24 Jul REVIEW – ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is a big shot of much-needed vitality into the MCU
For the first time since 2012, the world is only being served one film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing will depend on your feelings towards the MCU’s dominance of cinemas around the globe for much of the last decade. But even the most ardent Marvel fan would admit Disney pulling back on the reins was necessary after 2023 saw a tepid reaction to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the undeniable disaster that was The Marvels. Enter the foul-mouthed Merc with a Mouth to save the day.
Anyone nervous Disney taking ownership of 20th Century Fox and one of the jewels in their comic book movie crown would lead to anything less than the R-rated calamity of Deadpool and Deadpool 2 can breathe a sigh of relief. In the hugely enjoyable and endlessly hilarious Deadpool & Wolverine, everything you loved about Wade Wilson’s adult adventures is back with a vengeance. Outrageously brutal and bloody violence? Check. F-bombs and profanities aplenty? Check. Sly, meta-laced one-liners? Check. Surprises and cameos galore? You betcha.
A surprisingly endearing love letter to the Fox era of Marvel films and a big shot of much-needed vitality into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool & Wolverine soars on the strength of the effortless chemistry of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and this saga’s commitment to mixing humour and heart with lashings of blood-soaked mayhem. While its narrative is rather low-stakes and the humour doesn’t a ways land, it’s a step in the right direction for a franchise that was starting to run on fumes.
The trailers have barely scratched the surface of this film’s plot, so let’s keep this as light on details as possible. It’s been six years since we last saw Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Reynolds) and a lot has changed for everyone’s favourite anti-hero. After hanging up his iconic suit and essentially retiring (for reasons that are best left unspoiled), Wade has not only lost his purpose in life, but his long-time girlfriend, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has given up on him too.
Wade’s life is flipped upside down when he’s unexpectedly apprehended by Time Variance Authority agent Paradox (a very camp Matthew Macfadyen) and given a mission involving his own Earth-10005 timeline (aka the one seen in Fox’s superhero films) and the Earth-616 timeline (aka the one seen in the MCU films). Realising he needs a helping hand, Wade knows the only man for the job is the iconic X-Men figure Logan/Wolverine (Jackman).
There’s just one small problem; we all witnessed Wolverine die at the end of the events of Logan, meaning Wade has no choice but to pluck a washed-up variant Logan from a different universe. That’s really all the trailers told you, but let’s just say things go pear-shaped from here and our titular duo end up in a desolate wasteland known as “the void” and facing an epic battle against the telekinetically blessed Cassandra Nova (Emma Corin) and her gang of supervillain rejects.
If you go into Deadpool & Wolverine expecting some form of Avengers-style MCU event, you might end up slightly disappointed. There are naturally many, many cheeky references to the MCU and Disney’s catalogue of superhero stars, but this film is pleasingly more interested in looking back at a time in modern cinema history that has now come to a close. For all of Disney’s staggering success with comic book adaptations in the last 10 years, it was once 20th Century Fox who were leading the way with their X-Men saga and other various projects.
As someone who was a teenager during this period who now finds himself on the cusp of middle age, I guess I had forgotten how much the Fox superhero films meant to me. Sure, there were definitely more misses than hits, but nostalgia has a funny way of creeping up on you. This film ultimately stands as a loving tribute to a simpler time before multiverses and television spin-offs made keeping up with Marvel feel like a full-time job. Just the fact that this film heavily features the TVA, a group only witnessed in the Loki TV series, proves that.
Thankfully, the multiverse-loving authority is one of the only strong connections to the path Disney is paving on their own Marvel adventure. This is still inherently a Fox-era film that’s marching to the beat of its own drum. Without spoiling the fun, it’s a joy to be blessed with numerous cameos from the old days (especially a few deserving of redemption) where these characters are actually integrated into the plot and not just for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moment. Some you might see coming. Some will rock your socks off. How they kept them all under wraps is some sort of miracle.
As expected, the screenplay (co-written by Reynolds with director Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells) is overloaded with endless gags and meta-referencing one-liners that mock everything from Will Smith’s Oscars slap to Jackman’s divorce. The jokes don’t always land, but Reynolds is generally so busy moving on to his next one that you barely notice. Breaking the fourth wall and acknowledging the absurdity of superhero movies has always been this franchise’s bag and Reynolds delivers such lines with the kind of zippy sarcasm that’s become his calling card.
As the ever-quipping, constantly mocking mercenary, Reynolds shines as he easily slips back into Deadpool’s red and black suit as if he never left it. Likewise with Jackman reclaiming those adamantium claws and donning Wolverine’s comics-accurate yellow and black costume for the very first time. After their disappointing pairing in 2008’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine (one of those aforementioned Fox misses), it’s an eagerly anticipated team-up we’ve patiently waited over 15 years for. The wait was worth it and then some.
Much like their playful friendship in real life, the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman is naturally spectacular, whether they’re bickering, brawling, or working together. This is mostly a rollicking buddy comedy/road trip adventure and you’d be hard-pressed to find two better actors to stick in such a conceit. With this incarnation of Wolverine carrying the baggage of a dark back story, Jackman is given the emotional heavy lifting here; something he handles with aplomb. He could have easily phoned this performance in to claim a big paycheck, but Jackman cares far too much about this character to do such a thing.
Whether these two characters share the screen again is anyone’s guess. It’s clearly why Levy takes every chance to have Deadpool and Wolverine in full battle mode, whether that’s fighting each other or joining forces in large-scale fight sequences. Much will be made of their violent first scrabble set in the desolate expanse of the void, complete with a dilapidated 20th Century Fox logo in the background. But, for my money, a later fight inside the confines of a Honda Odyssey is one of the film’s best moments. Brutal is an understatement.
Set to the refrains of N*SYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” the opening sequence featuring Deadpool versus a literal swarm of TVA agents is deliciously delightful stuff. The gruesomely gory methods Wade uses to dispatch each hapless victim are devilishly ingenious, but it all sets a very high bar the remaining action scenes never quite reach. The third act sequence I can’t really talk about doesn’t deliver the killer blow of other Marvel finales, especially its over-reliance on CGI-created blood and guts. Still, it’s all undeniably entertaining stuff, particularly with a relatively brief running time of just over two hours; a rarity in blockbusters nowadays.
You’re coming to Deadpool & Wolverine to see Reynolds and Jackman play their most iconic roles (maybe even for the final time) and ham it up on the big screen like only they can with a big helping of long-awaited fan service. In that regard, this film is a triumphant success. It’s not going to win any Oscars or make people rethink their views on Marvel. It’s a wildly fun vehicle delivered with plenty of passion for this franchise and an unexpectedly beautiful tribute to what came before. Grab your popcorn and enjoy.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
Director: Shawn Levy
Producers: Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, Lauren Shuler Donner
Screenplay: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy
Cinematography: George Richmond
Production Design: Ray Chan
Costume Design: Graham Churchyard, Mayes C. Rubeo
Editors: Dean Zimmerman, Shane Reid
Music: Rob Simonsen
Running Time: 128 minutes
Release Date: 25th July 2024 (Australia)