A movie so steeped in nerd culture that it risks drowning—but I AM a nerd, so…
This is a spoiler-free review!
I only knew two things about Deadpool & Wolverine going into the movie. One: Deadpool was in it. Two: Wolverine was in it. These days I avoid watching trailers or engaging in pre-release speculation for any movie that I might like simply because going into a movie knowing as little as possible about it is always the most fun.
This goes double for superhero movies. I’m someone who has seen every Marvel movie in the cinema for the last fifteen years. Yes, I’m a fan, but I like to think I’m not one so blinded by my love that I can’t see its flaws. That said, I’m firmly not on the side of the ‘Marvel has been bad since Endgame’ crew. The studio has had at least one big hit a year—sometimes two—since 2021.
I also liked the Deadpool movies. They’re not my favourite superhero movies, but they’re pretty good! Sure, it was annoying when the series was absorbed by the monoculture, and you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting a man in a Deadpool t-shirt, but taken on their own terms, the movies are fun.
‘Their own terms’ is a bit misleading though, because their terms often require an extensive background knowledge of Marvel movies, the legally-distinct X-Men movies, and nerd culture in general, and Deadpool & Wolverine takes this to a whole new level.
Weapon X Gon’ Give It To Ya
After being rejected from his dream job, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) puts costumed adventuring behind him in favour of living a mundane life, but when his universe is threatened by the Time Variance Authority, Wade seeks help from the only person who might be able to save his world: Wolverine.
Something wild about Deadpool & Wolverine is that you can have seen all thirty-three preceding MCU films, the twelve seasons of MCU television produced so far for Disney+, and both Deadpool movies, and you’ll still be lacking context to fully appreciate the emotional beats of this movie, which wastes no time establishing who Wolverine is before diving in. You’re expected to have familiarity with the character, you’re certainly expected to have seen Logan, and honestly if you don’t have these things in your back pocket, this might not be the film for you.
(That said, if you’re the kind of person who likes Marvel movies but you haven’t committed to watching Fox’s X-Men movies, you’re depriving yourself of some of the best action/adventure films of this century.)
Some will no doubt question the artistic merit of releasing a movie that can’t stand on its own like this—that can’t deliver a satisfying story without the aid of umpteen other movies—but I question whether that’s a valid criticism for a Deadpool movie. Deadpool is the breaking-the-fourth-wall guy. He’s the guy who knows about the Disney/Fox merger and knows that you know about it. Who, I ask, in 2024, is going to see the new Deadpool film without knowing that they’re signing up for a movie brimming with in-jokes and references that will probably be dated in two years? Who is going to see Deadpool & Wolverine and expecting it be anything other than an insular, sometimes-cringy-sometimes-funny experience filled with needle drops and dick jokes?
Drowning in Pool
In case it wasn’t clear already, I had a great time with Deadpool & Wolverine, but it’s hard to say that while acknowledging the flaws of the movie; both the narrative flaws and the wider issues some perceive in the movie’s mere existence. Admitting you like this dumb, fun movie also comes with the baggage of being perceived to have the same soulless taste in movies as a fourteen-year-old. Judge me as you see fit.
One of my favourite aspects of Deadpool & Wolverine comes in the performance of one Matthew Macfadyen. Maybe it shouldn’t have been such a surprise that he comes across as genuinely funny in this movie given how absurd his character on Succession could get, but I really loved him here as a higher-up in the TVA. Emma Corrinn also gives a great performance as the unhinged mutant Cassandra Nova, although I do wish her character had a little more to do. She doesn’t really have much of a villainous plan so much as she just stands around being evil.
Morena Baccarin as Vanessa is unfortunately sidelined for most of the runtime. It’s a little disappointing, given that her relationship with Wade was the emotional core of the first Deadpool movie, but I get that it had to happen to make way for the primary relationship of the movie between Wade and Logan. That said, I feel like they could’ve found a better way to put her aside than what they went for: a break-up for vague reasons that could be interpreted as Vanessa being a horribly selfish person.
The Best There Is At What He Does
There’s really only one reason why fans like me were as excited as we were for this movie though, and that is Hugh Jackman himself: The Wolverine. Jackman retired from portraying the fan-favourite character with 2017’s Logan, but clearly $omething ha$ changed $ince then. I’m sure he’s been lambasted from certain corners of pop culture-dom for coming out of character retirement for a Deadpool movie of all things, but I’m happy to see him back.
Wolverine works exceptionally well as a foil to Deadpool, and the two play off each other in many fun ways. Wade’s endless banter drives Logan crazy; Wade’s love for his friends contrasts Logan’s loneliness; even their costumes just look great on screen together. People went crazy when it was revealed last year that Wolverine was finally getting his yellow, comics-accurate costume in this movie. And of course, I knew that D&W would acknowledge this fact, but I was surprised that it did so in a moment of genuine pathos.
For as franchise-y and corporate as Deadpool & Wolverine is, there is a real heart to this movie in Wolverine. Deadpool has his moments, but the lack of emotional maturity in his character makes his arc tougher to empathise with. Logan, on the other hand, comes preloaded with so much gravitas and tragedy that it’s not really a fair comparison. Every time Wolverine was doing anything I was leaning forward in my seat. As I’ve mentioned before, Jackman embodies Wolverine perfectly and as a fan, watching him perform this character in 2024 is an irresistible draw.
I wanted more of him though. To be clear, he’s in the vast majority of the movie, but sometimes I just wanted Deadpool to shut up and go away so that I could watch Wolverine be all sad and angry and drunk. I had to repeatedly remind myself that this was a Deadpool movie first and a Wolverine movie second so that I wouldn’t get too annoyed during the frustrating moments where Reynolds was overshadowing Jackman.
For All Time. Always.
You’ll notice that I haven’t really touched on the plot much. It’s typical superhero fare that I think is only really interesting if you’re invested in the lore of the MCU—which I am. There are some contrivances and some pacing issues, but if you’re getting bogged down by the plot of Deadpool & Wolverine, I daresay you’re missing the point of the movie, which is just to have fun and make as many jokes for nerds like me as is possible in a two-hour runtime. It is up to you to decide whether that is noble goal for a movie to have.
The future of the MCU is murky right now. For some, Deadpool & Wolverine signals a turn in the right direction for the franchise—after all, if Jackman should show up in future movies I’m sure nobody will be complaining. Then again, the film’s reliance on everything that came before it to tell a successful story will certainly have some screaming about the imminent death of superhero movies from their social media platform of choice.
There’s no arguing that for some, there is nothing appealing about Deadpool & Wolverine, but if you find yourself in the same position as me—overflowing with useless movie and pop culture trivia amassed over a lifetime of being a nerd—then go ahead and catch Deadpool & Wolverine. I dare you not to have a good time.
***
Thanks for reading my review. If you liked it, consider buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien
Comments