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MOVIE REVIEW
'Deadpool & Wolverine Is An Hilariously Raunchy And Bloody - But Bittersweet - Farewell To The Fox Mutant Era
By Sal LoCicero | July 30, 2024
The merc with the mouth is back, after a rough few years with Disney and Fox, having no clue when - or if - he would ever appear on the big silver screen again. There has been no comic book movie in recent memory that has had so much weight over its shoulder - given the dire state that the MCU has put itself in. But luckily, Deadpool himself is more than fully aware of that.
Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool) has put his superhero persona at rest, trying to make a normal life for himself as a car salesman, but when the TVA assign him on a universe-threatening mission, Wade Wilson is forced to put on the red spandex one last time and search for a particular Mutant to help him save his friends.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is not here to save the MCU, as matter of fact, they couldn’t care less about helping redeem what Feige and the rest of the studio-heads have nearly destroyed. The goal for this (semi) third feature is to give a proper ending to the Fox mutant era, while welcoming in ‘The Mutant Saga’ (which was recently teased by Kevin Feige), and roasting the ever-loving sh!t out of Marvel Studios.
Even though Disney bought Fox, making ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ the first ever R-rated movie to come out of the MCU, there is (almost) nothing that is held back. From crass and witty jokes to blood-gushing violence, this is what a Deadpool movie truly is.
Ryan Reynolds is just as great in this role as he was in the previous movies. He is still cracking meta gags and breaking the fourth wall as always. Hugh Jackman is fantastic as Wolverine, while not as groundbreaking as his performance in ‘Logan’ (2017) - but one truly has to ask how he could’ve topped that - Jackman gives the most comic book accurate appearance and rages like crazy as Deadpool continues to get on his nerves. Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova is actually good, though the character does not nearly stand out as much as the rest of the cast.
There have been three different directors for each Deadpool film. Tim Miller for ‘Deadpool’ (2016), David Leitch for ‘Deadpool 2’ (2018), and now Shawn Levy for this. Levy’s filmography is very hit and miss, but he has been in the business for a long time. His directing here is probably the best it has ever been, after coming off of the action-comedy film ‘Free Guy’ (2021) - also starring Ryan Reynolds - his skills are improving. There are six writers attached to this project, if this were any other movie that number would be concerning, however, with this, it makes the most sense. Reynolds has writing (and producing) credit, so more than likely he was given the final say.
Given that Fox no longer exists, there are a few changes that were made to this feature. Unfortunately, the funny opening credits montage has been replaced with real credits, and it’s disappointing since the first two films were not afraid to call many people out, especially in the second one. The story is centered around the multiverse timeline, but this just so happens to also be a Deadpool movie, many of the side characters who were introduced in ‘Deadpool 2’ are either given less than five minutes of screen time, or are not shown nor mentioned at all. Rob Delaney’s Peter may have stolen the entire show in the sequel, however his character feels overused for comedy and fan service. After ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019), Marvel has had plenty of difficulty managing realistic CGI, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is no exception. A few scenes are completely noticeable and make the shots look even more bizarre than it already is.
Nowadays, for this cinematic universe, surprise cameos are beginning to get tiresome. Fans were stoked to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfeld, as well as many of the infamous super villains from Rami’s trilogy and Webb’s movies, in ‘No Way Home’ (2021). The Illuminati scene from ‘Multiverse of Madness’ (2022) gave audiences John Krasinski as Reed Richards, and a few other new faces - which were an incredible miss. So, another movie that deals with multiverse timelines and is expected to feature (possibly) familiar characters, what’s so special this time around? Yes, there are unexpected cameos, but the movie never pours out an overabundance of them just to make up for lazy storytelling. The writing is smart, and those behind the camera know how to do it right.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ cannot determine the future for the MCU, but it is not here to do that. It accomplishes continuing what Fox worked on for almost two full decades, and it is nothing short of bittersweet (and may tickle your heart). Seeing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool on screen together is a blast, it is what most fans and audiences want to see, and it is a promise that paid off.
Grade: B+
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