LOGAN (4.5/5): Some of you might know that even though I have always enjoyed reading certain Marvel comics, I really dislike the concept behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no matter how technically well they are made. The first two "X-Men" films and especially the Wolverine series however stand out from Marvel's other films. Nevertheless, the first two Wolverine films weren't really that good either. I really wanted to like the first two Wolverine installments, but they didn't live up to the high expectations I had of them.

Enter 'Logan', a film set in the X-Men universe. A Marvel film that for a change does not culminate in a huge CGI battle. It's about more. It's about telling a good story. 'Logan' is not your typical Marvel film and it doesn't even resemble the earlier two Wolverine-films. It feels like a totally different film to me, which is good, because it focusses on an aspect that Hollywood films once used to be all about, the Wild West genre. This return is what makes 'Logan' a good film in my view. Director James Mangold helmed one of my favourite modern Wild West films, the remake of '3:10 to Yuma' and with 'Logan' he explores similar themes such as sacrifice and vulnerability (or rather sacrifice despite being vulnerable).

I thought of all this during the first third of the film and suddenly there is a scene of people watching 'Shane', a Wild West film I used to watch on TV as a kid. So that was both a nice nostalgic moment, but also a confirmation of feeling that the film is just like a Wild West film.

'Logan' is not a superhero film. It's a film that heavily borrows its themes from the good old Wild West films, but in a tasteful manner. It just so happens to be set in the world of a few comic heroes.