Deadpool & Wolverine
Having Deadpool be the introduction of mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be the most batshit insane idea Marvel has had since the introduction of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Watching Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” however, it felt kind of brilliant- who else from the Fox era has the personal stakes, and smart ass attitude, needed to bring mutants to Marvel’s multiverse, and do so in a way that could be genuinely compelling, and uproariously entertaining? The Merc with the Mouth stands alone.
The screenplay by five writers, including Levy and Ryan Reynolds, doesn’t necessarily do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of Wade Wilson’s previous solo films- yes, many of the most significant characters from those films are here- but this is all about wish fulfillment, for Marvel and Kevin Feige in bringing the mutants officially home, and- for Reynolds- finally getting Hugh Jackman to suit up as Wolverine for one buddy action film teaming up the most obnoxious mutant with the most taciturn. How does one do that and honor the legacy of “Logan,” however? Well…that’d be getting into spoilers, and I’d rather not do that.
Since we last met him in 2018’s “Deadpool 2,” Wade has fallen on hard times. After being turned down for the Avengers, he and Peter (Rob Delaney) turn to selling cars. Something is off in his world, however, and he is brought to the TVA to examine it by a middle manager named Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). It turns out that, since the death of Wolverine, Wade’s reality is on the brink of destruction. In order to try and reverse it, Wade does the only thing he can do- tries to find a Wolverine that can help bring his world back into order. The one he finds, though, might not be the best one to do it.
If you think that being under Disney’s umbrella- and having director Levy (“Free Guy,” the “Night at the Museum” films) at the helm- is going to dull Deadpool’s violent streak, the opening credits scene where Wade uses Logan’s corpse to fight off TVA agents will allay any fears of that being the case. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is unapologetically R-rated, and on that front, should put any concerns of Marvel getting into more violent characters like Blade and Daredevil in the future to rest. One thing that will likely still concern people is how drab the film looks visually. You would hope that things like the TVA and the Void being present would brighten up the film, but this movie looks flat and lifeless, especially disappointing considering how much energy the first two Deadpool films have. I can understand why that would turn people off to the film from a critical standpoint- it definitely dings it for me- but the way the story unfolds is where this film holds more value to me.
Part of the reason why I am not sure whether I’d say “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a good capper to the character’s own trilogy is because the film is less about Wade as a character, and more about putting the old guard of Marvel films- in particular, the Fox ones- out to pasture. Without getting too heavily into spoilers, let me say that, if this film is about putting an end to that section of Marvel’s cinematic history, it’s hard to think of a more fitting way to say goodbye to that chaotic, sometimes insane, period of superhero films than this. There are in-jokes and 4th wall statements that will have fans howling, and mainstream audiences confused, and I was definitely on board for it. At the center is a dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine- and Reynolds and Jackman- that is very much built on the Riggs and Murtaugh pairing in the “Lethal Weapon” films, the younger, reckless wild man and the old pro who’s too old for all of this shit. That’s where “Deadpool & Wolverine” succeeds the most, and- for all its faults as a film- I still enjoyed every minute of it.
