There’s something to be said for a film that can get by on being fun enough despite itself. Stuck in the middle of summer, Deadpool & Wolverine is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s only theatrical offering of 2024, and if ever there was a film that felt like a massive series taking a break, this one fits the bill. Seemingly content with being so self-satisfied at delivering inventive ideas and plentiful cameos in the blandest manner possible, director Shawn Levy, producer/star Ryan Reynolds, and the other three credited writers have essentially delivered a good enough film that works very hard to undermine itself at every step. There are enough antics, quips, and R-rated pleasures stemming from Deadpool’s juvenile sensibilities to make for an enjoyable 2+ hours, but those looking for anything deeper may need to explore another universe or hope the MCU has more interesting plans in store for whatever Captain America and the Fantastic Four will be up to in the years to come. As this film stands, it’s crowd-pleasing but assembled with gum, toothpicks, and reminders of movies from a past era, whether you liked them or not.
The plot is very straightforward. Following the death of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in Logan, the Time Variance Authority (TVA, which you can learn more about in Disney+’s Loki series) has realized Wade Wilson’s (Reynolds) universe is at an end. While it usually takes a long time for a deteriorating timeline to conclude, Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) wants to speed things up while keeping Deadpool around, as he apparently has his use outside of his world. Wade doesn’t want to lose his family, so, with a limited amount of time, he pops on his Deadpool uniform and begins timeline-hopping to find another Logan he can bring to his universe, ideally saving it in the process. This becomes a more arduous task than Wade anticipated.
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While there have been a lot of downsides to Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox, fanboys have certainly been chipper about a notion that can be boiled down to “Wolverine can now fight Iron Man,” or whichever MCU fav one wants to insert. Whatever the circumstances may be, in terms of movies designed to make audiences happy, there is a joy in getting to see Reynolds’ Deadpool proper (not that thing that first emerged in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Jackman’s Wolverine placed into a buddy comedy where they curse at and stab each other, repeatedly. While I won’t say the film’s entire first act is worthless, outside of an opening action sequence, there’s a lull in excitement, made all the more evident by knowing Wolverine will eventually be involved in Deadpool’s shenanigans.
Returning to the role, Jackman is as salty as ever as the ragin’ Canadian, even while playing a version who’s at his lowest point (in this Wolverine’s universe, he let all the X-Men down). Honestly, it’s a delight to see. I can appreciate the layered choice of the film acknowledging that the X-Men cinematic universe started collapsing once Jackman hung up the claws. Still, I know it’s not something Jackman takes for granted. Having enjoyed a career that has allowed him to still become a movie star outside of his marquee character, seeing him return (and wearing one of his signature comic costumes, no less) is the right kind of meaningful. I only wish the rest of the film felt as committed as Jackman.
I won’t say I’ve been the biggest Deadpool movie fan and that this is a letdown by comparison. However, while more opportunity is taken to break the 4th walls in even wilder ways, let alone deliver all sorts of meta mayhem, there is a distinct push away from just how well the Deadpool movies played into their own goofy standards. They essentially function as 80s action movies reliant on many perfunctory superhero clichés and a character who is self-aware. I can say Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t much different in that regard, but there is a matter of creating a certain kind of flow to achieve the balance it wants to have with now being a part of the MCU. Here’s the thing – it aims to achieve that by way of slapdash writing and playing to the fans that either relish all things MCU or their knowledge of the 2000s superhero movie era without actually doing much to connect any of these things meaningfully.
Without getting into too much detail, a large chunk of the film is spent in the MCU equivalent of the forbidden zone (once again, this is explained well in Loki). It’s as if a choice was made to place the film in a Mad Max world yet still adhere to the MCU’s continually odd choice of removing any sense of vibrancy when it comes to atmosphere and production design. Within this world, audiences will see a lot of stuff. Much of it can be fun, despite the dull choices for reveals and no strong sense of why any of this was needed beyond the notion of “why not?” Of course, if one came into a film like this with proper expectations, there’s nothing really wrong with that. And at the end of the day, that will be fine for most audiences. It may likely end up as one of the least essential entries in all of the MCU, but there’s no denying it’s jazzed up enough to be memorable, regardless.
Sadly, Levy’s direction works against this film the most. For the record, I think the script is close to terrible as well, but at least it is trying for something and remains devoted to suggesting this is a heartfelt series (and that’s why the previous Deadpool films are superior). Presentation-wise, however, there’s so much left to be desired regarding the staging of scenes, the action on display, and various choices when considering visual inspiration, let alone discipline. Directors Tim Miller and David Leitch didn’t make perfect films, but Miller’s visual effects and animation background allowed a lot of splashy ideas to arrive on a lower-than-normal superhero movie budget. Leitch’s stuntman background (and an increased budget) gave Deadpool 2 a lot more ambitious action to lean into, along with a variety of colorful locations to match the liveliness of an energized cast.
Looking at Deadpool & Wolverine, by comparison, along with ditching most of its recurring players for long periods of time, there are only about three action scenes that really work. It’s the most the film ever really comes alive from a visual/directorial standpoint (and even one of those feels hampered by its deliberate perspective that robs the action of its power in favor of trying to be cool). That said, given how Marvel works, I can only speculate how much involvement Levy has in those sections. As far as the rest of the film is concerned, it’s not ideal for me to be focused on how hard Reynolds is working to keep this film afloat by sheer force of smarmy will. Again, the Midnight Run-inspired banter between an angry/drunk Wolverine and the very pansexual Deadpool goes a long enough way to have kept me interested. Still, not unlike jump scares in horror movies or shock humor in certain comedies, there’s only so much lasting appeal for a film so dedicated to its surprises when everything around it is so thin.
Case in point, the film’s villain, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), is fascinating yet totally underutilized as a character that could provide an even greater threat in a proper X-Men film. Despite Deadpool & Wolverine never really being in a rush (further neutralizing the supposed stakes), there was only so much effort being put into this powerful mutant character who could have been explored in ways fit for matching Wade and Logan as characters. There’s good work by Corrin on display, but her attitude is no match for a script that so easily casts aside what would make her more compelling.
Typical for Marvel, the actors are all in good form. Plus, being a film series so dedicated to being in on the joke, matching the casual reactions to crazy events with humorous responses makes plenty of sense here (even if the film settles for the easy joke one time too many). With all of that in mind, by nature of what the MCU has delivered in the past, this movie feels shoddier and passionless from a filmmaking standpoint. However, it’s still bringing some bare minimum successes enhanced by the surprises in store for audiences. And sure, the Deadpool schtick still feels like a natural calling for Reynolds.
In terms of being a summer treat for those looking for nonsense escapism, Deadpool & Wolverine is offering something very comfortable. It’s not very inventive beyond the notion of putting people you haven’t seen in this manner before (for better or worse) into the same frame for extended periods of time, but it knows how to have fun based on the presence of said individuals. I long for something sharper when it comes to a character with the mutant ability to address the audience and call out the actual studios on what they are doing, but when the goal is to simply get the laugh, the movie does deliver enough to get by. Along with a reliance on action scenes incorporating regeneration abilities, the R-rated glee that comes from a film like this is basically enough for it to overcome its weak direction. I just hope next time, like a prayer, it takes me there, somewhere more significant.
Deadpool & Wolverine opens in theaters and IMAX on July 26, 2024.
