By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
After years of Ryan Reynolds lobbying for a team-up movie, is it even possible for the film to live up to all the anticipation and hype? The answer is a resounding yes, “Deadpool & Wolverine” not only lives up to the hype, but in some ways, it exceeds expectations. The mix of raunchy humor and primeval violence continues to be an entertaining recipe for the franchise while avoiding becoming stale.
Looking to settle into the life of a normal citizen in suburbia, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) hangs up his red and black spandex, putting his days of a morally flexible mercenary behind him. When a rogue agent of the TVA named Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) determines his timeline needs to be pruned, Wade quickly comes out of retirement to become Deadpool once again. Lacking the selflessness and experience of being a true hero, Deadpool goes on a recruiting mission through the multiverse to find a Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) willing to help him. Unfortunately, he partners with the one Wolverine who let his whole world down.
With Deadpool’s sharp tongue and Wolverine’s violent temper, the two anti-heroes find themselves at each other’s throats while stuck in the Void, encountering a number of familiar characters along the way. To make matters worse, they piss off the most powerful mutant of this purgatory realm, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), whose insanity and insatiable appetite for power presents an even greater threat for the dynamic duo. Time is not on their side for Wolverine to finally find redemption and Deadpool to save the only people he’s ever cared about.
Making a film such as this with a dizzying amount of built-in hype is a daunting task for any director, but Shawn Levy does not buckle under the pressure like many directors would. While it is hard to live up to the success of the first two “Deadpool” movies, in addition to incorporating this sequel into the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Levy sticks to the formula that made the first two films so entertaining to watch. Witty, bawdy humor with self-deprecating awareness that also tears down the fourth wall in addition to gratuitous violence and bloodletting satisfy audiences’ cravings and lofty expectations of what they come to see.
As far as incorporating this storyline so that it makes sense within the MCU, Levy does a decent job even though he runs into the same confusing conundrum of the multiverse that the other Marvel films fell victim to. The difference is he makes fun of these mistakes that have derailed the MCU. He also has fun with it by involving an exhaustive list of cameos and references from Marvel movie history. Basically, Levy throws everything including the kitchen sink into this movie to create a crazy, hilarious, wildly entertaining thrill ride that will have audiences returning for second and third watches to find little nuggets of nostalgia they missed in the first go-around.
The reason the pairing of two of the most popular comic book characters works so well is because of the actors who play them. Ryan Reynolds is as inappropriately verbose as ever with cutting remarks that are as sharp as the two swords strapped to his back. The rare times he is not being hysterical, he provides glimpses at the depth of his character that gives the chaos purpose. Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine for 24 years with this being his 10th film in the role, and it is inconceivable to think of anyone else to play the part. His closed off, sullen demeanor with a hair trigger temper is the perfect complement to Ryan Reynolds’ extroverted and demonstrative character. It is very reminiscent of the Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte dynamic in “48 Hrs.”
With an opening credit roll that consists of an intense battle sequence choreographed to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC, viewers instantly know they’re being treated to a memorable summer blockbuster with a great sense of humor. “Deadpool & Wolverine” delivers on its promise, becoming one of the more entertaining action/comedies of the year, but whether it is good enough to rescue the MCU and Disney from its freefall of recent years remains to be seen. Regardless, this is a declaration of love to its fans and a theatrical must-see event that pushes the envelope of its R-rating.
This movie earns:
