'Logan' And The Evolution Of Film Genres [Video Essay]

Easily one of the best movies of 2017 so far is the surprisingly emotional comic book movie Logan. As Hugh Jackman's final turn as Wolverine, we get a film unlike any comic book blockbuster that came before, and Logan is all the better for it. When looked at as the second bookend of the superhero genre, connected all the way back to the start of the superhero/comic book movie craze that truly began with X-Men back in 2000, Logan becomes the perfect metaphor for how film genres change over time.

Watch the Logan film genre video essay after the jump.

When you take a close look at how director James Mangold uses the classic western Shane as a key thematic piece of Logan, you begin to understand how the filmmaker not only uses the film to create an emotional core for Logan, but also, perhaps inadvertently, illustrates how the western genre is closely tied to  superhero movies and hw they have evolved over their relatively short period of popularity in cinema.

It sounded hyperbolic at the time the movie was in theaters, but I don't think it would be out of the question for Logan to be seriously considered for Best Picture when the time comes. Not only does Logan subvert the expectations of the genre, but it has Academy Award worthy performances, and an emotional core that rivals some dramas that have been up for the award. It's a little early to say whether it's possible for Logan to land a nomination with awards season still a few months away, but I sincerely hope 20th Century Fox makes an attempt for voters to consider it.