One of the standout movies over the summer, Deadpool and Wolverine was certainly well received by fans, with a record-breaking box office performance. It earned $444.1 million globally in its opening weekend, with $211 million from the domestic box office alone, making it the highest-grossing global opening for an R-rated film ever. Loosely related to the first two Deadpool movies, Marvel’s latest hit featured a considerable amount of silly banter and fourth wall breaks. Coupled with perfect comedic timing and delivery, Ryan Reynolds’s witty and dirty-humored character drew plenty of chuckles from the audience. However, with the added factor of Wolverine, both characters also have solemn moments where they discover things about themselves and get over past traumas.
The movie takes place after the movie Logan (2017), where Deadpool’s Wolverine sacrifices himself to save Laura. It is then revealed that Wolverine was one of the keystone characters of the universe (their presence holds the whole universe together) and it is now unraveling. To make matters worse, the man tasked with overseeing the collapsing universe, Mr. Paradox, has decided to cut to the chase and destroy the universe quickly. The rest of the movie unfolds in classic superhero fashion, as one would expect from any Marvel movie. Although the plot is not particularly unique or moving, the main appeal of the movie is the use of dirty jokes and the breaking of the fourth wall embedded within the story development. There are also a few fun cameos, such as Channing Tatum playing Gambit and dying heroically to let Wolverine go back to the real world. Here’s a fun fact: the F-bomb is dropped 119 times in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) – once in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and 118 times in Deadpool and Wolverine.
The so-called plot of Deadpool and Wolverine only succeeded because the movie was about Deadpool, whose whole purpose is to be ridiculous and break all of the rules. It’s no surprise that he did the exact opposite of what he was told when he got called up for the great honor of watching his universe die. Of course, with Wolverine added to the mix, there was inevitable tension as Deadpool’s upbeat, forever optimistic, and flippant attitude clashed with the depressed Logan. This, along with the fact that both Deadpool and Wolverine have nearly infinite regeneration, led to a spectacular car brawl when Wolverine lost his temper. Brandon Li, ’26, said that he loved that scene in particular; “I really loved the emotional intensity of the car fight because it made the blood and gore a lot more interesting to watch.”
Overall, the movie is a satisfactory watch for bored people looking for a good laugh. Although there are some deep moments scattered throughout the movie, there are many other similar-genre films with more interesting and deep plots. The real charm of Deadpool and Wolverine mainly stems from Ryan Reynold’s unique character and crisp one-liners.
Indresh Chandel 