DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE – The Merc With a Mouth is Back at Last!

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE is the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s directed by Shawn Levy, and stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.

When Deadpool’s application to join the Avengers is turned down, he descends into a mid-life crisis, taking a job as a used car salesman. It’s not long before he’s forcibly recruited by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to exterminate his own universe, which is falling apart as a result of the death of its “anchor being,” Logan/Wolverine. Deadpool finds himself scouring other universes to find another Wolverine to replace the deceased one and save his universe, but quickly finds himself stranded in a void with many familiar faces, and must do his part alongside another universe’s Logan to undo a plot that’ll eradicate all timelines other than the core “sacred” one.

It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since we got our last dose of Ryan Reynolds playing Deadpool, but I’m glad the Merc With a Mouth is back. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had a rough 2023, with some of its worst films ever coming out. Although Marvel’s buyout of 20th Century Fox effectively ended those films/universes/etc., they thankfully wanted to retain Reynolds as Deadpool, giving us this latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE is a messy film at times, likely due to all it had to juggle and the fact that it had five credited writers, it hits more often than it misses, sticking the proverbial superhero landing, and making up for the stinkers we got from Marvel last year. Deadpool says “superhero fatigue be damned,” and I have a feeling audiences will feel the same way when they walk out of this one.

When it comes to superhero casting, has there ever been a better choice than Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool? With a wisecracking witty retort for any situation and a knack for fourth-wall breaking and meta humor, this guy can make even the hardest hearted moviegoer burst into laughter. Reynolds holds nothing back in his third outing as God’s Perfect Idiot, giving what may be his best performance as the character yet, hitting all the comedic chords and even a few surprisingly emotional ones. This guy deserves all the credit he gets for this role and then some, and I only hope we don’t have to wait another six years before we catch him on the big screen again.

Another fantastic superhero casting choice, of course, was Hugh Jackman, who reprises his role of Wolverine/Logan here, 24 years (!) after first playing the part. I doubt anyone expected a big buff Australian guy playing a Canadian character would work… but he’s now one of the most recognizable actors from his portrayer of the claw-wielding mutant. Gritty, serious, and defeated, he’s the perfect foil to the obnoxious and constant ranting of Deadpool, never holding back his annoyance, which often reaches a point of intense violence. I doubt anyone thought they’d see Mr. Jackman returning to this role after LOGAN in 2017, which was a perfect send-off to this character, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t have a smile on my face seeing him reprise the role… wearing the comic-accurate yellow suit no less!

I had my fears that Disney would desecrate the DEADPOOL franchise the way they have so many others in recent years, but those fears were almost immediately whisked away once DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE got going. The MCU has been in a sorry state for a while, and Deadpool makes this clear on several occasions. The wanton violence, R-rated profanities, and relentless meta-style humor that defined the earlier installments is alive and well here. It will be interesting to see what direction the franchise goes in after this film, but I’m pleased to see Deadpool has a future on the big screen.

And the cameos. Oh yes, the cameos. I can’t go into spoiler territory, but there are a TON of them here. You’ll see many faces you never thought you’d see again taking the screen in DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE, and it’s glorious. This movie is fan service defined. Throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, your giddy inner child will come out more than a few times. From wisecracking moments with these character to epic battle sequences, DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE is unadulterated superhero bliss with surprises around every corner.

It’s not quite a perfect film, though. At times, it struggles to juggle its tone, and the writing feels a bit inconsistent. The movie can be excessive at times, though thankfully if one joke doesn’t stick there’s usually one right around the corner that does. The biggest sin committed by DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE is how it treats the regular supporting cast members of previous installments, including Blind Al, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus, and Vanessa – they’re barely in the movie at all. While I appreciate the fan service and the cameos, these characters deserved better than they got here. Here’s hoping they’ll get more chances to shine in DEADPOOL 4… whenever that comes out.

Is DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE a perfect film? Absolutely not. But it put a smile on my face during every second. It’s the wisecracking superhero bloodbath we so desperately need in a day and age when superhero fatigue is frustratingly apparent. Does the movie save the MCU? Only time will tell on that front. But it’s THE movie to see this summer. Head to the theater as soon as it’s on the screen. I smiled. I laughed. I cried. I cheered. And so will you.

Highly recommended despite the minor flaws.