Deadpool and Wolverine [credit: Marvel Studios]
It’s been six years since we last saw the fan-favorite, foul-mouthed mercenary. After two consecutive hit films, anticipation was naturally high for the next installment, especially when it was announced that Ryan Reynolds would be based in the MCU and that Hugh Jackman would return as the one and only Wolverine. This was Marvel’s only feature film to be released this year, and so expectations were at an all-time high. Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for for so long has finally arrived.
First of all, this movie has a lot going for it. It’s an underwhelming experience, to say the least. The stakes are high, and that’s established pretty early on. Anyone expecting a light, light-hearted, easy-to-follow buddy comedy will be disappointed. This movie is none of those things. Let’s start with Ryan Reynolds, the foul-mouthed mercenary. In addition to starring, he also co-wrote and produced the film. He was certainly at the center of all the decisions, and he made a lot of great choices, both in terms of business and fan satisfaction. We’ll talk about the business and fan service aspects later, but his performance is as crazy as you’d expect. He’s got charm, style and movement (action and dance), and most importantly, he’s very funny for the most part.
As far as heroes go, most of us have seen Logan/Wolverine as the brightest star in the galaxy. He’s arguably the best part of this movie. Many of us thought we’d never see the grumpy, old, clawed warrior again. Logan (2017), but at 55 years old, he still gives us a glimpse of perhaps the most popular comic book character in the history of cinema. His physique is intimidating and it feels as though he never stopped playing Wolverine. He’s just as fierce and angry as ever, and just as brutal in the fight scenes. His fight with Deadpool is really cool and well done. Hugh also does most of the emotional heavy lifting here.
Deadpool and Wolverine [credit: Marvel Studios]
As for the rest of the cast, Matthew Macfadyen does a good job with the role he’s given, as does Emma Corrin. Rob Delaney has some good scenes as Peter, but there are no other outstanding performances. Meanwhile, some characters, especially fan favorites like Yukio, Blind Al, and Dopinder, are completely wasted. They are given very little screen time and feel unfairly relegated to supporting roles in this film. Vanessa is given a little screen time and her time on screen is justified in the story, but there was plenty of room for the other characters. TJ Miller, another really fun character, doesn’t even appear in the film.
The most frustrating thing about Deadpool and Wolverine is the writing. Nobody expected this to be a great and memorable story, but I was hoping for a decent story full of heart and emotion, especially when Logan comes on the scene. Structurally it’s messy and sometimes it’s hard to follow the exposition. Some characters appear out of nowhere and ruin the flow of the movie for cheap gags. Also, the story lacks any real heart or emotion, despite having very high stakes. The writers could have explored the bromance between the two leads more deeply, but they failed to do so, which limits the level of chemistry between the two actors. It’s not bad, but it never lives up to its true potential.
The film has a relatively decent runtime, clocking in at just over two hours, but its relentless pacing sometimes becomes its own worst enemy. There’s never enough room or time for storylines to unfold properly, much less develop and establish characters in the first place. This prevents the characters of Cassandra Nova and Mr. Paradox from being interesting or scary, and it doesn’t take full advantage of the range of acting talents of two incredible actors, Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen. And while fans expect great villains to hate in modern superhero movies, Cassandra Nova is largely underdeveloped, coming off as more forgettable than formidable.
Deadpool and Wolverine [credit: Marvel Studios]
This movie is Deadpool and Wolverineit still feels like a Deadpool movie, but not without Logan’s presence. It would have been a completely different conversation if he wasn’t there, but thankfully he is and he lives up to the hype. Another thing I noticed is that all Deadpool movies suffer from a common problem of starting off with a bang and then tapering off. I definitely liked the first half a lot more than the second, but that’s mainly due to a weak third act. The movie goes completely off the rails in the climax. The main interest of this movie seems to be in fan service, rather than tying up all the knots and wrapping up the story with a warm impact.
For me, it’s Shawn Levy’s fault. I love him as a director, but he’s very reserved in his direction here, and it seems like he’s afraid to show his strength. Sure, there’s a lot of cool action in this movie, and the VFX are great, but they could have done more. His inexperience with R-rated content was obvious here. Speaking of the action, it was mostly cool and very stylish. But (minor spoiler) 90% of the fight scenes are between Logan and Wade. I didn’t come to see this movie for that. That was already there in X-Men Origins. In the end, I think this movie struggles to deal with the pressure of being in the MCU. It has to be a good MCU movie, not just a good Deadpool movie, but it comes with challenges. The writers adapt to a new environment and try to fit all the tools at their disposal, but that only made the script more messy in the larger context.
But that aside, another thing that was promised to the audience in this movie is the cameos. And there are a lot of them. The cameos definitely live up to expectations and maybe even exceed some people’s expectations. I can imagine people screaming at the cameos in the cinema. Most of the cameos are well integrated into the story. They don’t interfere with the tone or atmosphere of the storytelling and are made to fit the Deadpool brand and the R rating. The R rating is well used considering this is Marvel’s first foray into the R rating, but don’t expect too much gore, although the movie is full of violence and gore. Expect a lot of swearing and adult jokes.
Deadpool and Wolverine [credit: Marvel Studios]
Deadpool and Wolverine is a true multiverse of madness that offers a ton of mindless fun, but ultimately gets lost under the weight of being part of the MCU. This third film delivers all the violence, vulgarity, and needle drops you’d expect from a Deadpool movie. It brings fresh energy to the MCU and pays homage to the X-Men with Hugh Jackman at the center. It’s a truly unrelenting R-rated romp for the most part, but the convoluted script also lacks the warmth and emotion that makes you want to see more of these characters. But it’s still an entertaining movie experience thanks to a great soundtrack, a ton of great cameos, and almost nonstop meta-commentary.
Deadpool and Wolverine will be in cinemas in July 26.
