It’s no secret that the superhero genre, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has declined steeply since “Endgame.” I have written about this decline in the past. But as soon as I saw a trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” featuring Madonna’s song “Like a Prayer,” I realized that superheroes are so back.
“Deadpool and Wolverine,” the third installment in the Deadpool series, marks Disney’s first superhero production after the absorption of 20th Century Fox. It holds the prestigious title of the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, a remarkable achievement, at both the global and domestic box office. Coming nearly six years after the incredible “Deadpool 2,” Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) deliver a unique blend of fourth-wall-shattering jokes, gut-wrenching gore and fantastic storytelling that is the hallmark of this franchise. This ensures a thrilling and entertaining experience for the audience. But Reynolds and the rest of the writing team have taken this entry in the series to a new level.
The film is a grudging buddy comedy about two superheroes who have to team up to save their respective universes and for Deadpool to finally enter the “sacred timeline,” a concept from the MCU that denotes the main timeline of events, and join the MCU proper. As expected from a Deadpool film, it starts with a barrage of jokes aimed at their production company, the MCU and the actors’ careers. The franchise is known for poking fun at Reynolds’ career, but with Jackman on board, there’s a whole new set of jokes to be made. The film cleverly references Jackman’s roles as Harold Hill in “The Music Man” and P.T. Barnum in “The Greatest Showman,” a treat for musical theater nerds like me. As Jackman’s first outing as Wolverine in seven years, he provides an excellent emotional core to a film that contrasts nicely with the dry wit of Reynolds. This emotional depth resonates with the audience, making the characters’ journey more compelling and engaging.
Reynolds and Jackson’s dynamic, whether trying to kill each other or learning to work together, creates a strong connection with the audience, drawing them into the characters’ journeys and struggles. Not only is this a superhero story where the characters must punch the big bad as much as possible, but it is also a story of two men letting each other be emotionally vulnerable. As one of the characters says, “Sometimes the people we save, they save us right back.”
The music in this film is not just good; it’s incredible. Not only does “Like a Prayer” score the climax, but the film opens with “Bye Bye Bye,” complete with Deadpool doing a version of the dance featured in the music video while killing people. In one of the fights between Wolverine and Deadpool in a Honda Odyssey (don't ask), “You're The One That I Want” from the hit musical “Grease” plays. This continues the current trend of fight scenes using inappropriate backing tracks (see the incorporation of “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” in season one of “The Umbrella Academy”), which never fails to make me laugh.
Overall, this film displays a tremendous amount of love and effort. There are several practical sets, and exciting camerawork throughout. While the second half of the film does fall into the usual MCU trappings of gratuitous cameos and heavy reliance on CGI, this still feels like a film that has something to say as opposed to many other films (such as “The Marvels” or “Madam Web”) that were made purely to be content driven down the production line. Additionally, this film is not just a continuation of Deadpool’s story but a love letter to the 20th Century Fox X-Men films. “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a treat for Deadpool fans, X-Men fans and anyone who wants a superhero film that cares about being a film.
