The first two Deadpool movies were runaway hits, with big jokes, fun characters, and everything comic fans would expect from the Merc with a Mouth. When Disney bought Fox, there was some concern over whether or not there would be a third Deadpool movie, and if there was, would it still be the rated R vulgarity trip we all know and love. Now that the third Deadpool movie is here, the raunch is intact, but was it at the cost of fun? Let’s take a closer look in our Deadpool & Wolverine review.
Deadpool & Wolverine picks up shortly after the events of Deadpool 2. The TVA from the Loki Disney Plus series get involved, as Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) teams up with a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to defeat Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), and save his timeline. There’s enough MCU to welcome Deadpool into Marvel Studios, but this is still very much a Fox mutant film.
The Deadpool movies have never been strong on story, but this one was especially weak in that regard. Usually that weakness is forgiven due to the incredibly funny, and over the top jokes. However, when it comes to Deadpool & Wolverine, almost all of the best jokes were in the trailers. In my limited screening audience, laughter was almost entirely absent. Perhaps a general audience will laugh more, but many of the jokes felt uninspired, or too try hard compared to the last two Deadpool movies.
Cassandra Nova is a formidable opponent, but her motivation is severely lacking. In the comics, Cassandra has a deep and complicated backstory that fuels her hatred of her twin brother, Charles Xavier. While that is touched upon in Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s a blink and you’ll miss it scene that does little to provide motivation for her actions. She’s a deadly enemy, but there’s nothing about her that would make an audience care if she lives or dies. Thanks to the multiverse, there’s also never any real reason to believe Deadpool will die. And if Logan dies, we all know he’ll just come back, with or without Hugh Jackman.
With a flat story, lifeless jokes, and a weak villain, what makes Deadpool & Wolverine watchable? Fan service. Normally, fan service is only enough to add to an already great film. It rarely elevates a film to new heights, and movies that rely too heavily on fan service generally miss the mark completely (see Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). We won’t spoil anything here, but the high points of fan service in Deadpool & Wolverine are so high that they help balance out an otherwise forgettable film.
The hope was that Deadpool & Wolverine would reignite the limp Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, it just barely lights a spark. Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t the worst Marvel film by any means, but it’s certainly the weakest movie in the Deadpool trilogy. Wolverine is a big highlight, especially in an R-rated environment, but this is not a good movie. Fans of the Fox Marvel films and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will have some fun here, but as a whole Deadpool & Wolverine is a shallow attempt at continuing the franchise. Still, we look forward to Deadpool inevitably interacting with the greater MCU, hopefully with a more inspired script.
About Deadpool & Wolverine
Synopsis: Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy.
Director: Shawn Levy
Writers: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wenick
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen
Runtime: 2 Hours, 7 Minutes
Rated: R
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
