Film Purgatory | Deadpool & Wolverine

Oh you thought I was serious with the blasphemous title. Hell no, Deadpool & Wolverine was everything I hoped it would be and more. Both these characters had a crazy history, especially since Deadpool was never greenlit until it “leaked” online in 2014. Two years later, he finally got his solo film to much acclaim. Although Hugh Jackman stated his last film as Wolverine would be Logan, Deadpool changed his mind. Thus creating a superhero team up fans have been clambering for over 15 years since X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

After messing with the timeline to save most of his friends, Wade Wilson (played by Ryan Reynolds) works a mediocre job as a used car salesman to find purpose again. While at a party in his apartment, he’s brought into the multiverse by Mr. Paradox (played by Matthew McFaydden). Paradox wants to use Wade to destroy the Fox Marvel timeline, with all of Wade’s family still in it. In an attempt at saving his world from multiversal destruction, Deadpool enlists the help of a Wolverine variant (played by Hugh Jackman) who’s also looking for redemption.

You know, I’ve come to expect the unexpected in Deadpool movies, as he’s one of the most unpredictable characters in all of fiction. Yet I always find myself caught off guard. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when he opened the film with a dance-fight sequence set to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”. It’d also be hard pressed to not mention how he absolutely defiled the legacy of Logan by digging up the corpse of that universe’s Wolverine, and used it to kill TVA Agents. But those weren’t the only jokes, 4th wall breaks and pop culture references that landed. Deadpool headbutting the TVA’s camera telling Fox to go away elicited pure side-splitting laughter. Another instance involving Nicepool “gently tapping” the 4th wall for a much dryer approach also somehow worked. Those are only a couple of the many jokes that stuck the landing in Deadpool & Wolverine, and they certainly won’t be the last if the MCU continues in this direction.

With all the jokes and 4th wall breaks, they also had a surprising amount of cameos. Considering this is the MCU Multiverse, a few Marvel faces are expected. They managed to bring back Chris Evans, but not as America’s Ass. Rather, as Johnny Storm from 2005’s Fantastic Four. Along with Jennifer Garner’s Elektra from the abysmal 2005 film (who completely redeems herself here) and Dafne Keen’s welcomed return as Laura/X-23. But other completely unexpected cameos were Wesley Snipes’ return as Blade (who knows if the remake will ever be made at this point) and Channing Tatum FINALLY becoming the Gambit after Fox teased it for YEARS. Unlike The Flash and Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool & Wolverine rocked their cameos.

Spoiler alert: Ben Affleck’s Daredevil is dead!

Remember when I said the opening fight scene to “Bye Bye Bye” was pleasantly surprising? Well the entire soundtrack was just as perfect, despite being completely random. We have “Hell’s Bells” to start off the rivalry with both characters’ fighting chops on full display. The Grease showtune “You’re The One That I Want” helps with the visual allegory for angry car sex. They even found a way to sneak in Hugh Jackman’s “The Greatest Showman”, which is hilarious given Hugh and Ryan’s friendship. But the two standout songs are “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”, with its choir version taking over social media since the film’s premiere. In any other movie, this type of soundtrack wouldn’t work, but in Deadpool & Wolverine it’s pure chaotic perfection.

Both Reynolds and Jackman fall right back into their roles even after a 6+ year hiatus. Their chemistry was immaculate, acting like an old married couple for the entire film. Although they’re two of the most pain-stricken comic book characters, they have opposite methods to deal with their pain (Deadpool through jokes and Wolverine through booze). This makes sense how they’re able to help each other find purpose and fulfillment. My only gripe was the villain Cassandra Nova. I’m not hating on Emma Corrin’s performance, as she was delightfully psychotic as Xavier’s evil twin. But we didn’t get enough time to grasp how threatening she truly was before she almost destroyed the Multiverse. On the bright side, she was more memorable than Francis. Who was he again? Exactly.

They say lightning never strikes twice, but Deadpool managed to go 3 for 3 in terms of quality superhero movies. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman remain as charismatic as ever while getting to the core of what makes their characters tick. The fight scenes are simultaneously well-choreographed and hilarious, even more so than some of the scenes from the first two. And although the soundtrack is random, it’s nothing short of perfect for the film. The cameos and fan service are well executed and still managed to be surprising enough to indulge my inner fanboy. Especially since they finally got Hugh Jackman into a comic accurate suit with the helmet and yellow spandex! Deadpool & Wolverine is uncharted territory for the MCU as it establishes its first R rating, but Deadpool has never felt more at home after the merger and so have the fans!