Phenomenal film that showcases the potential of the comicbook-based films

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2019)

This was not just the best comicbook movie, but one of the best overall films this year. James Mangold put together the most satisfying film of his career. From cinematography to writing to pacing, this movie pulls together all of the writer/director's strengths into a compelling character study.
Hugh Jackman gave his truest, most complicated Wolverine performance. He said he was walking away from the character before audiences grew tired of him, and he left everyone wanting so much more. Daphne Keen made an unforgettable debut as X-23, violent and endearing and utterly captivating. One can only hope that Disney-controlled Fox will still allow Mangold to film his planned follow-up with the character. Patrick Stewart surpassed Jackman in finding even more depth in a character he has played over numerous films. If this was anything other than a superhero film, he would be amassing Best Supporting Actor award nominations from every major body for his heartbreaking portrayal of a once-great man in decline.
In genetics, diversity is essential for a species' long-term survival. In art, it is much the same. With the deluge of comicbook-inspired film and television projects, it is essential that the scope of superheroic fare be broadened, and for artists to be unafraid to experiment with the form. A film like this, that is essentially a Western with a few fast-paced superhuman action sequences, shows what comicbook films can be, and how they can break out of the cookie cutter mold to extend the genre's cinematic life.