Deadpool &Wolverine: A Good, Bad, and Funny Review
The Merc with the Mouth teams up with Weapon X to become a violent antihero comedy duo on a mission to save a universe and repurpose 20th Century Studios’ Marvel franchise for the MCU in one of the funniest and wildest films of the year. Leave your children at home. This is for grownups.
The mighty Marvel team-up that many fans have waited for arrived this weekend. Deadpool & Wolverine is the third film in the Deadpool series and bridges 20th Century Studios’ Marvel films with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadpool, true to his character, immediately considers himself the savior of the MCU early in the movie, a very on-the-nose double entendre about his role in the film’s plot and the underperforming recent film releases from Disney’s superhero franchise. While I was offended with Deadpool making allusions between himself and the Messiah, I consider Deadpool & Wolverine the spark that the MCU needed in the post-Avengers: Endgame era. It also revitalizes 20th Century Fox’s -now 20th Century Studios, X-Men-centric franchise. While the Deadpool series has performed well at the box office, and the Wolverine character was (temporarily) retired in one of the best superhero films ever, the gritty Logan, the X-Men series ended with the underwhelming X-Men Dark Phoenix. Other Marvel Comics properties, such as The Fantastic Four, had diminishing returns and either mixed or negative reviews. Deadpool & Wolverine should prove to be a hit for Marvel. For this article, I will analyze the film using three categories: The Good, The Bad, and The Funny. There will be some minor spoilers in the following.
The Good
1-The Cast
Without a doubt, Deadpool as a character was tailor-made for Ryan Reynolds and his comic acting style. He fits the character so well that it is hard to picture someone else playing the role. Reynolds’ Deadpool is a hilarious, eccentric jerk who can be likable and selfless. Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. It is even harder to picture someone other than Jackman playing Wolverine than it is to picture someone other than Reynolds portraying Deadpool. I admit, it was also great to see him wear Wolverine’s famous blue and yellow costume. The other cast members are excellent in their roles, including Emma Corrin as the villainous Cassandra Nova, Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Paradox, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al.
2-The Action
Directed by Shawn Levy, who has worked with Reynolds on Free Guy and The Adam Project, and with Hugh Jackman on Real Steel, Deadpool & Wolverine features some hard-hitting and spectacular action scenes that rival the other two films in the series. Standout sequences include the action prologue, the battles between Deadpool and Wolverine, and the two main characters forming a team to face Nova and her minions. The action is very bloody, which fits the R-rating and the characters, but there is a caveat, as noted below.
3-The Comedy
This film is hilarious. I will elaborate in The Funny section.
4-Dramatic Weight
This film is cartoonishly over the top with action, comedy, explicit language, and violence (more about the violence in The Bad section). The film could indeed be too ridiculous if not for its dramatic anchor, Wolverine. The best dramatic scenes involve Wolverine in one way or another. In one scene, he gives Deadpool a scathing tirade that is so heartfelt and poignant that Deadpool has no verbal response. The tension in the film is provided by a powerful villain, Cassandra Nova, and the cosmic horror of Alioth. The story involving the TVA from the Loki series raises the stakes for the story.
5-Cameoes
Expect a few characters from other non-MCU Marvel films to pop up in Deadpool & Wolverine, and several of them are comics-accurate, much like Wolverine himself in this film. Slight spoiler-there are variants of Deadpool and Wolverine in the movie too.
6-The credits scenes
Watch for the scenes included during the credits, which are primarily interviews and behind-the-scenes material.
The Bad
1-Deadpool’s excesses become, well, excessive
The fourth wall is often broken in the film. In fact, it is shattered; Deadpool takes the opportunity to speak his reactions to the film’s events, refers to characters by the name of their actors, and makes some seriously cutting remarks about the MCU and DC Comics’ cinematic releases. His sense of humor is dark, wacky and fiercely witty. On the witty part, Deadpool would be a good friend of Ambrose Bierce. Some of Deadpool’s snarks bite deeply into the hands that he feeds him. And he is constantly talking in many of his scenes. This is true to the text for the character, but it becomes excessive and wears thin. Good luck trying to keep count of how many times Wolverine tells Deadpool to shut up. I wanted Deadpool to shut up quite a few times myself.
2-X-Force and the X-Men out of focus
Excluding Peter, one of Deadpool 2’s most likable characters, none of the other members of X-Force get significant screen time or character development. The X-Force members who were major characters in Deadpool 2, Cable and Domino, are completely absent. The X-Men characters from the previous Deadpool films only get cameos. While the lack of their involvement does not hurt the story, they are interesting characters that got wasted, especially if an X-Force film does not happen.
3-Ending Override
While the events of this film do not override the events of Logan, it does cast aside the powerful impact of Logan’s ending for one of Deadpool’s excesses.
4-The Story
The story is not strong. This film is part of the Multiverse saga and previous films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have better stories. The series Loki, which Deadpool & Wolverine is a loose sequel of, has a better story. The cast’s performances, the action and the comedy really pick up the slack.
5-The Gore
Deadpool and Wolverine are hard to kill. Deadpool is a well-trained mercenary with a penchant for creative violence, and Wolverine is the best at what he does, and what he does is not very nice. Therefore, gore is expected. However, this film revels in violence and was made with the mindset that gratuitous violence is funny. It may be hilarious to many viewers, but I do not need to see numerous people being stabbed in the nether regions for entertainment. The villain’s method for reading minds is a gory visual that will linger, too.
The Funny
1-Almost every conversation between Deadpool and Wolverine
In this film, Deadpool and Wolverine become the MCU’s violent antihero equivalent of Abbott and Costello. Or perhaps even the equivalent of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Deadpool is an excellent wacky character, and Wolverine is a formidable straight man. Their banter and fighting each other provide a busload of laughs. Deadpool’s gift for comedy is established, but Wolverine matches him blow for blow, snark for snark.
2-Deadpool’s Fourth Wall Breaks
Deadpool wears them out, but the best fourth wall breaks are superb. Especially when Deadpool’s jokes reflect what the audience is thinking or has been saying about the MCU and DC.
3-Mr. Paradox and Peter
Mr. Paradox, a crucial character, is the biggest ham in the film other than Deadpool. Peter also brings a lot of levity in several of his scenes.
4-Blind Al
Wade Wilson’s roommate, Blind Al, has several great lines in the film, with the best being about how she wishes she was deaf. Considering who she lives with, I cannot blame her. Another great line is the variation of names she uses to ask Wade about doing cocaine.
5-Nicepool
One variant of Deadpool turns out to be a kind and compassionate version of Wade Wilson, who is not horribly scarred, not a jerk, does not constantly crack jokes at other’s expense, and has a friendly, cute, ugly dog. Nicepool being the only variant like this is a joke in itself.
6-The Music
Deadpool & Wolverine has one of the most unconventional soundtracks ever for a bloody science fiction action film. Some songs are appropriate for an action film, such as AC/DC “Hell’s Bells”. Others like NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” are not, hence much (macabre) comedy ensues. T.I. “Bring ’Em Out” is the highlight for me.
7-The post-credits scene
It is the best fourth wall break in the film. Hands-down.
*******
Deadpool & Wolverine is highly recommended for fans of either character, fans of Marvel, and fans of macabre comedy. It may not win over the most critical fans, and indeed, it will be divisive among people who are easily offended or disgusted. However, I was entertained, and look forward to watching the film again. I also look forward to the next installment in the MCU that follows. We will see whether or not Deadpool & Wolverine provides a major spark for the MCU and superhero films in general.
