Deadpool has officially made his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his arrival is an absolute blast!
Hugh Jackman hung up his adamantium claws seven years ago. Logan — the first R-rated outing for the fan favorite member of the X-Men — was an elevated take on the superhero genre, and Wolverine’s death was seen as the perfect sendoff to a beloved and iconic character. Jackman had seemingly retired the role for good, until Ryan Reynolds and the Marvel Cinematic Universe came knocking and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. We’d seen Deadpool and Wolverine team up once before in the 2009 prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Luckily for fans, the duo find their footing the second time around.
The plot
In the end credits of Deadpool 2 we see the red-clad antihero manipulating time to save his girlfriend, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), and possibly murder baby Hitler. His manipulation of the space-time continuum doesn’t go unnoticed and soon the Time Variance Authority comes to make him answer for his actions. In order to save his universe, and the lives of everybody he cares about, he’ll have to to team up with the infamous Wolverine and take on a foe more powerful than anything he’s ever encountered.
Deadpool & Wolverine review
There was a lot of pressure on Deadpool & Wolverine to steer the ship of the MCU through the choppy waters of its Multiverse Saga. When the Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox they gained the rights to a slew Marvel characters that had previously been out of reach. Among the most popular of those characters were Deadpool and Wolverine. The cinematic universe’s devotion to exploring the multiverse makes the addition of these characters to the sacred timeline simple on paper; however the question remained: how would the drastically different cinematic style of the Deadpool franchise fit into the realm of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?
For the most part, Deadpool & Wolverine is an uproarious success. Seeing Jackman and Reynolds share the screen while wearing comic-accurate costumes will undoubtedly live up to the high expectations set by fans. Their on-screen chemistry is perfect, their portrayals are iconic and their performances are genuinely fantastic. Jackman especially succeeds at bringing heartache and emotional depth to the surface while forcing audiences to feel something significant in-between the onslaught of never ending jokes.
I say with confidence that Deadpool & Wolverine is the funniest comic book movie ever made. Not every joke lands, but they’re thrown at such a rapid rate that the misses are barely noticed and the laughs rarely slow down. Reynolds demonstrates a true understanding of the demented mind of Deadpool. Over the course of three films he has perfected the blend of vulgar comedy, gratuitous violence and a surprising amount of impactful sentiment.
Shawn Levy proves himself capable of helming a major blockbuster. The direction is sharp, and the story is surprisingly successful at shifting between thematic elements while juggling a huge amount of fanservice. I don’t use the term “fan service” derogatorily, although it has a tendency of carrying a negative connotation. This is a movie that knows what its fans want and it sets out to deliver it on an epic scale. The cameos never feel unnecessary and never take away from the central dynamic of the titular characters and their central arc.
I am curious to see how the film holds up in the years to come. From an entertainment perspective it feels endlessly rewatchable (I’m already planning another visit to the theater to see it again). However, I suspect that in the future it might feel dated. It is a time capsule of a strange and specific transitional period in the MCU as it struggles to find its footing within the massive scope of a multiverse. On top of that, many of the jokes are relevant to events happening now, whether in the real world or in fiction.
Is Deadpool & Wolverine worth watching?
Deadpool & Wolverine is the most fun I’ve ever had in the theater. It’s not perfect, and is bogged down by exposition in moments; however, that’s simply a hurdle of this style of storytelling. Loki faced the same dilemma and equally succeeded at working past the exposition to present an entertaining story with significant stakes. This is a movie that does exactly what it should, and demands to be seen on a massive screen with a hyped up crowd. Go see this movie!
8/10
