Succeeds because it makes you care, and gives the viewer grit and consequences

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2017)

This film has had a lot of praise, and I think most of it is deserved. However there is an element where comic book movies generally are not consistently interesting or engaging enough, so whenever one comes along that offers a bit more then we go for it; certainly I know I have enjoyed some of them more than they probably warranted on this basis. With Logan it is that there are consistent touches of maturity, character, and plotting which make it something that I actually cared about. There was scope for much more of this, and it was a shame the characters did not have more quiet moments in between the violence, but there were enough to make us feel for the characters and their relationships.
I am not sure that the father/daughter side of things plays out as impacting as it could have, but certainly the relationship between Logan and Xavier is rewarding in its moments. These elements add to a feeling of grit, hopelessness, and grind, which the characters fit and the film embraces. I particularly enjoyed the consequences, the action had heft and impact and major characters suffer and die as it goes ahead. I will borrow a line from another commenter and say that the action scenes are justified or "earned" by this base, because they don't just feel like mindless spectacle (even if they are very well done).
While Logan is not as good as the high praise suggests, it does offer a lot of darkness, character, violence, engagement, and entertainment – very much worth seeing and it does stand above what the majority of this genre is doing.