FREEZE FRAME: “Logan,” “The Salesman,” “Table 19”

In what is being touted as his final big-screen appearance as “Logan,” aka Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is back as a tired, aging and worn out mutant, a far cry from his glory days with X-Men. In the ultra-violent flick “Logan,” he reluctantly protects a young girl who may be his daughter as well as the sickly Professor X, played by Patrick Stewart. This R-rated blood-fest has plenty of action and more depth than most superhero movies, but some may question the ethics of children participating in the sadistic carnage.

“The Salesman” is the winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Asghar Farhadi’s intriguing suspense drama involves a couple that gets more than they bargained for when they move into a new apartment in the middle of Tehran. It’s intricately plotted, skillfully acted, realistic and heartbreaking. Once again, Farhadi demonstrates why he’s one of the world’s finest filmmakers.

An appealing cast and some amusing moments may not be quite enough to make “Table 19” worth a sit down. Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson are among a group of misfits that get stuck together at the worst table at a wedding reception and find out that, for various reasons, aren’t really welcome at the party. Overall, the material sitcom material isn’t quite strong enough to sustain a feature length movie.

Also opening this week, Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington star in “The Shack,” a drama about a spiritual journey, based on the Christian bestseller by William P. Young. “Catfight” is a black comedy about former friends Sandra Oh and Anne Heche who wind up in the titular brawl. “Headshot” is a martial arts thriller from Indonesia. “Before I Fall” is drama with a “Groundhog Day” type structure where a young woman lives the same day over and over.

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