DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Many of the sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek jokes in Deadpool & Wolverine land, yet as a piece of popcorn fun the irreverent Marvel mashup also lacks purpose, pace and a compelling story.

Does it matter what I think about the only Marvel movie releasing in theatres this year? Of course not: the superhero film is already well on it’s way to break box office records. Problem is: Deadpool & Wolverine doesn’t really matter, full-stop.

On the surface the film has an important purpose: tying the now defunct 20th Century Fox timeline to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in order to make a fresh start. And who is better suited to do this than the fourth-wall-breaking Merc with a Mouth? So why is the movie a lot less fun than it should be?

Part of the reason is definitely a plot that once again revolves around saving the universe – or rather: multiverse – and has in Emma Corrin a fascinating but woefully underused villain. Other reasons? The laden pace, the onslaught of easily cuttable sequences and more Ryan Reynolds narcissism than even a hall of mirrors could contain.

But perhaps holding Deadpool & Wolverine back the most is that to be in on the joke you’d have to be up to date not only with every Marvel movie and TV show ever made (both inside the MCU and outside of it) but with the ins and outs of Hollywood deals and abandoned pipeline projects as well.

The jokes do keep the picture afloat, as every few minutes there is at least one genuinely inspired quip, often laced with expletives and ruder than anything you’re used to in what officially is a Disney film, but overall they cannot disguise a tedious narrative with bland visuals.

release: 2024

director: Shawn Levy

starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen