As a longtime comic book geek with sky high expectations for Deadpool & Wolverine, the film delivered on almost all of them. This latest film from Marvel Studios is a gore and comedy filled romp, with a barrage of slice and dice action featuring the return of many familiar faces and the same heart and enthusiasm that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is known for. The film swooped in to save the MCU from drowning into mediocrity, making a triumphant return from a particularly “low point’.
The film is directed by Shawn Levy, who is known for (PG rated) movies like the Ryan Reynolds-starrer Free Guy, The Night at the Museum series, and The Internship among others. This is the director, as well as MCU’s first R-Rated film. The film is produced by Reynolds, MCU head Kevin Feige, Levy, Simon Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner.
The film starts out with the lead character Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (played by Reynolds) looking for a purpose, a job or any task that actually matters. After hitting various dead ends, he finds himself in Time Variance Authority (from the series Loki), an organisation that chooses him to join the Sacred Timeline (a jargon for the main MCU timeline) as his home universe’s timeline is deteriorating due to the death of “Wolverine/Logan”, who is revealed to be the timeline’s “anchor being” (the lead star of the Fox’s cinematic universe played by Hugh Jackman). This sets Deadpool on a quest to find another version of the anchor being to stabilise his universe and save his loved ones and the entire timeline. The mission, however, goes south, banishing both Deadpool and Wolverine into a wasteland ruled by the one-dimensional villain and Charles Xavier’s (also known as Professor X in the previous X-Men instalments) sister Cassandra Nova (played by Emma Corrin).
With a strong build up in the first act, the film truly takes off when Reynolds and Jackman share the screen, featuring some of the most entertaining hack-and-slash action and witty banter. Some jokes fall flat, but the lead actors successfully land most of them. Speaking of performances, Reynolds brings back the punches and adult humour his Deadpool is known for, amping it up with cleverer fourth wall breaks (literally). Although Jackman’s final send-off to Wolverine was near perfect and difficult to top, he still embodies the Wolverine we love. However, his familiar “I should distance my loved ones to protect them” trope is overused, seen in his first two solo movies X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine. The film does not fully explore the tragedy haunting this Wolverine variant, mentioning it verbally but never showing it on screen. By not portraying Logan’s darker times, the film misses the opportunity of fully fleshing out his character in this instalment. Despite these issues, Deadpool and Wolverine’s chaotic and energetic chemistry translates well on screen.
The film excels in delivering on the best thing that the MCU is known for: fan service. And this time none of it feels forced or goofy. Recently, MCU projects have increasingly incorporated fan-first elements like cameos and homage to the comics that inspired them. But not all of those efforts have been successful. In this film, fan service takes centre stage with a ton of cameos from returning 20th Century Fox’s Marvel characters and some native MCU characters; like a throwback to the 2019 merger between the Walt Disney Company (parent company of Marvel Studios) and 20th Century Fox. Without going into the specifics and giving spoilers, the fan service moments in the film are absolutely gold and pay perfect homage to prior Fox owned Marvel characters and also features callbacks to previous Marvel films that do them justice.
The music and the sleek sound design compliment the film’s brutal and violent moments. Look out for Madonna’s Like a Prayer playing during one of the craziest action scenes in the film.
While the film excels in its first (build up) and second (confrontation) segments, the conclusion seems serviceable and cliché, not bringing anything new to the table. Unlike Marvel films like Infinity War and Civil War which had dark endings, Deadpool & Wolverine ends on a lighter and hopeful note, fitting its comedic approach.
Do not look for a gritty and tragic storyline with tear-jerking moments, because Deadpool & Wolverine has none. While the film lacks the brooding and sombre elements of the Wolverine films, it checks all the boxes of being a new Deadpool instalment with all the bloodshed and swearing. All in all, the film is a highly enjoyable and gutsy watch, sure to appeal to the Marvel fans, the graphic novel enthusiasts, and casual moviegoers alike.
Deadpool and Wolverine will hit theatres across India on 26 July 2024.
