Take notes, Marvel. This is ground breaking.

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2017)

'Logan' is an X-cellent movie. Period. It takes the comic book movie genre to a whole new level. A tred on new grounds that is long overdue. It's not just another action adventure. It's a western noir. And I'm loving heaven and earth out of it.
The story takes some clues from the 'Old Man Logan' mini series. But readers of the X-Men comics would also recognize some 'Messiah Complex' or 'Second Coming' influences in there. The end of mutant kind, with just the tiniest hint of hope - in the hands of a child. And it takes the full resources of all who is left (which aren't many) to protect it.
Marvel should takes notes from this. There have been movies in which the characters were at the end of their ropes. Both 'Iron Man 3' and 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' were supposed to take their main characters to super dire straits, but totally lacked the gravitas and general feel of it. Please, Marvel. Have the guts to take your characters to the edge of damnation. And let us, as viewers, experience deep emotions while partaking in your stories. Fox, of all companies, just proved it can be done.
'Logan' however, is not flawless. It has its nonsense. Actually, it has the same nonsense in it as both the earlier installments of the 'Wolverine' solo movies. There are some 'now you see them, now they're dead'-characters, and there is this this overpowered unstoppable baddie near the end of the movie that is slightly ridiculous... but this is really toned down and made to feel not unfit. Also, there isn't an over-abundance of non-existence future tech. So all in all, despite it being a movie about mutants, and taking place in the future, the entire movie feels very grounded in reality.
After the dour tone, and the realistic groundedness, a third quality that needs to be presented in this review is the cinematography. The lighting, the focus, the pacing... it's all spot on! Scenes are given the time to breathe, and the sets and locations are glorious to look at. Not in the sense that they look glamorous - because they don't. But they really helped to set the tone and tell the story. It's perfect.
Then, there are some nice nods to the comics. One of the minor characters, presented in the third act, is Rictor. In the comics, he is part of X-Factor. One of the supporting characters is Caliban. I like the fact that they changed him from a man-child into a highly intelligent person - but they kept his sense of loyalty intact. The bad guys also derive from the comics, as do of course Logan himself, professor Xavier and X23. But, despite these nods, the movie still feels fresh and original. Just like the ridiculousness, they really kept the comic book winks restraint. And it feels all the better for it.
All in all. You don't have to be into comic books, or superhero movies, to enjoy 'Logan'. It works as a movie outside of its genre. But if you ARE into comic books, and if you ARE into superhero movies, this is the breath of fresh air that the genre desperately needed. I hope there is more like this to come.