Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum, Free Guy) directs this new installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) reluctantly team up on a mission to end an existential threat to their world. Set six years after the events of Deadpool 2 (2018), the story was co-written by Levy, Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells. (127 min.)
Glen: What’s the plot of this story? Guess what? It doesn’t matter. The joy of the film is watching irreverent wiseacre Deadpool insult everyone he encounters. Being unkillable kind of takes the pressure off and removes the danger of being a prick to the wrong person. Like the previous two Deadpool films, this one works hard to bring the audience in on the joke as Deadpool breaks the fourth wall to deliver rapid-fire dialog reminding the audience they’re watching a franchise movie that used to be part of 20th Century Fox but was sold to Disney. It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, packed with tons of great special effects and action, and studded with star cameos. Too many superhero movies take themselves too seriously. Not this one, but amazingly, it also manages to pack ad emotional punch. What a blast.
Anna: Superhero movies are supposed to be fun, right? Deadpool & Wolverine delivers on that front. I get bored very quickly with franchise superhero flicks that a) get way too into the weeds on some story or plotline that I don’t know because I don’t keep up with all the films and b) try their hand at being some dramatic, tortured-heart tale. We’re here for the fights and the fun! I want over-the-top ridiculousness! Reynolds has amazing comic timing, and after following the Reynolds/Jackman fake feud online for years, it’s awesome to see them go head-to-head (and hand in hand) as their superhero selves. The best part is how much the film makes fun of itself, of the usual superhero tropes, of all things Hollywood. This may not be the superhero flick for the young ones, but those old enough for adult humor are sure to eat it up.
Glen: I didn’t know they had a fake feud going, but I guess that adds to the fun. To me, the most confusing part of the film is the complicated story about the multiverse and the Time Variance Authority (TVA) that monitors the various timelines. This, to me, is “getting into the weeds.” I did like Mr. Paradox (played with glee by Matthew Macfadyen), a rogue TVA agent who sees Deadpool’s timeline slowly dying because it lost its “anchor being” (that would be Wolverine, who died in 2017’s Logan). How do you bring back a beloved character who’s been killed off in a previous film? Well, get your butt to the theater and find out! This is a crude, bloody, ribald spectacle with amazing dialog and laughs galore, and it deserves to be seen on the big screen.
Anna: Honestly, I didn’t really pay attention to all of that TVA/multiverse business, though it did let us see other variations of some of our favorite Marvel characters, such as a long-haired, unscarred Nicepool who introduces the absolute star of the show—a dog! We also meet a Captain America who doesn’t quite have the same chops as his other universe counterpart, and we get to see a bunch of fallen superheroes who find a way to make their mark, even if they’re seemingly lost in the void. This flick is quick-witted and just plain silly from beginning to end—who could say no to a mash-up of tough guy Logan and smart-mouth Deadpool? I loved it from beginning to end.
Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey from New Times and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at [email protected].
