by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Deadpool is back, and all it took to get me hooked was a good, old-fashioned opening credits ass-kicking.
To be fair, I might be a bit biased here. I know there are people for whom the Ryan Reynolds schtick is getting old. I’m just not there yet. I’m entertained, and the third time around in Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s still working for me. The fourth wall-breaking works for me (for the most part), and for this movie in particular, it is used to waste no time in addressing the two major elephants in the room.
- He’s a Disney baby now! The faux pearl clutching at, “Look! We’re doing this in a Disney movie!” jokes were more hit than miss, though it did get a little old — particularly when Disney+ itself is now a big conglomerate where you can get your family-friendly princess movies with a side of TV-MA FX on Hulu content. As far as he MCU commentary, despite having the weakest cameo, I did enjoy the jokes had at their expense. In particular, the poking fun at the mixed results of relying on the multiverse trope was particularly effective. Which transitions nicely into…
- “But what about Logan?! The ending was so perfect and, this movie is totally going to ruin it! Just like Disney ruins Star Wars and Marvel and…” To be fair, this was never a real concern I had. It’s been something they’ve been addressing since the project was announced, and if a character screams, “Don’t worry about it, we’re just having fun here,” it’s Deadpool. The way it’s addressed right off the bat is chef’s kiss perfect.
Getting into the story, it very generally follows Deadpool in a midlife crisis as he enlists a depressed Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to help him save his universe. If I’m honest, though, whatever the “story” is largely takes a back seat to the overall insanity and getting to see these two collab. Much like the Reynolds schtick, the “rivalry” between Reynolds and Jackman has been a long-running gag, but one I have yet to tire of. The interactions between the two characters deliver on the promise that was the reason fans were so excited upon the announcement. The nonstop chatter of Deadpool, paired with the gruff persona of Wolverine, is a classic combo that works again here. There’s a good mix of jokes that works really well. When the characters dive into their trauma, it allows for some pathos, too, that sees varying degrees of success. Both these actors know how to play their characters to perfection, and with the responsibility of carrying the movie largely on their shoulders, it works because of that.
Which brings me to a point worth noting — this is very much what the title suggests: a Deadpool and Wolverine movie. So if you’re looking for more from characters you’ve grown to love from the first two Deadpool proper movies, they don’t have much to do here.
When it comes to our main antagonists, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova was a casting that excited and intrigued me. To this point, they’ve largely been sequestered in prestige television and indie films, so I was excited to see what they could do in a blockbuster. Though neither their best work, nor a great villain, I do think they’re able to add some complexity with her performance that keeps it from being forgettable. The character’s power set also allows for some trippy visuals that I quite enjoyed. Their secondary counterpart, Paradox (Matthew MacFadyen), was one of the things that didn’t work quite as well for me. Both Prime and Corrin’s performance were more interesting to me, whereas both the character of Paradox and MacFayden’s performance are more one-note.
As you might expect from a Deadpool movie that’s been given license to play in a giant toy box, thanks both to mergers and multiverses, there are cameos galore (so stay off the IMDb or Letterboxd page). In addition to giving us a glimpse of many different Wolverines, there’s a fair share of other comic cameos that I will let you discover for yourself. What I will say, though, is I was pleased with the direction some of them went. There were a couple of surprising zags that flipped the initial expectation.
As I alluded to up front, the opening sequence is a real highlight. Though there are plenty of laugh lines and gruesome moments that worked for me and the rest of the audience watching alongside me, the standout moments (three of them) are all massive fights set to backing music. As the moments where the film and its action set pieces are giving maximum effort, it’s where the true insanity really gets to shine. Though, I enjoyed immensely what the credits had to offer, too.
Overall, I think your enjoyment of this movie is directly tied to how much more you want to see of these characters. It doesn’t quite capture the highs of either’s best outings, and it is a little uneven at times. However, if you’re open to enjoying more of our two leads, I think you’d be hard-pressed not to have a good time.
It also gets me excited for future, both in regards to what possibilities it teases and seemingly doesn’t. If the branches hinted at are ones we get more of, Deadpool & Wolverine has me hyped for more adventures for our favorite Merc with a Mouth and beyond.
Rating: Liked It
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd