钉着金银做的鉄掌。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 addled   

adj.（头脑）糊涂的，愚蠢的；（指蛋类）变坏v.使糊涂( addle的过去式和过去分词 )；使混乱；使腐臭；使变质

参考例句：

• Being in love must have addled your brain. 坠入爱河必已使你神魂颠倒。
• He has addled his head with reading and writing all day long. 他整天读书写字，头都昏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

10 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

11 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

12 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。