A review of the new superhero movie “Deadpool & Wolverine”
The idea of a multiverse has dominated superhero movies of late and, in storytelling terms, it does allow for considerable flexibility and fun. In this film, the home universe – ours, if you accept that it’s full of Avengers, X-Men and the like – is Earth-10005.
Apparently, the multiverse and The Sacred Timeline (you’ve never heard of it?) are managed by the Time Variance Authority (who knew?) where a renegade called Mr Paradox (English actor Matthew Macfadyen) plans to eliminate our universe and, when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, back for a third titular role as this foul-mouthed, campy character) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackson, back as a older and grumpier version of the laconic, retractable-clawed fighter) attempt to thwart this dastardly plan, they are cast into The Void, which is presided over by the bald, multi-powered Cassandra Nova (non-binary and also English Emma Corrin). Are you still with me?
Well, it has to be said that coherent narrative and meaningful characterisation are sorely lacking in this 34th element in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), not helped by no less than seven writers being involved, but this is often the case in superhero movies.
Instead, we have an absolute blast of frenetic action, gory violence and rude dialogue which will delight MCU fans – that includes me – who will thrill to the succession of returning characters from previous “Deadpool” outings and other MCU movies (no spoilers here) and laugh at the multitude of iterations of “Deadpool” himself.
The work is replete with visual and verbal gags – what aficionados (aka obsessives) call Easter eggs. The more MCU films you’ve seen and the better you remember them, the greater will be your enjoyment of this ridiculously, but joyfully, over-the top spectacle.