Summary: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman come together in an excessive mashup with true-to-character humor while sacrificing the cohesiveness of the overall storyline


I've never been part of a more rowdy and passionate audience than when I saw Deadpool & Wolverine on opening day. Guys and gals donned their finest Marvel t-shirts and plastic Wolverine masks. It was clear that I was in the presence of the most elite fans and clearly underdressed in my civilian clothes. The theater quieted down as we saw Wade (Ryan Reynolds), living a quiet life as a used car salesman after he gets rejected from the Avengers. He no longer identifies as Deadpool, he lost the girl, and he has stapled (!) a toupee to his head. He lives a largely modest life until one day the TVA captures and informs him that his world is under existential threat. Via tempad, Wade/Deadpool travels through the Sacred Timeline, scrounging around until he stumbles upon a sufficient, yet beaten-down, iteration of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who begrudgingly agrees to help keep the world intact. Their teamwork (along with a rag-tag team of previously archived superheroes) is tested when they face Charles Xavier's evil twin sister, Cassandra (Emma Corrin) and her unexpected ally, a "Mr. Paradox" from the TVA and his nefarious plans. At least that's what I think happens in the story. I can't really remember.


Director Shawn Levy's fingerprints are all over this thing. Like so many of his past productions (Stranger Things, Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum), this film is intended for a wide audience, integrating humor, nostalgia, and joy. This was the most anticipated film of the year and based on opening weekend performance, $438M worldwide and $205M domestic (the highest in cinematic history for an R-Rated film), has solidified its reputation as THE summer blockbuster. But was it Levy's magnum opus? I would say not. While it contained all of the elements of a hallmark Marvel movie (pyrotechnics, A-list actors, dope-ass fight scenes, Hugh Jackman's abs), the story overall felt messy and inconsequential. At some point, it’s hard to recall who the main villains are, what Wade's initial intention of bringing back Wolverine was, and you start to wonder if the petty fight scene between them in the Honda Odyssey dragged on for too long. Rather than making a mark on MCU history and ambitious narratives, this felt like a fan-service money grab (money printer go brrrrrr).


However, the real intention of the film is loud and clear. Disney is ushering in a new age of the MCU post 20th Century Fox merger. While tapping into Deadpool's unique brand of irreverent comedy was likely seen as a surefire way to captivate audiences and signal the MCU's bold new direction, the execution may have been overly focused on this aspect at the expense of a more holistic creative vision for the character and the broader X-Men asset. The characters' storylines appeared to be an afterthought, haphazardly stitched together at the last minute, seemingly inspired by random Reddit posts pondering humorous 'wouldn’t it be funny if’ scenarios.


There were too many jokes and too many cameos and too many villains. It's unclear what went awry - perhaps too many cooks in the kitchen? Perhaps Levy tried too hard to stay true to the spirit of Deadpool and didn't know when to take his foot off the gas? Don't get me wrong, I did laugh and I enjoyed seeing the superheroes of yesteryear, but it became too much. At some point, I badly wanted the constant interrupting to cease. Ted Lasso has a "Believe" sign above his door. Marvel should seriously consider having one that says "Less Is More."


There were plenty of good moments from the "oldies but goodies" music to well-choreographed and creative fight scenes, but they weren't enough to save the movie from its glaring issues.


Watch this if you fucking love Marvel and have an uncontrollable need to keep up with it. Otherwise, it's okay to skip.