There is maybe one too many robot arms in this movie.

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2017)

I feel obligated to mention that I have seen all the other movies featuring Hugh Jackman. I don't really like any of them especially. Some are decent and others are sort of bad and forgettable. The context and history surrounding it are apparent to me, though they don't do too much to influence my feelings on this particular film.
All that being said, this film is probably the best I've seen featuring this portrayal of this character. It's legitimately pretty good. Some of what some people would say makes it exceptional though I think is sort of relative. The fact that it has a stronger emotional core and more adult story than its predecessors doesn't mean that on its own its a great film. It's certainly refreshing considering the franchise as a whole, but only really from a story perspective. In its execution I can't say that beyond the especially violent action, which is pretty neat, it really goes above and beyond in any major way. Despite one memorable shot, the visual nature of the film doesn't really feel like it represents a unique voice. I have never seen a film from James Mangold before, besides The Wolverine, and I honestly don't think I could make much of an educated guess on what any of his other films are like based on this one. In all honesty it seems like he did a lot more for this film as a writer than as a director. That isn't to say that the direction is bad or that the story is amazing, but relative to the rest of the franchise one did a lot more to elevate this film than the other.
Like I say, the story isn't amazing. It's good, and it helps this film to stand on its own, but there are definitely some logical lapses (How did he not see those cars earlier, how does she know how to use that gun, etc). I will say though, to Mangold's credit as both a writer and director, there were parts of this film that, while cheesy, could have been way cheesier and potentially ruined the film. It is solid on its own, but I would concede that, despite not really liking the franchise all that much, this story inevitably holds a greater emotional value for you if your a long time fan of this character and of these movies.
It's got something for everyone. Check it out or don't. You'll probably get out of it what you expect, and what more could you ask for?