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After Disney’s acquisition of Fox, Deadpool was in an interesting place. Part of Fox’s X-Men universe, the third installment of the hit Deadpool franchise could now be folded into the MCU. Directed by Shawn Levy (Free Guy), Deadpool & Wolverine is the film that was poised to be Deadpool’s big MCU coming out party, and while it does fit that bill, it also happens to be an entertaining, funny, action-packed love letter to the Fox Marvel films.
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) returns as the fan-favorite titular anti-hero, while Hugh Jackman (X-Men) returns as the Wolverine. The film follows Wade Wilson/Deadpool as he’s pulled out of his universe by the Time Variance Authority. He discovers a threat will end his world, so he teams up with a variant of Wolverine to stop it. This variant comes from a world where he let the X-Men down, and he isn’t looked upon as favorably as the one from Logan who sacrificed himself for Laura/X-23. Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) and Emma Corrin (The Crown) join Reynolds and Jackman in this entry.
Deadpool & Wolverine Has a Story… Right?
The biggest issue with the film’s story is that it’s the third Deadpool movie about Wade getting Vanessa back. She’s kidnapped in the first film, killed in the second, and now he’s trying to get back together with her after they broke up. While Deadpool & Wolverine is far more interested in focusing on Wilson’s much-needed self-improvement, it does boil down to the character wanting to get back together with his girlfriend. However, Deadpool embarks on his quest because he wants to be a better man and to mean something, which works as an engaging motivation.
Logan’s side of the story is a little different, as he spends most of the film disengaged and gruff, which is a Wolverine we’re used to. How Deadpool & Wolverine separates itself from any of Jackman’s prior experiences, is in how he looks and moves how the comic book version of the character would look and move. One element of the film that is a massive plus, is that most of the characters look like their comic book counterparts and don’t look goofy on screen. Wolverine and some redacted cameo appearances look terrific and should make hardcore fans very happy.
But, the costume design isn’t enough to distract from the very thin story. Deadpool & Wolverine is structured to support cameo appearances. Every new location visited comes with some unexpected characters, and it feels like the only reason the film changes locations is that it needs to introduce them to make the fans happy. There are no strong narrative reasons behind where the film goes. Yet, that is very in line with Deadpool as a character.
New Mutants
Even though the story is a little repetitive and barely present, the villain is an interesting one. Corrin’s Cassandra Nova rules the Void, with some mutants from prior X-Men movies serving her. Nova is Professor X’s twin sister and she has similar telepathic abilities. While she has the thinnest story arc, her powers are at least visually interesting. We’ve seen telepathic abilities before, but it’s never as interesting as a character physically reaching into another’s mind. Corrin is good as Nova, portraying the unhinged, unchecked mutant well, but they are never given too much to do.
Similarly, Macfadyen is good as the TVA’s Paradox, even though he’s mostly Mr. Exposition. He gives a few monologues some pompous energy while also channeling the cowardly expressions people have come to expect from him after Succession. Reynolds gives a tremendous comedic performance as Deadpool, carrying the film, while after two decades of playing the character, Jackman has his part nailed down. Although he is a little one-note in the film, his more emotional beats don’t rise to the highs of some of his earlier performances.
Most of Deadpool & Wolverine follows the titular pair in their back-and-forths, occasionally accompanied by a cameo or two. The buddy comedy aspect is what makes the film thoroughly enjoyable. Deadpool is riffing constantly, making meta-commentary on the Fox deal, the state of the MCU, the actors themselves, and the Wolverine isn’t tolerating his antics. Because of the sheer amount of jokes, some might not land with you but you should laugh your way through the movie. Whether it’s wordplay, visual gags, meta-commentary, or something on the raunchier side, there should be something for everyone.
Real Adamantium
It is an action comedy, and it fires on both fronts. The action sequences in Deadpool & Wolverine are superb, and they usually come with a side of comedy as well. The opening credits play over an action sequence that is smooth, well-choreographed, funny, and accompanied by *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”. Most of the action sequences are accompanied by licensed tracks that make them funnier, but that doesn’t detract from how great they look; the songs only improve them.
Even though the action scenes look great, there is occasionally a smoothness to them and to the film in general. Some of the film is also quite barren, and not too visually interesting. Even though the plot calls for a barren wasteland, it could have been spruced up a little. With that being said, most of the film looks great, and that’s mostly because of how well the costumes and sets are designed. The outfits of the main characters – and some others – aren’t muted, they pop in their scenes.
Usually, superhero movies succeed by having a mix of great villains, reasonable stakes, and a whole lot of heart. Deadpool & Wolverine thankfully has some heart, as Wilson is dealing with a very relatable problem. As for Wolverine, his storyline is a half-baked version of Old Man Logan, so there’s a little heart there even if it is repetitive. The stakes are there even if you don’t care for them, and the villains are good albeit barely in the movie.
Deadpool & Wolverine Kill The Fox Universe
Deadpool & Wolverine is a superhero film with many problems. But, many of those problems wash away because of how much fun it is. There have been many Marvel movies and many superhero movies. But, I can’t remember the last time I watched one and had as giddy an experience as I had here. I think it’s the best of the Deadpool trilogy. The film pokes fun at so much that you can’t – and probably shouldn’t – take it too seriously.
Filled with fantastic action sequences and some great humor, Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t just one of the better recent MCU films, but it’s also one of the best films with characters from the Fox X-Men Universe. It is quite light on story, with rough visuals at times, and undercooked villains, but if you’re a Marvel fan or a fan of the X-Men films you should have a fantastic time. If you do care about spoilers, you should probably see this as soon as you can because Marvel managed to keep many surprises under wraps.
You can catch Deadpool & Wolverine when it slices into theaters on July 26, 2024.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is a hilarious action-packed spectacle that doesn’t let a weak story or underwritten villains get in the way of a great time.
Pros
- Devilishly funny, with an over-the-top joke count.
- Good to great comedic performances, especially from some of the cameo appearances.
- Fantastic bloody action sequences, set to great licensed tracks.
Cons
- The story is quite basic and repetitive.
- Some of the visuals look quite rough.
- While the villains are great, they are extremely underwritten.
