To quote Deadpool himself, “I’m soaking wet right now”.
Being a Marvel fan is a 24/7 job. We’re always keeping up with the news and trailers, analyzing every detail, nitpicking every little thing and most importantly, clamouring for our fan dreams to come true. Well, the fans finally got their wish with Deadpool and Wolverine teaming up on the big screen. After years of anticipation, Deadpool & Wolverine not only lives up to the hype, it exceeds it. It’s made for Marvel fans but it is also a crowdpleaser for moviegoers everywhere. Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds were probably playing with their Marvel action figures when writing this because that’s exactly what it feels like. It’s the perfect summer blockbuster and Deadpool’s finest outing yet.
THIS REVIEW OF DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE IS SPOILER-FREE. ANYTHING TALKED ABOUT IN THIS REVIEW DOES NOT EXCEED WHAT WAS SHOWN IN THE TRAILERS
The stars of the show, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, came to play and didn’t disappoint. Reynolds is the main source of comedy relief, making crude jokes, breaking the fourth wall, and being unreasonably horny for nearly two and a half hours. His performance as the Merc with the Mouth in this film might be his best yet. After swearing to never play the character again after Logan, Jackman returns and thankfully, the character is handled with caution and care, allowing the 2017 masterpiece to stay intact while also giving fans what they want, and then some. However, the dynamic between the two actors is what shines here. Deadpool’s vulgar personality is the perfect companion to Wolverine’s gritty, hardened personality. They’re the Ying to each other’s Yang and it’s very believable, especially with how well the dialogue flows between the two actors. As good as Reynolds and Jackman are in this movie, Emma Corrin’s performance as the villainous Cassandra Nova shouldn’t go unnoticed. They might not get all the screentime they deserve but every time they are on the screen, the viewer is mesmerized by their treachery and cold, calculated and sometimes psychotic personality. The twin sister of Charles Xavier has always been a force to be reckoned with in the comics and there is no exception to this in this movie.
Many people will say Shawn Levy wasn’t the right director for this movie and to those people, I ask “Are you crazy?”. Shawn Levy has something that the Deadpool franchise hasn’t had for the first two films: A strong partnership with Ryan Reynolds. This is the third time the duo is partnering up in the last 5 years and not only is Levy directing Reynolds and Jackman wonderfully (this is also his third collaboration with Jackman), but Levy and Reynolds wrote the movie together. Levy has a great understanding of the Deadpool humor and really hams it up. His creativity with the camera shouldn’t go unnoticed either. The creative opening sequences in the Deadpool films have always been hallmarks of the franchise and Deadpool & Wolverine might be the funnest one yet. The pacing is tight, never going overboard on jokes and having no dry spells during its 128 minute runtime. Levy can direct the hell out of a movie and Deadpool & Wolverine might be some of his finest work yet.
Over the last few years, a major criticism of Marvel has been the over-reliance on cameos in the Multiverse Saga. I am happy to report that not only are all the cameos in this film fantastic, but they actually serve a purpose to the story and all get a fair amount of screen time. This movie feels like what people were hoping Multiverse of Madness would be and thankfully, the cameos and appearances are not there to cover up any flaws. Levy handles each character well, giving them their moment(s) in the spotlight.
Production wise, the film is absolutely massive and well designed. The Void set pieces are huge in scale and high in quality, and the use of practical sets are a very welcome choice. The main Void sequence in the trailers, where you can see things like the 20th Century Fox sign and the CN Tower destroyed, make for great set pieces and allow the film to fully embrace its multiversal ideas. The costumes, though, are where this film’s production value really shines bright. After 24 years, fans expected to see yellow spandex (if you know, you know) and Hugh Jackman FINALLY gets to don a comic accurate Wolverine costume. It’s exactly what you hoped and dreamed for, as we see every little detail, almost as if the comics were recreated to a tee in live-action. Seeing the yellow and blue finally donned was a dream come true and Deadpool’s costume is also a massive upgrade. I liked the gritty, red-burgundy, battle-worn costume from the Fox movies but the choice to use more vibrant red and a more streamlined look are very welcome and fit in perfectly with what this movie is accomplishing.
The script and plot are, frankly, simple. But that’s totally okay. The plot isn’t much to write home about and it’s more or less what you expect from this movie. However, I think that the multiverse concept is getting a little too confusing for mainstream audiences and unless you’re a hardcore comic-book fan like myself, it’s getting hard to keep up with the different ways the multiverse works. That being said, I do like the explanations in this movie as I think they’re actually fairly sensible and easier to understand than other concepts. What the movie lacks in a thin plot however, it makes up for by cranking up the R-rating to 100 and going all out, full throttle. The script for this film makes Deadpool & Wolverine far and away the raunchiest Deadpool film yet, with the film including multiple jokes about Deadpool’s sexual attraction to Wolverine, drugs, alcohol, and more. The fourth wall breaks and jabs at Kevin Feige had me grinning from ear to ear, start to finish, cackling and belly laughing the entire time. The Merc with the Mouth has never failed to make me laugh and he didn’t disappoint this time.
While the script and plot aren’t going to be getting any Oscars, I do want to mention something I love about the X-Men and Deadpool movies and that’s the theme of loss. In Deadpool, Wade loses his appearance and temporarily, his lease on life. in Deadpool II, he loses the love of his life and his will to live and in Deadpool & Wolverine, he has to prevent losing his world. Without spoiling too much, this theme extends to Logan in this movie as well and I appreciate the way that they integrate it into the character. It’s very touching at times and adds many layers and depth to a character like Deadpool, who isn’t exactly known for caring about the well-being of others or being afraid of losing much at all.
Deadpool & Wolverine is a triumph for comic-book fans everywhere and the must-see movie of 2024. It’s the shot of adrenaline the MCU needed and it breathes so much new life into the franchise. The Mutant Era in the MCU has finally begun and this is a glorious, proper introduction for them. Long live Deadpool, long live Wolverine!
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