'Deadpool & Wolverine' Is A Whimsical Step Back on the Right Track for the MCU
Ready those claws because Deadpool & Wolverine is ready to slash its way to your screen. The trilogy's ending is a thrilling conclusion to a story loaded with cameos that can pander to comic book fans, but who cares if it does as it works for the film. The beauty of the Deadpool movies is his ability to break the fourth wall. A friend of mine from way back wasn't fond of Deadpool's style. He felt like it was cheating by addressing the audience directly. Yet that's Deadpool's character. He's a fourth wall-breaking smart aleck who's an anti-hero.
As goofy as Deadpool & Wolverine is, it has a central theme that gives it some soul. The story of D&W is about men who are lost, trying to find a purpose in their lives. For Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), he doesn't just want to be an assassin. He wants to be part of a greater team that thrives to protect people, a little bit like the Avengers and the X-Men. Sadly, Deadpool doesn't cut it. He's not morally the best hero. He kills with glee. In fact, everyone in this film kills with joy. Usually, for a film, that would be inappropriate. If the tone isn't right, the picture could morally slide into Zack Snyder's territory.
Luckily, this film knows exactly what it is and how to play up its genre. Deadpool & Wolverine is a satire. Its jabs at 20th Century Fox being purchased by Disney are hilarious. There's even a destroyed 20th Century Fox slogan resting in a cold desert where Deadpool and Wolverine are fighting in one sequence. The luxury of making a satire is that you can go to a lot of places where you don't have to worry about breaking canon. Yet this film is more than just a joke. It goes out of its way not to break canon.
From the start of the picture, the movie opens with the Marvel Studios opening logo, letting the viewer know that this Deadpool film is part of the Disney family. Disney is no longer rated G. They had to branch out. Disney makes a huge reach, dipping their toes in an unapologetically R-rated movie. Deadpool & Wolverine might be the most gory and vile Deadpool film to date. And God bless it for it. The fun in Deadpool is how raunchy it is. It's not your typical superhero film, nor is it dumb. The humor is clever and biting. It goes for some cheap nut-shot jokes, but there's great stuff in between that's more than just gratuitous violence and cheap puns.
Ryan Reynolds is a joy as Deadpool. He encompasses the sarcasm and motormouthed quips that only Reynolds can deliver with such cheer. Deadpool isn't a good guy, but we like him because he's so charming. He might be killing hundreds of dudes, but he's being funny while he does it. The action is fantastic, mostly thanks to popular tracks mixed with slow motion and spectacular stunts. When tracks like "Bye Bye Bye" from NScync or "Like A Prayer" from Madonna play while people are being chopped to bits, I can't help but feel giddy. I haven't even mentioned the choreography yet, which is a stunner. The long takes given on some action sequences deliver some of the best action sequences I've ever seen in a comic book film.
The main draw of the film, aside from Deadpool, is Wolverine. Hugh Jackman returns to his role after a seven-year retirement from the character. Does Hugh still have it? Absolutely, he does. Hugh is still jacked. For the first half of the movie, Jackman sports the yellow spandex classic outfit we know from the 90s X-Men TV series. With the sleeves on covering his muscles as if there's something to hide. In the second half of the movie, the sleeves come off, revealing Jackman's massive guns, showing there's nothing to hide.
For a role like Wolverine, physique is a major factor of the character. It has been in the comics and the cartoons. Jackman has always fit the bill. That amount of exercise he must do is an extraordinary feat that will hopefully not cause any negative long-term effects to Jackman's body. Beyond his physicality, Jackman doesn't hold back on his emotions. His rage is primordial, and his softness is profound. Not many actors can act with the range Jackman has. He can produce tears at a moment's notice and scare the daylights out of you the next. Plus, he can sing!
The usage of Logan (AKA Wolverine) isn't wasted in the film. He's not just a useless plot device. He's a character who wants to seek redemption for a mistake he made a long time ago. He's the familiar alcoholic Wolverine we saw in James Mangold's Logan. Fortunately for Logan, Deadpool needs him to save his universe. Inserting its foot stamp firmly in place, Disney sprinkles in some time-traveling techniques tied to one of their MCU shows that now connects to Deadpool & Wolverine.
If I sound vague in my review, it's because it's hard to talk about this film without spoiling it. The trailers have spoiled some things already, but you have no idea how far the surprises go. To the grace of the screenwriters and director, the cameos are more than just underused surprise reveals, unlike Dr. Strange and The Multiverse of Madness. Some may call the surprise roles wish fulfillment casting. I call it a good use of screenwriting and IP. Deadpool & Wolverine is now part of the MCU. It isn't just cameo porn. Yes, there are cameos, but they fit the story. For a Deadpool film, it's a stuffed story. There's a lot of characters in this film. Yet, it never feels overcrowded. Wolverine doesn't show up until a good twenty minutes into the film. That's okay because the film is building its narrative around Deadpool first.
By taking its time with each character, Deadpool and Wolverine doesn't feel like the rushed cameo-reliant mess it could have been. It's a sincere dig at a major conglomerate takeover in which Disney allows a good chuckle at themselves while filling their CEO's swimming pools with cash. Deadpool & Wolverine might be my favorite comedy of the year. There wasn't a joke that fell flat, nor a gag that dragged. It's filled with blood, explosions, surprises, world-building, heart, and soul, making it one of the funniest movies of the year and a step in the right direction for the MCU.
