So much has happened since Deadpool last disgraced the silver screen. In the past 6 years, Disney bought Fox and its film franchises, finally giving them the chance to bring the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to the MCU. However, it’s been five years since the MCU has arguably withered away in popularity.
So, there’s no better time to bring in a firework, right?
Deadpool and Wolverine introduces these two characters to this cinematic universe in complicated multiversal ways. Without giving spoilers away, Deadpool gets a new purpose and knows that he can’t do it without recruiting the one and only Wolverine.
This is the shot in the arm that the MCU needs. And it doubles down by being a shot in the other arm, and both legs. The Deadpool franchise has been nothing, if not full of excess. And now that he gets a full playground of Marvel/Disney and Marvel/Fox, he gleefully skips in that playground.
The fans that have seen the 84 MCU movies 11 times over, along with the Deadpool comic fans will devour this movie. It is full of Easter eggs, both subtle and overt. Okay, actually just overt. This movie does very little quietly (except for the sound mixing).
General audiences who have grown tired of the same old comic book movie formula will look beyond the tropes because of the action and the return of Hugh Jackman. This is also the only major super hero flick (sit down Sony) releasing this year, so it almost feels welcome.
Hugh Jackman is, by far, the reason this movie is as good as it is. I was annoyed that they’d continue his story beyond 2017’s Logan, but the explanation for it works. It’s still unneccessary outside of the nostalgia, but Jackman still owns this role.
The script on the other hand is shallow and often falls flat. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny riffs on specific actor’s personal lives and the state of Disney, but it feels like a product of the writers strike. Though you should never fear, if the dialogue feels hollow, a surprise cameo will save the day and bring approximately 47 seconds of happiness.
Ryan Reynolds is as good as the tolerance you have left for his antics. His loudmouth movie-quoting roommate demeanor has its moments here. But, the humor gets stale very quickly.
The villain, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) is memorable especially with her ties into the X-Men franchise. Though, with all the danger she presents to our two heroes, her big evil moment at the end feels like the product of a scheduling conflict.
The flaws of this shiny nostalgic casserole will be glossed over because of the over-the-top action scenes. They’re mostly a blast to watch and what the movie seems to be reverse engineered from.
The soundtrack is incredibly fitting, but also the movie’s biggest crutch. If the movie drags for a minute, the needle drops with a nostalgic top 40 hit of the past leading into a big bloody battle. It’s a gimmick that will work for immediate entertainment, but is a zombified trope at this point.
Fans of the MCU so far will have to consider if the R rating will get in the way of their enjoyment. This isn’t a movie to bring your kids to. The F bombs, the gore, and crass jokes fill every open space in the script and on the screen. Though, audiences who love shock value will eat it up.
Deadpool and Wolverine is a decent Marvel movie. If you compare it to the past five years of super flicks, it’s even good. It has a lot of surprises and inside jokes that super hero fans will love, but also may not age well. The script is largely bland, and Ryan Reynolds is as loud as ever, but Hugh Jackman’s new take on the Wolverine brings this home. I don’t want to see any more mulitverse movies, but the playground created in this movie is enjoyable. You just may forget about each scene as soon as you leave the theater. C+
Comments are closed.