Main cast: Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Nicepool), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa Carlysle), Rob Delaney (Peter Wisdom), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Aaron Stanford (John Allerdyce/Pyro), and Matthew Macfadyen (Mister Paradox)
Director: Shawn Levy
Deadpool and Wolverine is the second MCU movie in, what, three years I think, that isn’t a flop. That’s one good reason for this: it’s fun. It’s unapologetic in how fun it is. No preaching, no forced DEI nonsense, and while the script is quite ridiculous, it’s by design. This is the kind of the movie that is bulletproof against the accusations of nonsensical script because, hey. it’s a Deadpool movie.
After the last tango, Wade used Cable’s time machine thing to go back in time and fixed some things to allow Vanessa and the X-Force members to stay alive in the present time.
However, his happily ever after was foiled by the fact that he applied to join and was rejected by both the X-Men and the Avengers. This erodes his self-confidence to the point that he ended up breaking up with Vanessa.
Still, that doesn’t mean that he has stopped caring. The Time Variance Authority took notice of his time-meddling antics, so Mister Paradox, who is in charge of the “Sacred Timeline” (the canonical Disney version of the MCU in other words), has him dragged over to his office for an offer: he will allow Deadpool to stay in the Sacred Timeline, where he can mingle with the Avengers and be the hero he has always wanted.
However, Mister Paradox lets slip a crucial matter: Wade’s own timeline is earmarked for destruction, because the “Anchor Being” of that timeline, Logan died in, well, Logan. Yes, those two movies happen in the same shared universe, imagine that. Mister Paradox is ambitious and he wants to get a promotion, so he has secretly started work on building a device that would accelerate the destruction of that timeline so that it will be erased in… oh, around 72 hours or so.
Wade naturally goes rogue and tries to find a Logan in the various multiverses out there to replace the now-dead Anchor Being. This causes him and one Logan, the one that failed everyone and is now a drunkard, to go on a wacky and violent mission along with what seems like a zillion cameos from everyone.
Okay, this movie is wacky as hell and naturally, there is plenty of fourth wall breaking and jokes poking fun at everything, from the movie industry to genre tropes and more.
However, fans of cape movies may find something a bit more special here, as this movie is also a playful nod and even homage to the other forgotten Marvel movies in the past. Blade, Elektra, Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four, and a couple of folks from the first wave X-Men movies all show up here for some degree of closure, and the inside joke is that they are all banished into the Void just like how present-day Disney wants to forget about them, heh. Oh, and Channing Tatum too, because his Gambit movie will come out in 2076 or something.
The best thing about this movie, though, is the chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. Logan and Wade make such enjoyable bromance magic, whether they are brutally trying to eviscerate one another or just being frenemies. That and they are easy on the eyes, which never hurts too. Mr Jackman plays Logan as the mostly strait-laced, deadpanning guy, which makes the opposites attract chemistry work so much better next to Wade’s over the top theatrics.
Also, while her role isn’t the biggest as far as the movie is concerned, Cassandra Nova is a fabulous genial but ruthless villain.
Sure, the story is just scenes after scenes of things getting blown up or people beating the crap out of another, and one can find plenty of things that won’t hold up to logic or reason. Does it matter, though? This movie is really fun and entertaining without trying too hard to be deep or meaningful, and there’s nothing wrong at all with that.
The fact that it completely blows pretty much every recent donkey crap MCU releases just shows how far Kevin Feige and friends have skidded off the railway track as far the franchise is concerned.
Oh wait, this movie isn’t exactly part of the MCU, right? No doubt, one day they will have a black, gay, lesbian Deadpool and her fabulously gay, trans, non-binary crossdressing BFF Logan in the MCU and we will all cringe in terror at the monstrosity that will result.
Until then, let’s enjoy Deadpool and Wolverine.
