Ambitious and moving.

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2017)

It is hard to say exactly how I felt about 'Logan'. It is a movie that strives for a more visceral reaction than any of the recent Marvel or DC films. It has the benefit of finality. I think in some instances we are more prone to fall to some tricks with this being a part of the film. It features brilliant performances from Jackman and Stewart that take the characters to new places. I'll agree with some, it isn't a fun movie. Wolverine is not cracking wise at all. This is a depressing bleak movie. I admire it for it's ability to go there. It has weight and we fear for our characters. They aren't super humans who can laugh at danger.
I don't know if I'm putting too much on my personal expectations in against the film but I wanted more of the sociological commentary and satire that the X-Men universe delivers when it is at it's best. We get some interesting seeds of it but they aren't sufficiently fleshed out. It is in essence a chase film and it can't really stop for too long to asses it's world, which is a shame. I really like the subplot of Xavier suffering from dementia and the dangerous implications it has. The villain's motivation is delivered briefly and the way mutants have gradually become extinct is actually really clever. I guess I'd like to see an X-Men movie within this sort of bleak framework.
The R rating is deserved but the film is guilty of going for gratuitous R rated material. Logan is hiding out as a limo driver and a drunken Prom Queen flashes him. Isn't that just going for R material because you can?
The strengths are undoubtedly Jackman and Stewart. This is a film for people who appreciate good acting. Jackman is more isolated in his character. He doesn't have the same zest or humor. This is an angry and bitter man. I think this is why the film works and has resonated with people. We needed the other films in the series to get here. In comparison to other comic book films we've never seen a character change this dramatically or have war wounds over the course of a series. Logan does not want to reach out anymore. The only regret I have is that the script is incredibly vague about what illness Logan is suffering from. I think it would have been interesting to get an idea of what exactly is killing him.
Stewart may be the highlight of the film. Xavier was always superhuman and always composed. To have him lose that razor sharp intellect and wit is to make him vulnerable. The theme of Logan is mortality and Xavier's is believable. I honestly believed it and that is saying something given that this character has come back from the dead. There's a scene played perfectly by Stewart where Xavier recollects the fragments of his memory and realizes he has hurt a great many people. It is a real human moment that isn't over-dramatic or philosophical about superheroes. We see the humanity of a fearless character brought low to fear.
'Logan' isn't perfect in my estimation but few films of the comic book genre are. It is an example of the comic book genre done right. It is built on acting and brilliant character writing instead of spectacle. The MCU definitely needs to look at 'Logan'. Sequels can be fun but eventually a character has to be defined even if it means coming to a bitter end.