Logan

I do love my superhero movies, but I am occasionally able to admit that some of them have a certain ... saminess. Clunky origin stories, cardboard villains, the same old world-threatening climaxes with maximum CGI and minimal thought and engagement.

"Logan" is not one of those superhero movies...well, at least, mostly not. In particular, it's a superhero movie that knows the importance of themes and subtext beyond the usual. Making it about aging and failure and disillusionment gives this a distinctly adult tone (even beyond the R rating trappings of bad language, visceral violence and occasional appearances by naked breasts). It's a pleasure to have both gutteral pulp action AND character depth.  Hugh Jackman has been one of the stalwarts of the X-men series, holding things together often when the rest of the film was drowning in incomprehensibility (or even just throwing in a highlight-of-the-film two word cameo in "X Men First Class") and this is a film that finally rewards him with a role with substantial meat. This may also be the best film role that Patrick Stewart's ever had - this is oscar-worthy stuff as a damaged, traumatised Xavier, and he's heartbreakingly good.

There is a little unsteadiness in the wider plot (in particular the baddies are a little generic) but the focus is so strongly on the central performances and their plight that it doesn't detract too much. This is comic-book-as-revisionist-western, and all the better for that.