Deadpool & Wolverine

Grade: C

I have given the Deadpool series as much benefit of the doubt as I possibly can. The first one was cute, and I gave Deadpool 2 a pass. Deadpool & Wolverine had 5 or 6 really great lines, where I laughed. I could quote them, but people who have seen it may ask “Why is he mentioning that line? I liked another one better.” The needle-drops on the soundtrack don’t serve the action or the story. All they did was make me think it’s great to be hearing that song again, in this quality. We’ve officially reached diminishing returns here.

The plot is convoluted and uninteresting. To the extent that I did understand it, I didn’t care. It ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s a MacGuffin, as Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool explains to the audience ad nauseum, in his usual narration and fourth wall breaking. Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine for 24 years. What happened to him his last time out seemed pretty final, but thanks to the “multiverse” angle, there is always a way to bring them back. Deadpool tells Wolverine “You’re going to be doing this until you’re 90.”

After about half a decade of being retired as a superhero, Wade Wilson has been a used car salesman. During his birthday party, he is captured by the Time Variance Authority, and brought to a man named Paradox (Matthew Macfayden from Succession). Apparently, for some reason, Wade’s timeline is about to be obliterated due to the death of Logan/Wolverine. He’s what they call the timeline’s anchor being. Yeah, just go with it. Wade figures “no problem – I’ll just do some universe-hopping and steal a living, healthy Wolverine, and bring him over here.”

This gets them into trouble, and the two men are cast out into a place called The Void. It’s very Mad Maxy. With other outcasts they find there, they try to take down the leader of The Void and get back home. She is Cassandra Nova – the twin sister of Charles Xavier, who led the X-Men. She is played in a powerful performance by 28-year-old English actress Emma Corrin (Princess Diana in The Crown). She’s so good, that we need to get her more credits so D&W can get knocked off her “Known For” list on IMDb.

It’s not all bad. Either I’ve gotten used to the blabbermouthiness of the dialogue, or it’s been toned down here. A movie packed with celebrity cameos is usually a sign of desperation and straw-clutching (I’m looking at you, Unfrosted). I can’t think of one I’ve enjoyed, other than The Muppet Movie. But a couple of these appearances do work well, with my favorite being the actor who ends up reprising a different previous character than the one we expected him to do. Some of the Easter eggs are amusing; in one scene, Deadpool threatens a villain by saying Wolverine may sing act two of The Music Man without warming up. (Jackman began filming this after The Music Man, in which he starred, closed on Broadway). And I caught one second of a song from The Greatest Showman playing on the car radio until it’s quickly changed. Jackman’s sincere, grounded work proves that the “straight man” in a buddy comedy is often funnier than the humorous character (I’m looking at you, Will Smith in Bad Boys: Ride or Die).

We have the usual late-act moments of unearned dramatic heaviness – the kind that he spends the rest of these movies thumbing his nose at. Sadly, the franchise is now in the lukewarm territory, dangerously close to being dead[pool] in the water. I’ve missed the boat on Deadpool & Wolverine, but that’s okay. I’d rather fly, drive around it, or even swim. I’m glad these guys will reach age 90 before I do.

Grade: C