- Date of Release: 26 July 2024
- Genre: Action, Comedy, SciFi
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Deadpool & Wolverine
Introduction
Marvel is back from the ‘Void’ and the Marvel Jesus is responsible for it! That’s it, That’s the review! Right from the time The Endgame was out, even the staunchest of Marvel fans would admit that MCU had become repetitive and most certainly had got lost in their own Multiverse of Madness. Not only did the trademark Marvel humour become repetitive but even the portrayal of the multiverse became just so tiresome, with a Marvel movie releasing as frequently as an Akshay Kumar film. And quite oddly, the fate of the two were similar, having to deal with the wrath of the viewers. Things did go from bad to worse with as the Marvel woes refused to slow down in the fifth phase of the MCU. And while the A-listers of the MCU were failing, the focus shifted to the Marvel Jesus, a B grade motherf****ing superhero who was perhaps the biggest critique of the MCU all along with his ultra-meta-effing-references while never quite transitioning to the A-league. This until now when Fox Studio was buried under the garb of a Mad Max(y) kind of a setup, and Disney of all players decided to bring back a variant of an already dead superhero to join forces. And thus formed, Deadpool & Wolverine, the first MCU outing this year in the 7th month. And while MCU was found wanting once again with a wafer thin plot and a forgettable antagonist, Deadpool, the Marvel Jesus stood up to the occasion to ensure a fun time at the cinemas this time around. Trust the meta-references of the meta references of Marvel to click when Ryan Reynolds disguised as Deadpool is around. So then, does Deadpool and Wolverine manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Deadpool & Wolverine begins with Deadpool being offered a place on Earth-616, an alternate universe of the MCU after his homeworld facing the threat of extinction following the death of Logan. And while Deadpool refuses the offer, he decides to bring back Logan from the dead, only to stumble on the worst variant of the Wolverine with whom he needs to join forces to save the day. Will the unlikely duo win at the end of the day? The story here can be looked upon from various gazes, one of them being a buddy-superhero film. The unlikely combination of a foul-mouthed wizard of one-liners, and a more intense and vulnerable variant of a lost superhero, both of whom are given an opportunity to save the day, and fortunes of the sinking MCU, in a weird but oddly meta-setup for a superhero film. And while the story may not have enough meat, the writing more than makes up for the lack of it with umpteen meta-references thrown in at the viewers, most of which are met with such cheers and laughter along the course of the screenplay standing at 120 odd minutes.
The drama begins with the standard Marvel template being interrupted by Deadpool who finds himself digging up the grave of Logan, who had previously died at the end of his own film. And while being termed as a letdown, Deadpool digs up a skeleton in the hilarious opening act which was contrary to the early expectations of the viewers of being reintroduced to Logan. This, even as he whips the a**es of a pack of men who are out to capture him, before the drama shifts to an extended ‘first-act’ flashback filled with meta-references on Disney, Warner Brothers and the erstwhile 20th Century Fox. The beats of the screenplay are hilarious even as the drama shifts back to current setup(the plot of the flashback was in the introduction y’all, never skip the beginning credits hereš) and Deadpool triggers the search of different variants of Logan(amidst a hilarious cameo and a dig at the DCEU). This until he partners the worst variant of Wolverine while thrown into the void, the dumpster for the superheroes of the MCU who are lost in oblivion.
Of all the cameos of the film, the best has got to be of Chris Evans(having played the iconic Captain America in the peak times of the MCU) who appears in the Mad Max setup against the backdrop of the burial of 20th Century Fox in the Void. And while his entry did evoke a rupturous response, the joke was on the viewers given that he turned out to be Johnny Storm, a lesser known Marvel character that he had essayed in the 2004 film Fantastic Four. This, even as the histrionics of the trio that soon converts to a duo following a brutally hilarious death, with the lone survivors Deadpool and Wolverine proceeding to make their way back home(remember Spiderman Far From Home?). The strongest aspect of the screenplay was utilizing the crazy character trait of Deadpool to the absolute hilt. And the same produces some hilarious moments including an interaction with the softer and nicer variant of himself, amidst a spate of characters from the MCU who were presumably left for the ‘dead’, but now join forces to counter an antagonist who isn’t as well written, or even remotely intimidating.
One of my favourite meta-meta-effing-references was in the form of taking a straight dig at the multiverse concept of Marvel, wherein Deadpool addresses an army of Deadpool variants on how multiverse was a mistake, and it is okay to admit mistakes. This before him and Logan take down an army who does regenerate, symbolizing that the multiverse concept is here to stay in the MCU other than the Deadpool universe guarded by the staunchest critic cum superhero, Deadpool himself. I was amazed at how self-aware the writing was, which in a way compensated for the multiverse of the script, wherein the writing itself was weak but fun, oddly and weirdly so, being a dichotomy and a relief both at the same time. And who better than Deadpool to own this duality that saves the ship from sinking along with Logan in a final act that symbolized the dual nature of the writing perfectly. The screenplay may not have been the best here, but oddly the screenplay does manage to score and how!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are filled with meta-references that also score at a personal level(with one of the lines hinting at the actual divorce of Hugh Jackman who plays the Wolverine). The digs on the MCU, and the jokes of ‘Disney’ paying a bag of cash to reincarnate Logan who was long killed by ‘Fox'(almost like what Ekta Kapoor did with Mihir Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) has to be the pinnacle of some sharp writing that was so self aware during its runtime. The music and the BGM are paced almost in line with the immaculate comic timing of the protagonist who nails one liners as easily as he nails ‘extras’ in the film. The cinematography is phenomenal comprising of frames that blend well with the vibe of the drama, and the R dated mood of the film that doesn’t compromise of gore and blood. Even the action set-pieces are wonderfully choreographed and expertly captured in some rather ‘poetically’ funny frames. The editing is smashingly good and doesn’t abrupt the scenes even as they fuel the laughter quotient in the drama. Director Shawn Levy proves to be a savior for the MCU by utilizing the strengths of his two main men, particularly Deadpool, a superhero that is perhaps the most meta in terms of his traits. And the director ensures that there is never a dull moment in the screenplay, despite the writing again falling short by the initial high standards of MCU. The direction is pretty amazing.
Performances
The performances are pretty solid by the ensemble cast that also features some interesting cameos along the way. And while I will largely keep the cameos under wraps, all of them managed to shine here. Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Paradox has his moments to shine. Emma Corrin as Cassandra is good but largely suffers from a one-note character that is quite underwhelming as the sole antagonist of the world. She tries hard but is never quite intimidating neither impactful mainly due to the writing. Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine works and works well in his brooding muscular mode even also showcasing his vulnerability pretty well. But the show undoubtedly belongs to Ryan Reynolds who shines as the foul-mouthed superhero Deadpool. His one-liners are rather non-chalant and crisp, completely relying on the viewers to read between the lines and understand the intended humour in the drama. And boy does he nail them! His presence is infectious and he truly rescues the writing here in a drama that hugely benefits with his frequent bouts of humour. His performance is something to savour and cherish while overpowering a routine MCU script.
Conclusion
Deadpool and Wolverine marks the resurrection of the MCU by Marvel Jesus himself! Despite the plot being wafer thin, it benefits hugely from the presence of Deadpool(and the stoic Wolverine) who contributes to the laughter quotient of the drama so well, that it eventually results in a fun outing at the cinemas. The meta-reference to the meta-superhero genre works both as a parody and as a superhero drama resulting in a hilarious watch overall! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended.
