No assembly RequireD

In order to appropriately review the film Deadpool & Wolverine major spoilers are discussed. Read at your own caution. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Kevin Feige has been all around Marvel films for quite some time. While many now know him as the head of Marvel Studios, his comic book film days actually started way back as an associate producer on 2000’s X-Men. A time when comic films had the world up against them, when general audiences had zero idea what a multiverse was, and Robert Downey Jr. was a long time away from being the biggest household name ever. But we all know the history that follows and nearly twenty five years later, Marvel and more specifically Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe dominates the superhero genre. It can be exhausting and it can exhilarating but more than not audiences and especially die hard fans are aware of the ups and downs and even the behind the scenes chaos. This drama made it all the easier for a character like Wade Wilson aka Deadpool aka the Merc with the Mouth to make his way into the cinematic films with 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s sequel. Both major success themselves they allowed Ryan Reynolds to don the mask and burnt to a crisp face, to allow this wise cracking ultimate dickhead to poke fun at the superhero films, the success of the MCU and more so the unsuccessful side of every other studios superhero attempts. It was playful banter that allowed Deadpool to be at his most vulgar since it was (at the time) not owned by Disney and childlike ears. But like an evil space alien trying to collect infinity stones, Disney found its way to buy out 20^th Century Fox and all its properties begging the question? What does the studio who put out Cinderella do with a superhero who makes pegging jokes and slaughters people to bits? Well they do what they’ve always don, they indoctrinate him into their ways, and in case that isn’t enough team him up with the most famous superhero you got out of your Fox deal. DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is basically a Disney board meeting in movie form. A wannabe love letter to the era of Fox Marvel films, but instead of succeeding it merely just reminds you how much better these films once were. Sure it is easy to mock Fox’s “Fantastic Four” or the confusing (constantly re-written) timelines of the X-Men films, but at the same time they were given to many in a time where liking superhero films was not only uncool it was a free range of disrespect for many involved making them. So DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE allows itself to be a film that cares less about coherent filmmaking, or inspiring visuals (might be the most desaturated colored film in recent memory) and instead hellbent on playing savior and patting itself on the back all while being a backhanded compliment to the Fox films. And if that isn’t enough there is an unfunny boner joke every three minutes.

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is down in the dumps once again. After going back in time and saving the love of his life Vanessa (Morena Baccarin somehow given even less to do than in Deadpool 2) he has found himself with no purpose and has rejected the Deadpool life. He has been rejected from joining the Avengers, Vanessa has left him and he is stuck selling used cars with his former and very human sidekick Peter (Rob Delaney). But when the TVA (or Time Variance Authority for the many of you who did not watch Loki on Disney plus) comes knocking and a mysterious agent named Mr. Paradox (Matthew MacFayden) offers him a chance for greatness Wade finds himself at a crossroads of being someone great but watching his own timeline and loved ones die. In a forced bit of exposition to tie everything in we learn that Logan aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) dying in 2017’s “Logan” was the sole thing keeping Wade’s universe alive, without him it serves no purpose. Thus leading Wade on a multiverse journey to find any Logan/Wolverine who can keep his universe alive. The Deadpool Wolverine team up has been teased for years, for comic book fans it has been given to them many times, but for audiences who associate Wolverine solely with Hugh Jackman this team up has been a long time in the making and even better for Disney the chance to get one of the best cast roles back on screen again after a respectful and honorable death. To have Jackman back as Wolverine can be exciting but even after telling us the film will honor the death given in “Logan” (only to follow it up with a dreadful dance routine to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”) it still feels unearned in every sense. The Wolverine Wade is able to get is another lost soul from a different but other unfortunate timeline, but even Jackman as a performer seems more focused on bantering with his real world friend then he is donning the costume again. Even in a comic accurate suit the whole thing feels required and Jackman comes off as someone too afraid to say no to the powers that be. Oh yea and did I mention there’s a director who made this movie. I think we are officially at the point where we can now say if you’ve seen one Shawn Levy movie, then you’ve seen them all. A director who makes no attempt to make a name for himself outside of being straddled with low end comedies that let their poorly written scripts do the talking while he sits back and now will watch the Marvel millions roll in.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE may feature two characters new to the Marvel universe, but its storytelling is right on cue with being as lost as many of the previous films in this supposed multiverse saga. In fact it takes nearly an hour before any sort of resemblance of conflict or plot to roll through. Even the threat of Wade’s universe dying is quickly passed by as it rather focus on enough homoerotic humor to fill up a 2003 high school classroom. By the time the villain Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin given nothing to do but flaunt a bald scalp) arrives in a place known as the void, where all former Fox Marvel characters go to die, there is barely any level of threat. Comic books bring people back from the dead all the time, but when you sideline Wade’s real family for cameos and two unkillable leads, does any of it even matter? And yes there will be tons of talk about the cameos (although that’s hardly the right term for them) so here is your second and last spoiler warning have you. Seeing characters get to don their old suits again is actually warmly welcomed and one of the few times things are treated with genuine care, perhaps that is because calling them cameos is false. When Fox members return they may be used as a plot device but its done less in fan service (although one Gambit performer could make for the opposite argument) but to allow them the respect they were rarely given before. And while this is pleasant it is also uncomfortable knowing their “happy ending” is at the hands of Disney who is just going to toss them aside later. Even seeing (okay one more warning MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!) Jennifer Garner back as Elektra is disheartening at best since while the audience may applaud this time it is still a reminder of years where a performer had to fight for the respect in a role that was played well even if the films were not everyone’s favorite. In a time where it is finally cool to like superhero movies, you wish that love was given all those years ago that way they didn’t have to be handled like puppets in a film nearly twenty years later. But still it is one of the few moments of levity and even just getting more time with Dafne Keen’s Laura aka X-23 is a treat since Keen as a performer plays it as someone so indebted to the role. There are tons of other surprises throughout if you will, but none as satisfying as seeing some of these Fox heroes and villains. It can be fan service but when it’s far beyond more interesting than the given plot you’ll take what you can.

If you find yourself wondering what even happened by the end of the film you’re not alone. DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE by its end seem to be here more as a way to give fans a reason to return to a franchise that has hit quite a lot of speedbumps. Wade in his fourth wall breaking even acknowledges that Wolverine is joining at a time when its already in its low point. But the self awareness that Feige allows feels too calculated in its whole “we can make fun of ourselves because we control the jokes” attitude. That humor is merely there to misdirect from a lifeless plot and also that it knows this movie will make millions so you have to love us even if you hate us. If you need further proof that through its humor Disney has zero intentions on being harsh on itself just take a look early on at its opening credit sequence. Previous Deadpool films went for the ride with a gag that included opening title cards that mocked its overpaid actors, asshole producers, and hero writers. They were funny gags that worked in the whole Deadpool aura, but nope this time around you can apparently make tons of cocaine jokes but you can’t mock Kevin Feige. No to do so is to spit in God’s face I suppose. Feige may have been there from the start but he has become that friend who gets famous and belittles the rest of his old gang or forgets them entirely. Sure he brought some along for the ride finally, but keeps them at arm’s length.  DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE so desperately want to be the glue to fix all the MCU’s problems but like most time travelling movie plots ends up being the exact thing that causes the problems in the first place. The MCU is not on the right track just because they can say “fuck” now, no instead they are showing that the direction they are going is still one of zero plans but if we throw enough old shit at the audience maybe they’ll forget how bad the future looks.

D+

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE IS IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE FROM DISNEY STUDIOS