Movie Review: ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, which hits theaters on July 26, is directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen and Morena Baccarin.

Movie Review: ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

As we all know, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a tough time in recent years. Some half-baked movies and TV shows, a lack of direction, and a general malaise have plagued the most successful film franchise in history ever since ‘Avengers: Endgame’ ended the Infinity Saga in climax form. That’s why the MCU needed a “God’s perfect idiot” to help it stand on its feet again in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine.’

The long-awaited integration of the Fox universe of Marvel movies – including characters like the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil and of course Deadpool – has finally begun in earnest, nearly five years and some intriguing hints after Disney bought Fox and brought most of those Marvel characters under their roof. Who better to take over than the Merc with a mouth full of filth, with a dirtier mouth than ever and his ability to make you laugh out loud at extreme violence and wildly dirty jokes remains as intact and R-rated as ever.

And who better to join Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) in this effort to save the MCU than Wolverine, who is still dead (at least in one universe) since 2017, but alive and well in the form of Hugh Jackman, whose retirement from the role and return to it (“We’ll let you do this until you’re 90”) is constantly mocked through ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’.

This movie not only serves as a quick kick to re-energize the MCU, but, somewhat surprisingly, also serves as a genuine tribute to all those Fox movies and even some of the non-Fox entries in the Marvel pantheon. However, it wouldn’t work if we didn’t care about these characters, and there’s no doubt that Reynolds and Jackman nailed that with their twisted buddy-cop chemistry, as well as the inner torment of their characters.

Story and Direction

Like its two predecessors, ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ is pretty thin on story, and what there is doesn’t always land well. Rejected by the Avengers, retired from superhero work and still yearning to make himself important to the world and especially to estranged girlfriend Vanessa (an underused Morena Baccarin), Wade Wilson finds himself kidnapped by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), an agent of the Time Variance Authority, who informs Wade that even though he is special and chosen to live, the rest of his timeline – and all of his loved ones – will soon cease to exist because it has lost its “anchor entity.”

That “anchor being” is Logan/Wolverine, who died in Wade’s universe at the end of the 2017 film ‘Logan,’ but whose departure signals the end of that corner of the multiverse. So Wade steals Paradox’s time-hopping device and sets out in search of a replacement Wolverine – but ends up finding the most disappointing version of Logan, a Wolverine who failed miserably at performing his superhero duties in his own universe.

Tired of them both and eager to get his “Time Ripper” machine up to speed, Paradox sends Deadpool and a disgruntled, angry Wolverine into the Void at the end of time – where their attempts to get back to the TVA and set things right are hampered by a new threat: Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), who rules over the wastes of the Void and has no intention of letting Wade and Logan escape.

As the story progresses – in a series of twists that don’t always make sense – a certain rinse-and-repeat cycle sets in. Wolverine and Deadpool verbally clash, insulting each other (Deadpool cracks one inappropriate sex joke after another or takes aim at the Disney/Fox merger, the MCU’s weaknesses (“Welcome… you’re reaching a low point,” he tells Wolverine at one point), targeting his or Hugh Jackman’s own careers, or all three at once. This inevitably culminates in a violent, shockingly gruesome fight between the two, with the fight eventually involving both Cassandra’s henchmen and another army of variants,

Director Shawn Levy, with whom Reynolds apparently plans to work for the rest of his life, handles all of this skillfully. The fights are particularly heartwarming early on, even as they start to get tiresome; the dirty back-and-forth – there’s a lot of “fuck” in this movie – moves along breathlessly (in fact we would have liked to catch a few more lines), and though the film’s energy wanes, especially in the second half, Levy always manages to keep the pedal to the metal. The film looks bright and clear, with the digital FX here smoother than ever, though sometimes erratic.

However, the most important part of it all – apart from the mind-melting cameos that will elicit rounds of amazement and stunned laughter from Marvel fans (as well as some confusion from non-fanatics) – is the relationship between Logan and Wade. Even though their dynamic can get repetitive, the film gradually exposes the deep pain that both men – both mutants, both outsiders – hold in their hearts. It’s a tribute to the actors, certain aspects of the script (on which Reynolds and Levy worked with regular ‘Deadpool’ writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as well as Zeb Wells) that these two beloved characters can still shine and make us care about their fates, dilemmas and brotherhood.

the cast

Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool well, and even though he gets a little annoying after two hours, his offbeat ideas, silly jokes, fourth wall breaks and innocently vulgar observations make him fun to watch and listen to. The emptiness of Deadpool’s mask somehow makes it even funnier. But this is an even more emotional take on Wade Wilson, with more at stake than ever before, and Reynolds handles that masterfully, too.

What’s most interesting is that as the ostensible star (as well as co-writer and producer), Reynolds steps back and gives others a chance to shine – well, we’re talking Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. While his ending in ‘Logan’ was as epic and touching as one could wish for, the truth is that it’s great to see Jackman in the role again (and, for the first time, in a comics-accurate suit), especially after he gave perhaps his best performance as Logan since his last song in 2017. This Logan is angrier than ever, but also filled with loss and deep regret. His heart is badly broken, and what makes it even worse is that he’s the one who broke it.

Our other two main characters – our main villains – aren’t as good. Matthew Macfadyen chews the scenery as the whimpering, sycophantic Paradox, and while McFadden is a terrific actor, it’s a largely one-dimensional role. But we were less thrilled with Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova. The actor doesn’t have the gravitas to make Cassandra very menacing, instead relying on VFX to do much of the work. Even with her interesting history (which fans of the comics will know), Cassandra never becomes a formidable presence.

And then there are the many rumored cameos. We won’t reveal any here for sure, but there are a few faces in the film that could prove some fan speculations correct, while others turn out to be completely and utter surprises – all in all, ending up as a celebration of over 20 years of Marvel movies that don’t fall under the MCU banner.

The Future of the MCU and Final Thoughts

It’s that last part that’s the most fascinating thing about this movie. While there’s a certain game-changing aspect to it (and a pretty big meta component), ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ is a genuinely affectionate tribute to the Fox Marvel universe and its own ups and downs. It serves more as an acknowledgement of how those early movies helped light the torch that was eventually handed to the MCU, rather than as any kind of big reset that followed – though that door is certainly open now.

How that reset happens from here — and whether Wade and Logan will play major roles in it — is anyone’s guess. Like ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ ties up some loose ends from the past through generous helpings of fan service that may confuse some viewers. Yet it doesn’t set out any clear path forward. What it does do is bring back the energy, madness, and sense of “anything can happen” that has often been part of the MCU’s best moments. It just needed a masked fool to make it work again.

‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ receives 7.5 stars out of 10.

What is the plot of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’?

Six years after the events of ‘Deadpool 2,’ Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is living a quiet life, having left behind his time as mercenary Deadpool, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA) – a bureaucratic organization that exists beyond time and space and monitors the timeline – pulls him on a new mission. With his home universe facing an existential threat, Wilson reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) on a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Who are the cast of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’?