A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.
There’s been so much hype around this film since its announcement years ago, with Hugh Jackman beingback as Wolverine, this chapter, chapter three, being officially in the MCU, and the film maintaining a rating of R for Disney fans. It was a dream come true for Marvel and/or comic book fans worldwide. During the entire marketing campaign, the studio went well out of its way to ensure fans that they had a winner on their hand and that this film will save Marvel/Disney from the lackluster performance of previous releases as of late. The studio knew they couldn’t ruin this opportunity, and did a decent job with keeping secrets, not letting surprises leak out to the general public. It was a tall order that needed to be fulfilled, and while it came close there are still some aspects of the film that didn’t reach its full potential.
Starting off the on-screen chemistry between Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) is simply perfect! It seems obvious at this point that they were made to work together in this capacity. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if we heard that director Shawn Levy (Free Guy) didn’t have a script for these two, and all of their dialogue was just improved with them making up every line on the spot. The two actors just flowed seamlessly together bouncing off of each other with endless jokes and banter that will have you laughing throughout the entire movie, and days after. Marvel should seriously consider having these two on screen together as much as possible in the years to come.
The costume design was a magnificent upgrade as well for both characters. Having Wolverine in his signature bright yellow and blue suit next to Deadpool’s red and black suit was the perfect set of contrast on screen. I’ve never personally desired to cosplay as any character in the past but watching them dress up was truly inspiring and had the idea floating through my mind constantly. The texture of the suit was exquisitely detailed with every thread, and it looked so practical and realistic. Some costumes in comic book films don’t have this appeal and are enhanced by CGI, but this was not the case with their suits.
However, besides the characters looking great, they both had a valid reason for being here in the film. Both of their characters had remarkable arcs for their development that have grown from previous films. The amount of passion and desire they possessed was heartfelt and emotional at levels that were totally unexpected. At times, it may have felt like the film contained mostly gratuitous violence and sex jokes with no real drama, but that assessment would be wrong, especially towards the end of the film. So if you’re seeking content with depth just be a little patient and you won’t be disappointed. Some of the best moments in the film were when it was being self-aware. The Deadpool character is already one to break the fourth wall so this was the perfect opportunity to make fun of all the behind-the-scenes drama/mishaps that have been plaguing Marvel’s recent productions. It was all in fun, even though at times the jokes went on too long.
These superhero/comic book films are of course also known for their action, and that aspect of the film doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. The action/fighting in this film is nonstop, and the choreography is nothing short of great. Every single character was able to display all of their powers and their abilities repeatedly in many different forms and locations. The way Wolverine’s claws clashed against Deadpool’s katana blades was sensational. If that’s all you’re seeking within this film you’ll be easily entertained. It felt like extra love and focus was given to the action beats in the film, and some may even call it a love letter to fans. What makes it even better are the surprises and cameos that pop up to support the action. There were certain characters I never would’ve dreamed of that had an appearance in this film, and they were truly yell-out-loud moments of excitement. They all felt warranted too given the story/plot of the film. At no point did it feel as if the cameos were forced just for fan service. It was all well-deserved and earned.
While everything previously mentioned was great, there are still some portions of the film that were not as entertaining. It starts with the first act of the film, which was very slow to start, unfortunately. Saying that it was boring is not accurate, but it felt completely unnecessary to move things forward. Deadpool does have a personal life outside of being a superhero that we’ve seen in previous films before. The first act of this film spent entirely too much time focused on this group of people that just wasn’t as interesting as it was in the past. Sure the film explains why they’re there, but I didn’t care for their involvement. I was constantly waiting for the film to start, and it didn’t feel like it did until Wolverine showed up.
The film also had too many jokes. Even though they were funny, it felt as if the writers at times said to themselves, “Ok, let’s take a break from moving the story forward and just laugh for a few moments.” That only works if it’s a natural organic transition, but in some moments it was annoying and excessive. You weren’t able to hear some of the jokes, due to other audience members laughing, so maybe that’s a good thing, but it’s also frustrating when you can’t hear what’s being said.
I also spoke on the action and how great it was, which is true, however at some points while it looked great it was pointless or didn’t have great continuity. It should never feel like certain characters have no chance of dying or being defeated when they’re engaged in battle. It doesn’t matter if their characters have super healing abilities, the story and/or action scene should still possess some level of stakes. During two scenes in particular, it was known that Deadpool and Wolverine weren’t going to die or be put in any form of danger. The scene had no weight to it, and I was honestly waiting for it to be over. It sucks because the setup was spectacular but the execution was lacking. Why weren’t all of the antagonists trying to kill our heroes instead of just sitting there on the sideline taking out their colleagues? I’m not sure, but this question needed to be addressed multiple times throughout the film. The majority of the action scenes were splendid but a couple still needed some work.
The biggest gripe comes from the story which was all over the place. It made sense coming from the protagonists of Deadpool & Wolverine, but I’m still having a hard time making sense of what the antagonists’ goal was. It’s a mind-boggling puzzle that’s not adding up. The more I think about it, the more redundant it becomes. If only the bad guys had more patience their goal would’ve been reached, but the whole plot feels like they drew unnecessary attention to themselves which spoiled their plan. A second viewing is necessary to grasp the entire meaning of it all, but that shouldn’t be a requirement for any film or television content.
Overall Deadpool & Wolverine is a fun ride that nearly reached all of my expectations. In some ways it did, in some ways it exceeded them, and in other ways fell short, which is unfortunate with this being my most anticipated film of the year. Marvel/Disney was marketing this film as the movie to save their franchise and/or studio, and they should refrain from using such language in the future. Unless they have an absolute masterpiece on their hand, which this film is not. It’s a great movie, and is better than most of their recent releases, but still needed some ironing out if it was going to be considered in Marvel’s Top 5 films in their MCU. The tone of the film and level of self-awareness are commendable, and Shawn Levy should come back to direct more Marvel films if allowed; but only if lessons are learned from the current outing, which isn’t the complete homerun that I wanted it to be.
Video Review:
Spoilers Video Review:
Official Teaser:
Official Trailer:
Final Trailer:
