Deadpool & Wolverine
After seeing Deadpool & Wolverine two times, I have a love-hate relationship with it. My initial reaction was that this movie was underwhelming. Not because it's a bad movie or anything. But due to the fact that I didn’t get what I wanted from the film. What that might be you might ask. Well, the answer to that question is quite simple. I wanted Deadpool to fix the mcu from the inside out. Now I won’t go into detail about what that entails because that is not the movie we got but to keep it short. I thought Deadpool & Wolverine was going to be more of a buddy cop movie. The plot would be one where the new TVA tasks Deadpool and Wolverine to fix what the mcu broke after End Game.
Now that I said my piece. Let’s dive into what this movie is about starting with the opening. Hands down the best opening in mcu history. I mean what a way to start a movie. I'm old enough to remember Nsync and the chokehold boy bands had on Americana in the early 2000s. So when I heard the first “Bye Bye Bye” I lost it. It highlights one of my favorite things about Deadpool movies. The art of being unpredictable and breaking all the rules. Not only did it make for an unforgettable opening. But it gears you up for the crazy ride that is Dead Pool & Wolverine.
Now let's talk about the premise of this movie. Deadpool’s mid-life crisis. After the events of Deadpool 2 and his adventures with Cable’s time-travel device. Our good pal Wade Wilson was looking to take the next step. I mean going from being a mercenary to an X-Men trainee to founding X-Force. There's only so much further you can climb. So the logical next step for our buddy Deadpool would be to join the Avengers right? Wrong. This is where things take a turn not only for Deadpool but also for the movie for me.
Getting rejected by the Avengers is one thing. But for things to spiral the way they did and not get to see it was a mistake. Losing his passion his girl his way of life did not hit for me. Cause for one we didn’t get to see it and those are the things that make the first movie so special. I'm not trying to be nitpicky but it is the main reason why this movie loses me when it comes to the stakes.
Don’t get me wrong they nail all the key elements that make a Deadpool movie. I mean Wolverines in the movie that's already a win. But Deadpool movies a supposed to be action-packed and make you laugh. They're supposed to gross you out. They're supposed to have endless cameos and of course, break the 4th wall. But the goal of any movie is to tell a good story and they started on the wrong foot in this one.
I bring these things up because Deadpool movies are such a unique opportunity. An opportunity to do things you wouldn’t normally see in an MCU movie and I feel like they played it too safe. The execution was on point from moment to moment. Some of the moments might have been too long for my liking but when you look at this movie totality. It’s a good movie. The only thing I’m really trying to say is if they took more risks it could have been better. Biais aside expectations have always been the downfall of the mcu and this movie is no different. Which is why I felt so torn coming out of the theater.
Was Deadpool a cinematic masterpiece or another disappointment? One thing I can say for sure is that it’s polarizing. I know I enjoyed watching this film. 100%. At the same time, I was not a fan of some of the choices made and conclusions we got. Whether you wanna talk about the “new” terminology. Or if wanna talk about the Wolverine storyline being mid. Yes, I said mid. I know the movie is titled Deadpool & Wolverine. But I can’t shake the feeling that Wolverine or Hugh Jackman finally missed.
I know that’s a crazy thing to say but if you ask me. Deadpool & Wolverine was more about exploring the idea of Wolverine. Maybe that was purposeful I don’t know but I wish we got to see more of his past instead of banking on his present. On the other hand, seeing Logan finally wear his iconic yellow Wolverine suit was fire. I just felt like outside of that we didn’t really get anything out of him.
What I realized after writing this review. Is that in the world of Deadpool & Wolverine, this movie actually works. Selfishly they didn’t do what I want them to do in this movie which is completely fine. You know how they say comparison is the thief of joy? Well in the case of the MCU, it seems clear to me that you can switch out comparison for expectations. Don’t get me wrong I still expect great work from Marvel that’s never gonna change. But maybe be more open to new ideas especially when the main character is Deadpool. The most non-serious character in the bunch. That’s on me.
Hopefully, now you understand why I have a love-hate relationship with Deadpool & Wolverine. Even though the scale of the movie didn’t match the moment. I still think it is worth seeing which is why I’m giving it an 8/10 G-Files Score.
