Running Time: 127 minutes
This feature from Walt Disney Studios and Marvel opens exclusively at theaters on July 26th.
Over the past few years, superhero features have really begun to feel exhausting. There have been a few good ones, but the primary goal of several appears to be setting up an overall story arc for the future rather than delivering thrills, excitement and laughs in the moment. Deadpool & Wolverine seems well aware of this problem and actually uses this issue to its advantage, poking fun at the studio as well as its recent foray in multiverse storylines. It is a decidedly R-rated effort, but the tone is irreverent and many of its riffs are enjoyable.
Several years after the events of the previous film, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) has retired from action and works as a used car salesman. Unfortunately, his blunt manner with customers does him no favors at work. In fact, Wade primarily spends time lamenting a lack of purpose in his life, so much so that his significant other Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has left him. One day, the lead is visited by the mysterious Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), an agent and member of the Time Variance Authority. Wade is told that the death of James “Logan” Howlett (Hugh Jackman), known to the public as Wolverine, has caused an issue that will soon end his timeline and those within it. Desperate to save the few friends he still has left, Deadpool goes on a wild adventure hoping to bring Wolverine back to life. The trip takes him to a grim alternate universe known as “The Void,” run by despot mutant Cassandra Nova (Emma Corin).
Deadpool is a violent mercenary with regenerative healing abilities. And so, like the previous films in the series, everything in this superhero picture is pushed to the limit. The story is paced at breakneck speed as bodies are sliced, crunched and tossed aside, all while the character jests about his predicament. It all could very easily come across as callous. Yet so many comments from the motor-mouthed figure note that the story takes place in a filmic world (there are numerous jabs at the Marvel and Disney corporations) with alternate universes and multiple versions of the same character, these extreme events are more satirical than truly disturbing.
The bickering between Deadpool and Wolverine (who are enemies in the comics and films) is amusing to watch, with Reynolds and Jackman both getting in biting digs at each other. Seeing two characters with nearly identical healing abilities fight for hours on end (all backed to upbeat pop music) also delivers.
Additionally, there are remarkable surprise appearances in the picture. Anyone familiar with Marvel titles in the decade before Iron Man will be very happy by who they see. The thick accent of one surprise cast member also makes for a great running joke. Truth be told, there are so many jobs and superhero references that it’s seemingly impossible to catch them all on the first viewing. Sure, it’s all hectic and not every crude comment hits the mark, but there are so many that it’s only a few lines before a cutting statement does draw a laugh.
Perhaps the most surprising element is the fact that the story offers Reynolds and Jackman a few serious moments. Both suffer from trauma and the screenplay manages to allow each the opportunity to address these issues. Between the over-the-top violence and humor, Jackman (who is now playing the character for the tenth time on screen) has a memorably heartfelt scene. It shouldn’t work, but the performer delivers it with aplomb and in the process gives the finale a sense of gravitas.
Yes, a lot of humor is even further beyond the pale than in the previous sequel, but the charm and charisma of the cast, as well as the high stakes of the story, keep one engaged. The film moves at a brisk pace and ultimately delivers. In the end, Deadpool & Wolverine is a superhero team-up that doesn’t disappoint.
Note: Viewers should also sit through the entire credits, which features both a touching tribute to Marvel movies of the past, as well as a hilarious callback featuring incredibly foul language from an unexpected source.