FILM REVIEW
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Rated R
127 Minutes
Released July 26th
I’m not going to spill too much about this movie because you must experience it for yourself. My attitude as I walked into the theatre wasn’t the most receptive. I really didn’t feel like sitting through two hours of another MCU (Marvel Comics Universe) extravaganza. This film played right into my malaise – shook it up, played with it, and threw it all over the screen and back in my face, in scene after scene. I would be surprised if there are not some Oscar nominations to be had here for cast, cinematography, production design, editing, special effects, writing, and directing. The movie is R-rated for language and violence, and that’s all part of the entertainment, as there is a lot of love that arises from anger, pain, and frustration.
Every minute brings the unexpected in a sarcastic, farcical style. It’s like watching Saturday Night Live staged in the Marvel Universe, bringing back the self-deprecating humor of the first Deadpool movie in a grand way. The set-up is that” Deadpool” is offered a choice – to pull out of his timeline before it gets destroyed and enter the sacred timeline that exists within the MCU, and for this, he needs the help of “Wolverine.”
Director Shawn Levy wanted to make a movie to appeal to everyone, and even if you’re not a comic book fan, but you’re a film buff, there are many humorous references here that will have you laughing. Levy’s repertoire as a director includes Free Guy, The Adam Project, and three Night at the Museum films. This is his best film yet. Levy, Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) are all best friends, and you can feel the camaraderie on the screen. Jackman at 55 and Reynolds at 47 have the enormous presence to embody their highly imaginative characters who have so long been part of comic book lore. Their age makes them able to portray more tragi-comic, complex psychological traits in their characters.
Jackman is (literally) on point as the angry, grieving, raging alcoholic Wolverine, and Reynolds has the depth to play class clown, bratty Deadpool with the necessary undercurrent of tragedy. These are two very Shakespearean characters. As a newcomer to the MCU, Emma Corrin is spectacular as the evil “Cassandra Nova.” Among the many cameos that stand out are Chris Hemsworth as “Thor,” Jennifer Garner as “Electra,” Chris Evans as “The Human Torch,” Wesley Snipes as “Blade,” and Channing Tatum, who does a head-turning realization of “Gambit,” the Cajun X-Man, with an accent so thick his words are incomprehensible. Reynolds said, “The privilege and honor of making a movie with two of my closest friends in, Shawn Levy and Hugh Jackman, is never lost on me. Neither is the obscene talent and competence of the ruthlessly devoted postproduction team.”
In its first weekend, Deadpool & Wolverine had the 8th biggest opening of all time at the box office and broke records for an R-rated film worldwide. The entertainment industry needed that. What makes this movie sing is the ability of the characters and filmmakers to laugh at themselves and their joy in coming together to create a giant mural of a movie pops through the screen. The film is to the MCU as Lenny Bruce was to stand-up comedy: edgy, dark, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and hilarious all at once. No character is immune from being roasted here. It will play to all ages (who are allowed in). The story, in the end, makes a point and is universally identifiable. I couldn’t help but muse that Deadpool and Wolverine create a kind of humorous balance to the “me too” movement, allowing everyone to laugh at themselves.
Watch for the homage to Twentieth Century Fox for their 20 years of making Marvel blockbusters before being purchased by Disney in 2019. This is a surprisingly raunchy film for Disney, way outside of “Princess” mode. Maybe Disney is growing up.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
