“Life is a series of trainwrecks with only brief commercial-like breaks of happiness.” - DEADPOOL
I don’t think I’m alone when I say I never thought we’d get here but as I’m writing this, Deadpool 3 aka Deadpool & Wolverine is officially in theaters. After Covid a lot things seemed unlikely but a third Deadpool amidst the aftermath of a pandemic and huge takeover of 20th Century Fox seemed far-off at my most optimistic, which I am not. Then the question became, well if they do another Deadpool, what will it be under the Disney/MARVEL banner? An R rated Marvel movie felt just this side of impossible.
We hear rumors of a Blade movie, a return of TV-MA rated series like Daredevil and The Punisher but these are the kind of mature content that reside mostly on the violent side of things whereas Deadpool and its sequel are not just violent, but vulgar as hell. Was MARVEL really prepared to go there? And then that begs the idea of what to do with Deadpool beyond his own movie. Can such a character exist within the PG-13 world of the MCU? While we still don’t exactly know what his role will be in the thick of the MCU, his standalone adventure proved one thing for certain, yes, MARVEL is definitely prepared to go there, all the way there.
If you, like most of us, were concerned about MARVEL’s, let’s call it, bravery, fear not as even Kevin Feige saw the importance of letting a character like this fully be himself, bloody violence and crude humor in tow. And let me tell you, they go for it fully and unbelievably committed. They also saw the importance of getting this highly sought after team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine absolutely right. This movie had to have Ryan Reynolds as the Deadpool we already knew and loved and it had to have Hugh Jackman, one last time, put on the claws and like Logan did, go for the fucking jugular. We practically screamed our demands for a third Deadpool and what we wanted to see but as anyone knows, studios listening to the fans is for some reason a real rarity. I think in large part because of Reynolds being involved as a producer, they heard us.
This time around we find Deadpool is no more, and Wade Wilson is a civilian attempting a life outside the thankless life of a superhero. He has his friends but something is missing and it’s keeping him from truly letting go of his alter ego. Luckily, or maybe unlucky depending on who you ask, he is given another chance when a mysterious entity known as the TVA (as seen in Loki) abducts him and gives him an opportunity to become the hero he always dreamed of being. Seeing the clearly attached strings, Deadpool rebukes the idea and pursues Wolverine in hopes of righting a wrong that is threatening the existence of the very timeline he comes from. He believes Logan can remedy this and so as the newly rejuvenated Deadpool, he goes jumping through countless multiverses trying to find the right Wolverine for the job.
From a comedic perspective, Deadpool 3 is every bit as hilarious and borderline insulting as ever and I say that positively enthusiastic about what I experienced this third time around. It’s unbelievably crass, highly self-referential and perhaps best of all, it remains consistently funny throughout the entire movie. When it comes to the action it’s plentiful and impactful. The violence is bloody and brutal and sometimes even funny. The characters, specifically the secret ones, are fantastic fan service and surprisingly serve a purpose beyond simple overblown cameos. Instead of just appearing, giving the audience a thrill and then disappearing right after, they become an integral part of the main characters’ journey.
Now for Wolvy and DP, the doomed dynamic duo of the spiraling MCU. We have seen their chemistry as simply Ryan and Hugh, and their friendship in real life translates beautifully to the big screen. Even when a majority of the movie they are at one another’s throats, often slicing said throats, their chemistry transcends the need to play nice and become what I would argue is extremely hostile. And of course within that hostility lies the comedy and the catharsis of two characters, who despite their tendency for frivolity still have their tormented past lives still very present and very much steering where they ultimately want to go. In the mutually beneficial journey they find themselves on, they find within one another a chance at redemption and it scares them.
As Deadpool, Reynolds is of course perfectly cast, proving yet again he was born to play this character. Seeing Hugh Jackman don the iconic blue and yellow is nerd catnip, both hypnotic and exciting. While somehow disrespecting the legacy of his final performance as the mutant with claws, they still manage to leave the legacy intact while bringing him back for some much needed giveback directed not just at Wade Wilson but for what is likely his final time, for us to say our proper goodbyes to Jackman as the best ½ of a duo we’ve only dreamed of until now. Together they are expectedly brilliant and give us the send off we were hoping for.
If I had to find fault with this movie it’s this - there are long periods of time when the movie just kind of meanders. It gets so caught up in fan service and getting the laugh that oftentimes the plot gets lost in the midst of comedy and action filler. While these scenes are highly enjoyable, it left me wondering from time to time what happened with the storyline. It was as if the movie was taking a break from being, well, a movie. It finds its footing again and course corrects when it’s necessary but easily strays all over again and does so repeatedly. But for every scene that feels aimless, these moments are still undeniably entertaining. Whether it’s more crude jokes and fourth wall breaking or superfluous action sequences, it all resides under the singular focus of making a damn entertaining superhero movie in a time when superhero content is looking for its own course correction. Is Deadpool & Wolverine the saving grace of the MCU? Only time will tell. That said, this feels like a good place to start the healing.
Rated R For: strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references
Runtime: 127 minutes
After Credits Scene: Yes
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
Directed By: Shawn Levy
Out of 10
Story: 8/ Acting: 9/ Directing: 8.5/ Visuals: 9
OVERALL: 9/10
Buy to Own: Yes
Check out the trailer below:
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