Gotta be honest, I've been pretty tired of the Deadpool hype since the first film came out. The humor never had me rolling on the floor like other people and the raunchiness and over-the-top violence got old especially after the sequel. I was just sick of hearing people talk about him and was ready for his relevance to die down. When Deadpool & Wolverine was announced it seemed to me like a bit of a cash grab during a low point of the MCU. While it is that (and the film is definitely aware of it), I had a surprisingly great time. In fact, I think this might be my favorite in the trilogy.

All of the familiar elements from the first two films are here, but what really makes this work for me is the leaning into the satire with FOX/Disney. Everyone knows that the MCU dipped in quality since post Endgame with the exception of a few projects. I appreciated the self deprecating (kind of?) humor. It was a welcome change of pace from some of the cringey jokes from Deadpool 2. I thought they also did a solid job of properly tying Deadpool into the MCU even if the whole TVA/Sacred Timeline/Multiverse stuff gets really messy.

I might be the only person to say this: I didn't need Hugh Jackman to come back as Wolverine. I was completely content with his conclusion in Logan and the other X-Men films. I was also ready for someone else to don the claws and give the role a try with the rumors of Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Hardy, and Taron Egerton going around. However, it was awesome to see him again on he big screen. He gives a badass and emotional performance that I'm glad is receiving a lot of praise. Jackman has nearly invested half of his life into this role - you can tell he still has a lot of love for this world and its characters. He gave the fans what they asked for and he absolutely deserves to be commended for that. I just hope this is really it. Give the man a break.

While I do still agree with my Wolverine recasting opinion, Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool. He was made to play this role and I can't see anyone else taking his place. He's still playing himself just like in all of his films, but it's his energy and line delivery that make him the perfect fit.

Not all of the jokes land. There are still some really cringey moments that feel forced and dated. Compared to the other films in this series that doesn't happen as often, but it is present. In addition to this, there are comedic moments that sacrifice the integrity of the plot. Some of it comes down to the aforementioned sloppy multiverse, but other parts could be completely avoided. The violence related comedy didn't work very well at all for me. It's strange to say that blood and gore can feel childish, but it's true. Maybe it's due to how many crotch shots and dancing scenes there were.

Going back to the action I thought the choreography and the directing during those scenes was a little odd. Considering the characters and the environments they're in, those scenes should have been top tier. They were pieced together in a strange way and it didn't feel unique. There's so much action that after a while it all starts to feel the same and you become desensitized to the extremity of it.

The main thing everyone wanted from this was the cameos. Unfortunately, I was spoiled on every single on of them. Just five minutes of scrolling through Instagram and TikTok is all you need to find multiple cams and screenshots from the movie even the day after it released. That said, the appearances are still a lot of fun, and I loved how the paid respect to the comics by giving each of them an accurate look.

This is absolutely one of those "turn your brain off" movies, but it is certainly a great time and is a cool addition to the MCU.

Lists: 2024 Ranked & Marvel Ranked


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