Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis:
Marvel Studios finally merges Deadpool into the MCU. But this time he gets his legendary team up with Wolverine. Wade Wilson is living a normal life after he is rejected by the Avengers. But after being approached by the Time Variance Authority, he realizes his timeline is in danger. In order to save his homeworld, he must recruit a Wolverine variant to assist him in his mission. But along the way the two frenemies encounter some surprising people along the way. Will Wade save his world? Or will he be stuck in cross timelines forever?
Positives:
I’ll admit that this is the most I’ve looked forward to a Marvel movie in years. After a number of mediocre films, I hoped a new story featuring Deadpool would freshen things up. In certain ways, I believe the film does that. In others…not so much. The story is a healthy mix of raunchy Deadpool gimmicks, gags, violence, and shenanigans. This combined with an MCU formatted plot nicely give the story a unique feeling of its own. The target demographic for this movie is going to eat it up. There are plenty of references to pop culture, inner jokes about Marvel, and some energetic banter between Wolverine and Deadpool. What I enjoyed most about this is that Marvel and Disney are clearly able to laugh at themselves. There are plenty of pokes and nods at the issues both 20th Century Fox and Disney have encountered when producing superhero movies. I found many of the jokes aimed at them especially funny because I’ve been watching these movies for many years. Fans of these Marvel films will undoubtedly have a good time going down memory lane and laughing at themselves.
The action was also an area I was excited for. I’d say it lives up to the hype, giving us some gnarly battles between Deadpool and Wolverine. It’s also fun seeing them team up (occasionally with some familiar Fox characters) to go against the big bads. There’s plenty of violence to go around, arguably being the goriest Deadpool movie yet. I’m glad Disney let Ryan Reynolds keep the authenticity of the character intact since most of their other movies tend to feel more family friendly. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a hard R rating and embraces it. There are also plenty of cameos to go around, which is an area that many have been anticipating. I can say that I guessed most of them wrong, so there are surprises awaiting audiences when they walk into the theater. Some will have jaws on the floor when they see who shows up. Longtime fans will have the best time with the film because there are easter eggs scattered throughout the story. The film largely centers around the buddy dynamic of Deadpool and Wolverine, so Jackman and Reynolds get an abundance of screentime. Reynolds is doing his thing here, so Deadpool fans will have a field day. I’m more of a Wolverine guy myself so Jackman’s return to the character was the highlight for me. Seeing him wear the classic Wolverine suit and FINALLY wear his signature mask had me grinning like a kid in a candy store. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is made for the fans and they will definitely be the ones who enjoy the film most.
Negatives:
As much as “Deadpool & Wolverine” gets right, there are some pretty glaring issues with the story. Much like “The Flash”, the film is constantly playing with nostalgic cameos and references that only diehard fans of the genre will understand. I could see regular audiences with little to no knowledge of the Fox Marvel films being confused with many of the plot details. On top of that, the movie does require some MCU knowledge. Deadpool has always been a pop culture referencing character, so some of the lingo and references he makes will be hit and miss. I think this will make the movie age quicker than most superhero films (this is a problem with his other movies too). I always love when a movie’s goal is to impress the ones who have supported it over the years, but the MCU is getting to a point where it is a difficult franchise to enter if one hasn’t done their homework. I could even see regular Marvel fans who haven’t watched the older Fox movies not appreciating the film as much.
These multiverse movies are also becoming increasingly complex. Luckily, the film addresses this with a clever joke. There are plenty of logic gaps and areas where the film is focusing on fan service rather than concrete storytelling. I’d even argue some of the CGI is pretty spotty. That’s why I believe people who aren’t big comic book fans might leave the film being less enthusiastic because the plentiful cameos and flimsy story may not be to their liking. Fans will be able to forgive this easier than the rest. Naturally with an abundance of cameos, some of them feel shortchanged. There are certainly some good ones that are integral to the story but a handful just felt like throwaways. That’s how the story felt too. I enjoyed the premise overall and like that it blends the Disney and Fox tones together, but as a whole it’s not even close to being one of the most memorable comic book movies. Yet another villain feels undercooked in an MCU movie and their motive feels underwritten. This makes the stakes feel lower and the threat level appear minimal to something like Thanos. Ultimately, this will likely be eaten up by the target audience and shortly forgotten by the uninitiated. But hey, sometimes a rock em sock em adventure with great characters and an average story will get the job done.
Conclusion:
Deadpool’s introduction to the MCU is a fun time overall. It features some nifty fight sequences and the classic Deadpool humor we’ve come to expect. There are plenty of cameos and easter eggs that fans of the genre will go crazy for. Seeing Hugh Jackman return as Wolverine was worth the price of admission alone. But a mediocre story, forgettable villain, and messy mirage of plotlines hamper “Deadpool & Wolverine” from truly being the reset Marvel needed. This likely won’t be a gamechanger for the MCU nor will the stakes affect the greater universe much. But it’s hard to sit here and tell audiences that this isn’t a worthwhile trip to the movies. It features some cool characters, raunchy humor, and plenty of violence to go around. Go in with reasonable expectations and this will likely be a positive experience.
