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Synopsis
Six years after the last film, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) retired from being Deadpool and became a used car salesman. Things are going ok when the TVA abducts Wade and takes him to meet Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). Paradox offers Wade the chance to join The Avengers universe but mentions his universe is on the verge of collapse. In response, Wade, in full Deadpool mode, steals Paradox’s TemPad and travels the multiverse to find someone to help him. Deadpool recruits a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to restore his timeline, hopefully, but they get sent to The Void. Now trapped in The Void, Deadpool & Wolverine must put aside their differences and find a way out. Along the way, they’ll meet old friends and enemies as they traverse The Void, looking for an escape. It’s up to Canada’s two most infamous anti-heroes to prevent the multiverse from collapsing into oblivion.
Review
So, is Deadpool & Wolverine the shot in the arm that the Marvel Cinematic Universe desperately needed? While it’s undoubtedly the best MCU movie in years, I’m not sure if this means things will get better. One thing this film gets right that so many other superhero movies seem to have forgotten is to be fun. The others had some humor, but they took themselves too seriously or didn’t know how to balance the tone. Like the first two movies, this one is funny and dramatic without veering too far in either direction. While some jokes don’t quite land, they more often than not stick the landing and deliver some belly laughs. The more serious, dramatic moments feel earned rather than pandering and are never interrupted by a joke. There’s much more heart than expected from a movie that opens with a bloody action sequence set to N’Sync.
Ultimately, the fans want to see Deadpool and Wolverine team up, and that’s just what we get. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are in top form, delivering outstanding performances and working well together. Reynolds’ irreverent, crass humor perfectly contrasts with Jackman’s stern, rugged tone, and seeing them go at it is a treat. One of the best scenes involves Deadpool and Wolverine tearing each other to shreds in a minivan. The scene keeps going and going, and there’s so much blood that it’s easily one of the film’s biggest highlights. There are also some great cameos littered throughout, but they don’t feel like they’re there for the sake of it. It feels like a love letter to the early-to-mid 2000s era superhero movies, which were more experimental and risk-taking. The film also takes a few shots at the MCU, which is surprising but greatly appreciated.
Shawn Levy was a great choice to direct this movie, as he stages some great action sequences with fluidity and grace. He managed to tap into what made Tim Miller and David Leitch’s direction work while making it his own. Unfortunately, most of the returning cast don’t have much, if anything, to do and are just background characters. Also, the plot is the usual “hero must stop the villain from destroying the world/universe/multiverse” we’ve seen already. That said, the villain used is better and more interesting than the ones we’ve seen in previous MCU installments. If nothing else, I must credit Disney for allowing the people involved to go full hard R. It’s hard to say if future MCU movies will improve, but this delivers all the fun you could expect. Overall, Deadpool & Wolverine is violent, crude, heartfelt, hilarious, earnest, and, most importantly, fun.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
