Whatever you loved (or found obnoxious) about the first two Deadpool movies is cranked up to 11 in Wade Wilson's first foray into the MCU. The gore, fourth-wall breaks and juvenile humor are more prominent than ever. Ryan Reynolds and company want to emphasize that there will be no watering down for fans of the 33 previous PG-13 entries.
Yes, Deadpool is in the big leagues now, but it's not quite a perfect fit. Part of what worked about the two previous films is Wade's underdog spirit and fuck-it-all attitude. He was a minor (anti)hero, and the movies reflected that. But now after a Phase and a half of underwhelming follow-ups and spin-offs, Marvel finds itself no longer on top of the world. Turning to a wise-cracking assassin who makes jokes about cocaine and child sex abuse to save their family-friendly empire feels a little off. And so does the film's relentless product placement. (Yes, even in other timelines, they still have Heineken and Jim Beam.)
For a film that feels comfortable mocking the downturn of the MCU and the death of Zack Snyder's DCEU, its plot is almost a carbon copy of last year's sloppy Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Both find their reluctant, quippy heroes trapped in an alternate dimension ruled by a merciless villain (in this case, Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova) desperate to destroy all the other dimensions. Both find themselves teaming up with former antagonists (in this case, a self-loathing version of Logan) and a band of misfits to take down the big bad.
But Deadpool & Wolverine has some distinct advantages over that threequel. For starters, a lot of the film takes place in real locations and actual sets. Yes, there's some occasionally dodgy CGI, but it's not ever-present. And it also has Hugh Jackman, who's played this part for nearly a quarter of the century. Unsurprisingly, he's been one of the few actors to make his spandex-clad superhero feel like a real person. He's much better at selling the script's attempts at gravitas than Reynolds. (He can still be a solid dramatic actor, but not here.)
Still, there's no denying the film is tremendously entertaining when it stays on track. Its tribute to some forgotten - or never realized - Marvel movie characters is great fun. And I could have used a bit more time with them. But then it probably wouldn't be called Deadpool & Wolverine.
If meta jokes and exploring the multiverse are your obsessions, you'll find a lot to love here. If you're growing a little tired of both, you won't have quite as much fun.
