Deadpool and Wolverine
It’s no secret that the MCU has been a hallow shell of what it used to be in 2019 after Endgame was released and changed the way we viewed superhero films. Between multiple lackluster TV series on Disney+, to absolute box office disasters such as The Marvels, many fans were unsure if they would ever be able to recapture that magic they once had – myself included.
To be honest, aside from Loki and WandaVision, there really hadn’t been much to care about when it came to those characters from the previous phases. But our cries for more quality over quantity were not ignored by Marvel, and soon we learned that Fox was purchased by Disney, releasing a threshold of new (but old) characters to the MCU’s disposal, including the infamous Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool.
My biggest fear was because Marvel focuses on making their movies more accessible and more kid-friendly, they would eventually use Deadpool, but tone him down. This was definitely NOT the case. Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy left no stone unturned and gave us a great film, delivering copious amounts of fan service for characters that had either been forgotten about, treated poorly (or at least used incorrectly by former studios), and others that never got a chance to even see the light of day. Deadpool and Wolverine was a bloody great time, and though it entertains, there are inevitable flaws within this action-packed fanfare.
If you’re one of the few that hasn’t seen it just yet, here is your final warning: SPOILER ALERT!
The film follows Wade Wilson, also known by his anti-hero name, Deadpool as he is trying to find his new purpose in life as being the crazy, ultra-violent antihero has not boded well for his personal life, namely his relationship. After failing during his interview with Happy Hogan to be an Avenger, he decides to take up selling cars in order to live a life of purpose, or at least prove that he can, in fact, be good at something. During a surprise birthday party thrown by his friend Peter (We love Peter), the TVA shows up and kidnaps Wade, putting him face-to-face with Mr. Paradox. Paradox tells Wade that his current world is on the verge of being erased due to their “anchor being” dying, who is in fact, Logan, or Wolverine. Paradox offers Wade a deal, explaining that he is now needed on the sacred timeline, potentially giving him a grand purpose, but forcing him to leave his old life behind. Determined to have both, Wade sets off on a multiverse journey, looking for another Wolverine that can replace the dead one, ultimately saving his universe and fixing the timeline.
Let’s start off with the positive aspects of this film, and believe me, there are A LOT. First off, this film is entertaining throughout. I think there may have been 1-2 scenes that were dragged out a little too long (at one point, Deadpool breaks the 4th wall and makes note of that), but I felt that it paces well. I also think that it finds a good balance between action, sentiment, and comedy.
Ryan Reynolds does his thing as Deadpool as it is hard to think of anyone else that can play that role as well as he can. I felt that it was interesting to finally see a more serious tone from him, much more than we get in the other two films. Though he plays the role well, I will get to a few pieces that I wasn’t fond of later.
Hugh Jackman, too, returns to his role as Wolverine as if he had never left it. Personally, this has to be one of my favorite films of his as Wolverine, obviously still coming in behind Logan (2017). I was also a fan of all the different ways we get to see him as Deadpool searches the infinite multiverses looking for him. From the mini-me version to the crucified version, I was happy to see Levy stay true to the various ways Wolverine is depicted in the original comics. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist, though it must be noted that there was one variant of Wolverine NOT played by Jackman, but played by Henry Cavill, who Wade humorously names “Cavillrine”. Jackman is definitely nearing an ending point of his tenure as Wolverine, though hopefully not anytime soon. I felt like this was a small hint that when that time does come, Cavill may be the next to play Logan. Again, I could be way off, but what else could that have meant?
On the topic of variants, the cameos couldn’t have been better in this film. Levy and Reynolds did a fantastic job incorporating these into the main story line, and seeing Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Blade (Wesley Snipes), The Human Torch (Chris Evans), and even Gambit (Channing Tatum), was a nod to these characters who may have been forgotten throughout the years. We obviously see quite a few X-Men cameos from Pyro, Sabretooth, and more as Wolverine and Deadpool are from that lot, it was cool to see a good chunk of the original actors reprise their roles. If Deadpool and Wolverine does anything right, it’s fan service is top-notch.
As this film is packed with fan service, comedy, action, and nostalgia, it does have it’s flaws unfortunately. One of the biggest issues I had was with the villain of the film, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). I get why her character is in The Void and I understand her significance but choosing her as the main villain was very…eh. I personally couldn’t read her and her role in the film just didn’t sit well with me. Yes, her acting was decent, and she played the role okay, but with a movie of that magnitude, there had to be a bigger villain they could have chosen. She comes off more of a whiny and jealous brat than that of a threatening villain.
My next flaw may only be mine, but for some reason, Reynolds almost did “too much” in some scenes with his remarks and jokes. Was it because I wanted to get to the story and the main arc of the film? Maybe. Was it because I was more invested in Wolverine and some of the other characters and cameos? Also, maybe. For some reason, there were some scenes and some dialogue that just came off annoying. For the majority of the film, Deadpool’s one-liners and smart-ass remarks hit and were well-timed. Others seemed like overkill. Again, I know this is the character and I should have expected this, but at the same time, I felt like this was a bit much at times. I would have preferred to let some of the other characters breathe and let their moments shine without so much satire.
Another that could just be special to me, but I felt that with the buzz and magnitude of this film, we could have gotten a few bigger X-Men cameos. I would have loved to see Cyclops, Professor X, Mystique, or even Magneto, though budget had to be a reason why we didn’t (Deadpool of course talks about that), but I also feel that is just me being selfish and wanting more. Nonetheless, the cameos and characters were great – I think it is just me wishing we got more.
The last flaw is minor, and though I mentioned the story flows well, I felt that it gets choppy at points, especially in the final act. Cassandra’s character seems to be finished as she allows Deadpool and Wolverine to leave The Void, then suddenly jumps back into the story? Why? I get that it set up a great ending and all, and maybe that was the only way to tie it together, but it just seemed like it came from left field and didn’t flow naturally. Could also be because I was not a fan of Nova.
At the end of the day, this movie knows what it is and though it has its fair share of issues, it still is such a fun watch that I am 100% going to see twice in theaters. If you’re a fan of Marvel and have long missed our beloved X-Men characters and others from the Fox-Marvel Universe, this film will definitely have you feeling nostalgic from the early X-Men days, as well as other Marvel films. I had a blast watching it, the action was great, the comedy was downright hilarious, and as a lover of superhero films, I accept the flaws and love this film for what it gives us best: FAN SERVICE!
4.4/5