Deadpool & Wolverine (2024, dir. Shawn Levy)

by Jack Martin | Jul 25, 2024

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 128 mins

UK Distributor: Marvel Studios

UK Release Date: 25 July 2024

WHO’S IN DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE?

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfadyen, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić, Shioli Kutsuna, Randal Reeder, Lewis Tan, Aaron Stanford

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Shawn Levy (director, writer, producer), Ryan Reynolds (writer, producer), Rhett Reese, Zeb Wells and Paul Wernick (writers), Kevin Feige and Lauren Shuler Donner (producers), Rob Simonsen (composer), George Richmond (cinematographer), Shane Reid and Dean Zimmerman (editors)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Deadpool (Reynolds) teams with a variant of Wolverine (Jackman) for a multiversal adventure…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE?

In one of his many signature meta jabs, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool mentions that both he and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe at “a bit of a low point.” In one fell swoop, it’s a comment on the fact that Marvel’s more recent crop of movies have not entirely been up to previous standards, both with critics and at the box office, and also bait for gullible writers like myself to reference that line in their reviews for Deadpool & Wolverine, in order to comment on how Marvel’s current energy levels are given a much-needed boost by this movie.

It’s far from perfect, and you’ll find out why momentarily, but director Shawn Levy’s film is an energetic and largely enjoyable affair that retains the profane and gory nature of previous Deadpool movies, in addition to honouring and respecting a whole wave of pre-MCU superhero movies that paved the way for what we now know them to be.

The film picks up on Wade Wilson (Reynolds) as he’s hung up the Deadpool guise for good and settled for an unfulfilling job as a car salesman, following an unsuccessful interview for a certain other superhero group in a neighbouring universe (don’t ask how, just go along with it). Soon, he’s picked up by the Time Variance Authority – that multiverse-monitoring lot from the Loki series – and offered a chance to join the “Sacred Timeline”, aka the proper MCU, by agent Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), who also tells him that his universe is dying after the loss of its “anchor being.” That would be none other than Logan, better known as Wolverine (Jackman), prompting Wade to scour the multiverse in search of a Wolverine variant who can fill his place, and he eventually comes across one dubbed “the worst Wolverine”, for reasons too spoiler-heavy to get into. Now, the exceptionally mismatched pair must find a way to save both their worlds, confront a new menace in the form of psychic mutant Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), and – most difficult of all – learn to get along with each other.

That’s as much as I want to get into the plot without giving away any of its surprises, some of which – as you’d expect from something as shrouded in secrecy as the likes of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home – are best left for you to experience on the big screen. What I will say, though, is that Deadpool & Wolverine fully acknowledges the legacy of previous Marvel movies made under the formerly-known 20th Century Fox, and how despite no longer fitting in the newer canon they really were influential for how today’s superhero movies look and feel. It comes at it from a surprisingly heartfelt place, certainly making jokes at their expense as you would expect a character like Deadpool to do, but also not tossing them aside once they’ve seemingly outlived their purpose, granting them a kind of dignity that proudly salutes them and their service to superhero cinema as a whole.

Though, given that this is a Deadpool movie, that dignity is delightfully twisted in nature. Promises that the character wouldn’t be sanitised or toned down upon his entry in the much more family-friendly MCU have been met and then some, as Deadpool & Wolverine features a whole lot of that grotesque violence from the previous Fox-made films, with people getting slashed, beheaded, impaled by adamantium claws and even flayed, all with that tongue-in-cheek humour, exceptionally vulgar language and self-aware attitude that Deadpool has become notorious for. The opening credits alone are an anarchic display of gruesome gore and bonkers humour, and it would be hilarious to see if a particular track by N*SYNC gets a “Murder on the Dancefloor”-style resurgence in the charts because of it. Put simply, those expecting to see a Deadpool movie as they know it will absolutely get what they were hoping for.

Of course, Wolverine is just as vital to this film, and his inclusion is a firm pillar that keeps it all from entirely falling apart. Beyond the joy of seeing Hugh Jackman easily slip back into his iconic role, not to mention the pleasingly antagonistic chemistry between him and Ryan Reynolds that’s like Midnight Run in spandex, the film gives the character plenty of weight to make his return worthwhile, especially after the pretty decisive conclusion of Logan. He has plenty of funny moments, albeit not quite as much to match his quippier co-star, but there are times when you can feel his fierceness seeping out to where he’s legitimately intimidating, with Jackman even releasing a bit of pent-up emotion from his performance in Prisoners in one or two scenes. It’s an emotional turn for Jackman, and he lends the film some much-needed gravitas to make it one of the more balanced Marvel movies in a while.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s also one of the very best, for as entertaining as Deadpool & Wolverine is, it is undeniably flawed. The film’s biggest issue is its pacing, as director Levy – who is also one of five credited writers, including Reynolds himself – struggles to find a comfortable enough flow for all the mayhem, with scenes feeling as though they’re going on for longer than they most likely are. Furthermore, while there are some very funny gags throughout the film, including some unexpected cameos that you probably won’t see coming, the comedy isn’t as consistent as the previous Deadpool films, with a few noticeable lulls and a couple of jokes that fall a bit flat. Other issues, such as underdeveloped villains and borderline gratuitous fan service, are bog standard for Marvel movies in general.

Like much of Marvel’s post-Endgame content, Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t going to change the minds of any sceptic of current superhero cinema. However, as a fun adult crowd-pleaser, and a compassionate acknowledgement of a bygone Marvel era, it’s a fine jolt of energy to help the MCU start that climb out of its low point.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Deadpool & Wolverine delivers an entertaining and often very funny, if noticeably flawed, piece of adult-friendly Marvel mayhem that also pays surprisingly heartfelt tribute to a previous influential era of superhero cinema.