Movie Review: Deadpool & Wolverine

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If the word “bombastic” hit the gym and bulked up, it might come close to capturing the essence of the R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine.

Profane and gory with a “whiff of necrophilia” and irreverence to burn, the film showcases the bromantic chemistry of its stars, who pull out all the stops to give a raucous send-off to Fox’s Marvel era. 

At the film’s start, it takes some doing to explain Wolverine/Logan’s (Hugh Jackman) return from the dead. Once that convoluted but action-packed setup is out of the way, the film barrels through the plot with both fists flailing. 

Before, during, and after the big, bloody action sequences, the movie cheekily blurs the line between on-screen and off-screen life. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) obnoxiously calls Logan “Hugh,” even taking a jab at Jackman’s recent divorce, and later leeringly mentions Gossip Girl, the show that made Reynolds’s wife, Blake Lively, famous. 

This fourth-wall breaking riffing suits Reynolds’s trademark delivery, setting the self-aware Deadpool movies apart from other superhero films. 

Humour has a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — such as Tony Stark’s one-liners, the Taika Waititi-era Thor movies, and Guardians of the Galaxy to name a few — but none subversively poke fun at superhero tropes and themselves like Deadpool & Wolverine. What other MCU movie would self-deprecatingly admit that the characters are entering the multiverse “at a bit of a low point?”

Jackman mostly plays it straight, acting as a soundboard for “the merc with the mouth’s” one-liners. Filled with regret over past events, the self-loathing Wolverine is a hard-drinking mutant, in full comic book costume, who reluctantly embraces heroism. Wolverine provides the story’s heart as a counterpoint to Deadpool’s constant quipping. Both characters may be physically indestructible, but their psyches aren’t. 

Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) threatens to erase Deadpool’s universe with a powerful device, and when Deadpool tries to stop him, he zaps Deadpool and Wolverine to the “Void,” ruled by the sinister Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). 

The “Void,” a dumping ground for timeline variants, becomes a chaotic playground for their antics. When the movie isn’t gushing blood or cracking wise, it’s about lost souls searching for redemption.

The main issue with cramming so much fan service into Deadpool & Wolverine is that it leaves little room for the story to develop. Amid all the shock cameos and exciting appearances, the narrative gets lost, resulting in a thin and uneven plot.

There is an overarching “save the world” storyline, but it constantly takes a backseat to the fan service, fourth-wall breaks, crude jokes, and packed-in violence. This results in an overstuffed film with too many elements, an underutilized villain, and stakes that don’t feel genuinely high despite their supposed importance.

While chaotic fits Deadpool’s vibe, the film feels disorganized. Some action sequences are well-staged, but others suffer from shaky camera work and rapid cuts that made it hard to follow what was happening on screen.

A love letter to the bygone Fox era of superhero films, this film is fun fan service and a good time at the movies, but if anyone is “Marvel Jesus,” it’s Robert Downey Jr. — sorry, Reynolds! 

There’s a lot to enjoy in Deadpool & Wolverine — forgotten characters getting their moment in the spotlight, classic comic book covers coming to life, and a side-scrolling battle scene set to Madonna’s music. However, what I appreciated most was what the movie was not.

This isn’t a bridge to a new era of Marvel movies or a magical fix for Disney’s recent missteps. Instead, it’s purely Deadpool’s party. It’s a raunchy riot, and like any great bash, you might not recall all the details the next day, but you’ll remember having a great time.