Babel Reviews: Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is a Marvel superhero film and the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Shawn Levy and written by Levy, Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells, it stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it follows Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018).

Did Marvel Jesus Just Save The MCU?

I gotta tell you, it’s been a while since I had this much fun watching a Marvel movie! I feel like the expectations were high for this one, but in my opinion Marvel delivered! Deadpool & Wolverine was a definite hit in my book.
I will stay away from major spoilers in this review, but I will go into some of the basic plot stuff that you’ve almost certainly figured out from the trailers. So, beware of “minor” spoilers, but don’t worry: I will keep the juicy stuff under wraps, so this review shouldn’t ruin the fun for you!

In typical Deadpool fashion the movie breaks open very strongly, with one of the most entertaining intros I’ve seen in the entire history of the MCU (dare I say maybe even in the history of cinema?). Deadpool is back, but this time around he’s traded in his blood-colored costume for a job at a car dealership. As miserable as that might sound (if you work at a car dealership, please know I love you <3), he seems to be OK with his life. He has his friends and that’s enough. But it doesn’t take a genius to notice it’s not the life he dreamt of. Before we know it, the TVA shows up on his doorstep to give him the opportunity to become Deadpool again. Dangling the chance to become an Avenger right in front of him, like a juicy carrot on a stick. An opportunity he felt he needed to get his life back onto a more satisfying path. 

The deal comes with a catch though. The job opening is for the sacred timeline and not his own. He learns that his own timeline has slowly been dying since the death of Wolverine at the end of the movie “Logan”. In other words: his own reality is ceasing to exist, and the TVA are giving him the chance to live on in a different universe. The problem with that, however, is that all of his friends and loved ones will get destroyed when his original timeline gets pruned…

Naturally, that doesn’t sit too well with him… So, in typical Deadpool fashion, he devises his own plan, breaks a couple bones, and sets out to find a replacement Wolverine from a different timeline to fix his reality’s lack of a hairy adamantium man and save the people he loves!

As per usual, that’s a lot easier said than done, and both Deadpool and his replacement Wolverine get sent to the Void, which basically functions as the multiverse’s garbage dump. So, not only do they still have to save Deadpool’s universe from being yeeted out of existence, in order to do so, they first have to find their way out of the Void. Along the way, the both of them have some serious bonding to do as they face a wide variety of former and new enemies, and meet up with old friends who try to help them accomplish their mission.

This time around, the character of Deadpool feels more like Deadpool than he has felt before (if that’s even possible). His jokes are great, well timed and not too cliche. He breaks the fourth wall, as usual, and through his character, Disney gives us a sense that they’ve done some reflecting on Marvel’s recent content. Seemingly admitting they failed to execute (to some degree). Deadpool occasionally pokes fun at the studio’s missteps, but he also highlights their successes—like acquiring 20th Century Fox and, with it, assets like Wolverine, which opens the door for some potentially awesome future content.

I’ll admit that I’m happy to see Disney comment on their recent years of underwhelming content, but I’m also aware that this might be the only time they will mention it, since taking L’s is not something they like to do.

In my opinion, Wolverine grounded the movie very well. Without him, it could have easily succumbed to Deadpool’s relentless joking and trolling, which could’ve gotten old quickly. Wolverine’s grumpiness and seriousness provided a perfect counterbalance throughout the movie, allowing for some powerful, serious moments to shine through—moments I wish we could’ve seen even more of. The movie is all about finding Redemption for this Deadpool and Wolverine’s past. And I suppose they actually managed to grow as characters, which was cool to see! 

I’m convinced an R-rated movie was exactly the thing Disney and Marvel needed to break out of their losing streak, and if you ask me, it was super awesome to see! If I were Disney, I’d definitely make more of these. There’s no need to worry about it affecting sales because, as it turns out, it’s not the blood and gore but the story that makes or breaks a movie. I appreciated that this felt like a film made for adults—something that resonates with me, since I’m an adult myself. While Disney should absolutely focus on kids for certain franchises, I believe that adults and young adults currently make up the majority of the MCU’s fanbase and there’s nothing wrong with catering to your audience. As a matter of fact, you’ll regret it if you don’t!

The action sequences in this movie were absolute top-tier. The fight scenes were some of the best I’ve seen in my life. They were badass and intense—you could really feel the pain with certain punches and stabs, which, for some reason, always gets me pumped… The swearing was kept to a moderate level, which I think was spot on—118 f-bombs just felt right! But for me, the adult jokes were the icing on the cake. Without them, it would’ve felt completely different, like The Walking Dead with a toned-down Negan. Deadpool just wouldn’t be Deadpool without them.

While the action and jokes made the movie incredibly entertaining, I felt the story fell a bit short. There were moments when luck and coincidence conveniently resolved issues, which I consider a bit lazy in terms of writing. However, to be honest, it didn’t detract too much from the overall experience (which could either be a good or a bad sign haha).

You could liken this movie’s storytelling to a beautiful bride standing at the altar, hidden beneath a stunning veil of comedy and R-rated action goodness. But as you lift the veil, you might realize that the bride isn’t quite as beautiful as you remembered her to be. Nevertheless, compared to some of Marvel’s previous films, it’s not nearly as disappointing. There’s definitely room for improvement, as the lack of a strong underlying story may make the movie less memorable than it could have been. For now, though, the comedy, action, and nostalgia are enough to make it enjoyable. It’s highly meme-able, and that seems to be a key factor in its success.

What I absolutely can’t forget to mention are the cameo’s. Holy $#!7 the cameo’s! I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen such impressive cameos in a movie, and the fact that they managed to keep them under wraps only enhanced the experience. Hats off to everyone involved for making these cameos so amazing. It also felt like the film drew significant inspiration from movie-edit culture, with certain scenes channeling that “awesome YouTube movie-edit” vibe that I personally love. The editing, music, and nostalgia were all spot-on, making it a truly fantastic experience.

So, to summarize, Deadpool & Wolverine definitely lived up to the hype, and for the first time in a long while, I’m hopeful that the MCU might be on its way back to its former glory. However, actions speak louder than words. Marvel, as Calvin Candie put it:

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Now, it’s time for you to prove you still have what it takes!

If I had to put the movie somewhere on our recommend-o-meter, I’d put it at a “Dang Good”. Go watch it! If you enjoy superhero movies you’ll definitely enjoy yourself watching this one!

Let us know what you thought of Deadpool & Wolverine. Did you enjoy the movie or did it disappoint? Do you agree with my take or did you see things differently? I’d love to know what y’all think!

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