“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first time I’ve ever found the Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson Deadpool character obnoxious. In the previous “Wolverine” entries, Hugh Jackson’s character Logan, or Wolverine, is the center of the story. “Deadpool & Wolverine” tries to be a Marvel Universe buddy film.
Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, is the villain in this installation. Cassandra, who’s quite diabolical, is the twin sister of Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who isn’t in this tale at all. There is a lot of sci-fi mumbo-jumbo and Easter eggs to surprise the audience.
Some members of the audience might say, “Wait a minute, didn’t Wolverine die in the last adventure ‘Logan’ in 2017?” Well, yes. But there’s storyline variance and timelines involved that allow the filmmakers to bring Wolverine back through shenanigans.
Look for various “Deadpool” characters to show up briefly. That put a smile on my face.
Reynolds and Jackman have great chemistry together. Wolverine doesn’t want to have anything to do with Deadpool at first, but gradually agrees to team up to save the world. One of the returnees is Laura, X-23, portrayed by Dafne Keen. Wolverine is sort of a father figure to her.
Other familiar characters that show up from the Marvel Universe include Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Wesley Snipes as Blade.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is great to see on the big screen. The action sequences are amazing. Director Shawn Levy (“The Adam Project”) knows his way around these actors. He also called the shots on “Free Guy,” an action-comedy starring Reynolds in 2021.
This is a fun one. I had a great time. If you have any insecurities about superhero movies, leave them at the door. It’s not your bag, baby. It’s for fan boys like me. It acknowledges itself as a superhero movie. “Deadpool & Wolverine” knows its place in our day-to-day cinematic universe.
Grade: B
