Deadpool & Wolverine
“Welcome to the MCU! You’re Joining at a Bit of a Low Point.” -Deadpool
The MCU may be at a bit of a low point, but I do think this is a move in the right direction. Going into this film, I was a bit skeptical. My big worry was how does Deadpool's humor age and do we really need another film. Turns out, it ages great (or I haven’t aged well) and it was extremely fun. I found myself laughing a lot and just really enjoy the Deadpool fighting sequences both in this movie and my Deadpool rewatches. Along with that, I think my favorite part of the film was the needle drops. Yes they are very on the nose and in your face, but I think they had great choices of songs that I found myself singing along to in the theater.
Of course, this isn’t a perfect film. The fourth wall breaking gets a little old at times and I know the point of them fighting is to be ridiculous, but I think it found the spot beyond that. This is a popcorn flick and I am curious to see how it mixes within the rest of the universe. I think you have to tread very lightly putting Deadpool in anything other than his own movie, but we will see how it works. Lastly, having Wolverine in it I thought was very random, but it works beautifully. It was fun seeing him again in the role. Along with him, the cameos are all fun (I will keep this spoiler free) and am curious if they are fully done too. Deadpool and Wolverine's MCU debut is a breath of fresh air amidst a potentially stale superhero landscape. The perfect blend of Deadpool's signature humor and Wolverine's classic badassery creates a dynamic duo that is both entertaining and nostalgic. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, there's something to enjoy in this popcorn flick.
-J
If you followed E & I’s recent re-watch of Deadpool & Deadpool 2, you knew we were worried about Deadpool & Wolverine, particularly given the low Metacritic score (56 as of 7/29/24). But Deadpool & Wolverine emerged as our favorite of the trilogy, and its quality makes me question the taste of those critics producing such a low score. My lone complaint is one too many needle drops with slow motion scene entrances, and I understand there’s a fair amount of fan service, but there’s so much good about this that that is all forgiven many times over. I laughed nearly the whole film, and this is probably at a tie with Hundreds of Beavers for the funniest movie of the year, which is saying something. Hugh Jackman, who is the real-life embodiment of Wolverine, and Ryan Reynolds, who is the real-life embodiment of Deadpool, join the MCU, fight each other and fight together, was so rewarding for a lifelong fan of the genre, and particularly Hugh, who entered my life as Wolverine when I was just 8 years old. Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen were great foils to the pair of regenerative heroes, and the story was well written. I understand Deadpool isn’t for everyone and maybe that contributes to the critical reviews, but if Deadpool is for you, this is the Deadpooliest Deadpool yet, and you’ll have so much fun with this one.
-Z
