Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” is the perfect summer getaway and blockbuster the world needs; it oozes heart while possessing impressive camera work and solid editing.
Director Shawn Levy’s finished product recaptures viewers’ trust as they are led into the Marvel amusement park, which, to many, felt the execution was going stale like the old cereal left on the shelf as the years pass by due to the oversaturation and misguided formula.
I can happily report Levy’s latest creation fires on all cylinders, balancing the standard comic-book formula with a dash of splendor and immense creativity that leaves you wanting more.
Surprisingly, the screenplay also addresses themes of guilt, mortality, and integrity, which worked in favor of the story being told. This is especially true regarding the tone and delivery of the premise for the journey Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), are caught up in, as the plot comes off feeling a bit thin for a short duration of the film.
For periods of the film, the script searches to find its footing; still, the reinforcement of a well-paced runtime of two hours and seven minutes helps create a cohesive conclusion by the end of the buddy-cop drama that boasts an unhinged Wolverine, buckets of blood, an R rating which comes off being a bit soft-core, besides the amount of vulgar outbursts in signature Deadpool fashion, and cameos that are too perfect to spoil, all entangled by multiverse shenanigans, and the value of being a hero.
That said, the film works at its core due to the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman as the wise-cracking Merc with the Mouth, and The “X-Man” graciously provided by Deadpool elevates the presentation to the point of allowing Jackman and Reynolds to not only offer a new dimension to their characters but also make it clear that both men have the time of their lives every time they step into the frame, questioning the fine line of if some scenes are Logan and Wade interacting or Reynolds and Jackman.
I confess that seeing Jackman reprise his role as Wolverine was well worth the price of admission, especially realizing the conquest of seeing the accurate Yellow and Blue costume finally be adapted after 24 years was fulfilled due to the brilliance of costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo hitting a home run. She also crafted Wade’s new suit, which is a bit brighter and opts for a red hue, and the eyes on the mask are diminished to match the comics.
Reynolds cemented his legacy as the titular character to the point that I’m unsure if anyone else could wear the boots or mask from the opening credits following a similar design from the previous Deadpool films, and still ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever seen, to the respect and trust he provides from being a screenwriter on the film to learning under the watchful supervision and freedom of Kevin Feige.
Now being under the Marvel Studios brand, granting way to some of the best fight choreography, camera work, and color grading in recent years, add in the Levy touch, a cocktail of emotional trauma and lessons of guilt, with a hint of humor, the film ended up being something special. All elements are perfectly woven throughout the screenplay, rewarding fans with moments of Marvel adrenaline with a soft cushion of pure bliss.
Cinematographer George Richmond and Levy work in tandem, showcasing the ability to balance and find a happy medium between bursts of kinetic, bloody action and soft, tender moments of struggling to move past the guilt and find comfort. For example, some scenes are vibrant and colorful, others are centered around shadows, and others are flung around the frame, like a moving 2-D side scroller arcade video game, crafted with precision and attention to detail, pulling the viewer in, never settling for a dull moment.
Invoking the conscience choice to pair a broken and deprived Logan with one that longs for the salvation and freedom of death—a completely different variation from the one we all pleaded for to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sandbox—with a Wade that is searching to realize if he possesses a moral compass that he hopes resides below all the sporadic humor and untamed violence does offer the question to the audience: Are our icons worthy of redemption?
It’s an interesting dichotomy because the villains in the film are presented to the audience similarly. Most notably, Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova, with their portrayal as the twin sister of Professor Charles Xavier, was a fascinating character study and deconstruction of the patriarch of the X-Men, asking the question, what if Xavier didn’t harbor any humanity, and gave into the darkness residing in the hearts of men.
Nonetheless, Corrin stood out with their ability to channel insanity while garnering sympathy. This resulted in a megalomaniac longing to break free from the established order and find closure, living in isolation and delirium, believing they were the ‘hero’ in their own story.
And I feel what made the character work was the crucial detail of knowing no character was safe, as Nova threw her weight around and made Logan and Wade question the stability of what’s occurring and that they are out of their depth. It’s a great push and pull that the writers executed to show the unbottled rage and the amount of fear that Corrin utilized within their performance.
Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Paradox is a bit of a wild card. His performance carries a bit of comedic sociopathic tendencies, acting as a foil throughout the plot. It works for most of the film’s first act, but his arc deteriorates as the film continues, and he comes off feeling like he suffers from the villain of the week trope. Now, that’s not a bad thing by all means; I just wanted to see more interaction and see what made him tick.
The conscience choice of having the void accessible as a critical setting, acting as a prison and sandbox for each character being perceived as broken and tossed aside like toys discarded, resulting in schisms leading to various spaghetti western stand-offs throughout locations created from a mix of practical effects along with panels plucked from the pages, offering a breakpoint from the CGI slop that has plagued films of the past, was another reason for the price of admission alone.
But that’s where the spoilers run rampant, and it’s better to experience this latest Marvel attraction as blind as possible. Having seen the film, I can admit the trailers held a ton back, and it’s impressive to confess how most creative choices and appearances made the final cut. Despite this, it should be known the latest Deadpool does throw a ton at the audience; there is a bit of homework to be done to understand the full context of what’s occurring.
The humor was spot-on and will likely be a focal point and conversation starter in the future, as the screenplay doesn’t pull any punches, and it’s hard to find the line between improv and scripture. The soundtrack is a well-crafted ensemble of various tracks, from pop music to classic musicals and familiar scores from past films, that feels pieced together by the utter insanity of Deadpool and Reynolds himself, showing that maybe these two are the same.
Deadpool and Wolverine is pure comic-book mayhem that doesn’t let go and fires on all cylinders. It is a meta fourth wall-breaking love letter to 20th-century Fox films. The lingering thought of seeing more mainstream comic-book films under the R-rated brand is a beautiful sight many have longed to witness, and it echos a connection to a time that many feel has been left drifting in the past.
Deadpool and Wolverine reinforce the clause that it’s time for the MCU to evolve, as all signs point to the comeback being extremely special, as in the words of Deadpool,
“Buckle up and let this man cook.”
Shawn Levy directs “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen.
Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Lauren Shuler Donner produce, with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Shawn Levy.
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