Before we get into this, here’s the deal – I’m going to do my best to review this movie without getting into major spoilers, but I need y’all to understand that with a film like this, that is REALLY hard to do… so I’ll try to only discuss elements that are (or rather were) shown in the trailers and TV spots. So consider yourself warned or rather relieved, it’s going to mostly be a spoiler-free review, at least as much as I’m able to do.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman first appeared together as Deadpool and Wolverine in the not-so-great X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, but have since then had fun creating an amusing online feud using social media. Now that the DEADPOOL franchise is officially under the Disney thumb, it makes sense to deliver a third sequel in a big way… so yeah, bring back Jackman as Wolverine, because why not? And the fans seem pretty excited about it. DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is directed by Shawn Levy, who previously worked separately with both Hugh (on REAL STEEL) and Ryan (on FREE GUY and THE ADAM PROJECT), and I’m guessing his familiarity and real life friendship with both stars only helped make the end result the best it could be. Ticket sales on this film are through the roof, so it’s probably safe to call it critic-proof, but I’ll deliver a review just for the heck of it… and because I really enjoyed it. One thing I will note for those intending to see it, you REALLY need to watch LOKI on Disney+ to understand one of the main elements of the story, that being the TVA or “Time Variance Authority”, as otherwise you might be heavily confused by who and what they are, and why they’re even around.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE opens with the Marvel Studios logo, a first for the franchise, and immediately begins with narration from Deadpool (Reynolds) as he addresses whether or not this story is going to be respectful to the events of the movie LOGAN, in which Jackman not only died as Wolverine, but also swore he would never play the role again… and Deadpool lets us know this film is absolutely going to dishonor that memory. What follows is a hilarious and irreverent fight sequence in which Deadpool dances to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC in between graphically killing his attackers from the TVA. He then takes us back to what led to this moment, in which he’s celebrating his birthday as Wade Wilson, explaining he’s left the Deadpool costume and persona behind him in an attempt to lead a normal life. While enjoying the company of those closest to him, it isn’t long before there’s a knock at the door, and the TVA soldiers capture him and take him into their realm, where he’s greeted by a TVA top brass called Paradox (Matthew Macfayden) who explains he needs Wade’s help to fix some messed up timeline issues, and in the process potentially become a hero like The Avengers… which would be a dream come true for Wilson. He also realizes if he doesn’t do it, he may lose his timeline and his friends forever.

So Wade suits up, and is off to find Wolverine, which proves challenging as there are several Wolverines in several timelines to choose from, but he eventually finds one who is disgraced with a very dark history, living in a world where his former X-Men are now all gone. This Wolverine/Logan (Jackman) wants nothing to do with Wade, but also sees quickly that Deadpool won’t take no for an answer. The mismatched duo end up in a sort of post-apocalyptic temporal void, occupied by some nefarious characters, and some fallen heroes from the Marvel movie universe you might recognize. There they meet Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), a powerful mutant who is apparently Professor Charles Xavier’s lost sister, though she doesn’t share her brother’s kindness or empathy. Nova holds the key to them escaping and getting back to the TVA, and we learn Paradox’s true goal is something potentially disastrous. Deadpool and Wolverine must overcome their head-butting animosity for each other and find a way to work together before it’s too late.

That’s it, that’s all I can say without getting into any major spoilers, and believe me there is plenty to spoil in this movie. DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is a film that is not only self-aware from the lead character’s perspective, it’s a Marvel Studios movie that is very self-aware of what worked well in the past, and what hasn’t worked so well in recent years. As with the previous Deadpool outings, Wade frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk to the audience, the only one in the film to do so, and takes great joy in poking fun at the various characters and events in the film, even injecting a few references to real life for certain actors. Reynolds is clearly having a blast here, leaning heavily into the comedy while still finding some nice emotional beats to give the role a bit more depth. Jackman is terrific as Logan/Wolverine, falling beautifully back into the character, and understanding the dynamic of playing the straight man to Reynolds’ clown archetype. In some ways this feels like a buddy cop movie, two fellas who clearly don’t like each other or belong together, but have to find a way to work side by side for a common goal. It’s also in some ways a redemption tale for both of them, as Wade is desperately looking for purpose in his life, and Logan is looking for a way to right the wrongs of his past.

As a villain, Cassandra Nova is a formidable foe, and Emma Corrin plays it very smartly, though I feel like her character development could have been a little better, as we never get much of a sense of why she is the way she is… this is sometimes a problem in these Marvel movies, an under-developed villain, but it’s more forgivable here considering how entertaining the movie is. I was a little let down to see characters like Colossus, Blind Al (Leslie Uggums) and Vanessa (the wonderful Morena Baccarin) used very sparingly, but considering this adventure is about Deadpool and Wolvering on a trip together, it’s inevitable certain characters will get left behind as the story plays out. Rob Delaney is back as Peter, Wade’s buddy from DEADPOOL 2, and gets some fun moments here as a welcome returning character.

As you may have heard, yes, there are some big surprise cameos in the film, none of which I’m going to mention save for the return of LOGAN‘s Daphne Keen as X-23/Laura Kinney, who was shown in the trailers, but the other cameos are at times very unexpected and cool, especially for those of us who have been enjoying the Marvel movies even before the Marvel Studios days kicked in with IRON MAN in 2008. I was impressed with what they pulled off, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy, though highly satisfying. One of the bigger rumors for this movie that circulated was that it would set up events for the next X-MEN movie series, or set up events for the next phase of the Marvel universe… neither of those rumors are true, this film is very much its own thing, and I wouldn’t expect to see many (if any) of the characters here in future films. For you Deadpool comic book fans, one thing you DO get (as seen in the trailers) is the Deadpool Corps, a gaggle of Deadpool variants that are all quite unique and different from the Reynolds version, and thankfully the movie doesn’t just make them a quick one-note joke, they use them a bit for an extremely funny (and violent) segment.

The fight scenes in this movie are really intense and gory, probably the most Rated-R gore you’ll ever see in a superhero movie, though it’s mostly played for laughs. You may want to think twice before taking kids to see this, it is nowhere near as safe to watch as the other Marvel movie entries. And those aforementioned fights are always elaborate and lengthy, with one rather hilarious exception. There’s even a fight sequence that takes place entirely inside a car, and it’s brutal as hell. Levy not only doesn’t hold back on the violence and action, he leans into it and really delivers bang for your buck. This also feels like a comic book movie, not just a movie based on comic book characters… they even worked in Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld’s name prominently in the film’s climactic final battle, which warmed my heart to see on the big screen. It flows like a really good comic story with crossover moments and interesting story beats, all while remembering to show frequent comic book-like fights and battles.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is fun, funny and incredibly violent, and it knows how to keep the audience engaged. I was a little nervous knowing this would be the first DEADPOOL movie under the Disney banner, but I’m happy to say the House of Mouse clearly didn’t ask them to hold back. No one wants to see a watered-down take on this character, and if anything we got the most extreme version possible. It may not be for everyone, but for those in the right mindset, you’re going to love this third entry in the franchise. Stick around through the credits for a nice tribute to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel movies, and fun little post-credit stinger that doesn’t set anything up, just leaves you with one last hearty laugh.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•