Movie: Deadpool and Wolverine
Production Company: Marvel Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment, Maximum Effort
Director: Shawn Levy
Producers: Kevin Feige, Shawn Levy, Louis D’Esposito, Mitchell Ball, Ryan Reynolds
Scriptwriters: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy
Main Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Mcfayden
Release Date: 25th July 2024
Running Time: 127 minutes
Certificate: 15
Introduction: This long, long, (so very long) awaited team up may not be everything I thought it would be, but does more than enough to deliver hilarious, crowd-pleasing moments and to steer Marvel back in the right direction.
Synopsis: *As with every cinematic event of this particular size, caliber and magnitude, I will do my best to avoid any spoilers*. Deadpool must recruit a weary and battle-worn Wolverine to save his timeline and himself from obliteration.
Analysis: Here we are. Finally. The fate of Marvel’s last remaining integrity lies on the shoulders of the only one who can bring balance to a slowly disintegrating universe, failed promises, and disappointment after disappointment: Deadpool. Ever since 2009 (Deadpool’s first on screen appearance in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’), the notion of a solo film was hotly anticipated but never came to fruition; let alone the two of them finally coming face to face which is what everyone so desperately wanted. We all know how that film turned out and the less said the better. But, after two spectacularly successful solo outings of Mr. Pool (which we were lucky to get to begin with, all thanks to one single fan leak), the chances became greater and greater. Until one day…
Now that we have the Fox and Disney universe merging, let the fun begin. So, needless to say, it has been a very, very long and winding road; and they could not have arrived at a better or more important time. ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ is perhaps (for my money at least – though opinions are likely to differ) the most important MCU film since ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’; both in terms of nervous anticipation and sheer importance. Whilst some regarded that as purely fan service and nothing else, I thought there was slightly more to it than just that. Does the same thing apply here? Yes and no. For me, the film offers a steady enough balance of future contemplation of the stability of this cinematic universe and what the path looks like ahead, whilst also pandering to what the fans want.
Reynolds and Jackman have finally been able to put their chemistry to the test here and they are absolute gold together. Whilst this is certainly Reynolds’s best iteration so far, I would say that this is tied for my favourite Hugh Jackman performance alongside ‘Logan’- this is perhaps the most uncaged he has ever been. Shawn Levy has the best direction so far out of the three installments – taking over from Tim Miller and David Leitch (having already worked with his two main stars previously, he was the perfect fit), fingers crossed he’s in line to do more. Gags, digs, self-referential nods, winks and references fill almost every line of dialogue in this (as they did before) which reduced me to stitches. If you thought Deadpool’s last two films were sharp and quick, they have somehow stepped up a level here. If I had a slight nit pick, I would say there are areas in which it tries too hard to constantly remind you that this is the very first R-rated Marvel film and how naughty they are being here, it just felt rather overpowering when it did not need to be.
As it always was, the visual comedy is genius. This will, without a doubt, go down as the most joyous fun I’ve had with a crowd this year and of recent memory (it was a midnight screening filled with fans so what did you expect). We clapped and erupted into howling laughter numerous times, although it did not – nor was it ever going to- reach the levels of ‘No Way Home’ in which myself and that crowd did just lose our s**t. Things did not exactly pan out the way I may have envisioned in particular, but that is most definitely not to say that that will be the case for everyone. The positives do outweigh the negatives all in all thankfully. As a crucial piece of much needed resurrection, I should think this is certainly strong enough to revitalize any Marvel fatigue and give you a slightly brighter glimmer of hope for what is in store for the future. Roll on Comic-Con!
In cinemas now.
Overall Rating: 8/10 – Very Good
Target Audience: 15+
Content Warning: strong bloody violence, injury detail, sex references, very strong language
Recommendation: Yes
