Deadpool and Wolverine

Cast: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool/Wade Wilson), Also… By Ryan Reynolds (Nicepool), Hugh Jackman (The Wolverine), Emma Corin (Cassandra Nova), Mathew Macfadyen(Mr. Paradox), Dafne Keene (Laura X23), Jennifer Garner (Elektra), Channing Tatum (Remy La Beau/The Gambit), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm), Wunmi Mosaku (B-15), Aaron Stanford (Pyro), Tyler Mane (Sabretooth) etc.
Reprising their roles from previous Deadpool movies: Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), Randal Reeder (Buck), Aaron W Reed (Juggernaut) etc.
Director: Shawn Levy
Distributed By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Cinematography: George Richmond
Release Date: 26th July 2024
Rating: 4/5

On Earth-10005, a divorced and retired from his alter-ego, Wade Wilson is currently a salesman selling second hand cars, where he is going through a phase of depression after being rejected by the Avengers in the Sacred timeline Earth-616.

Shortly after, on his birthday, Wade is pulled up by a person named Paradox, who is part of the TVA (Time Variance Authority, from the Loki TV series). Paradox offers him a place on Earth-616 and plies him with incomplete information while suiting him up in an upgraded Deadpool costume with Adamantium blades to go with (Deadpool does make use of these blades, but maybe not in the best way ! 😁). Wade’s current timeline is slowly diminishing as its anchor being is dead (Wolverine’s demise from 2017 movie, Logan). An anchor being is the one responsible for holding a timeline together, without whom it ceases to exist. Paradox, with his twisted logic, puts Deadpool’s current timeline under the TimeRipper, a device which speeds up the world’s decay process. 

Under well concealed desperation to save his friends, Deadpool steals Paradox’s tempPad to find another Wolverine to replace the deadone in his universe. We are treated to a bunch of Wolverines; Gambling Eye-patch Wolverine, Dwarf Wolverine, including Henry Caville as Cavillerine (Don’t you dare replace Hugh Jackman, Marvel!!😡 ), crucified Wolverine etc. Deadpool picks up the worst Wolverine, as explained by Paradox, on their return ; “This Wolverine Let Down His Entire World.”, before they are promptly pruned off into the void…

The only way to go about in the Void is either being adopted by Cassandra (Charles Xavier’s evil twin sister) or being fed to the Alioth. A third way is to seek the Resistance, at the borderlands.

The Dynamic Duo of Deadpool and Wolverine re-presented by Disney after it’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, has no-holds bar multiple roast sessions of the Fox littered throughout the movie.

Typical of Deadpool movies, is the excessive and Top Of The Line Wordplay. The latest movie does not disappoint in its witty usage of existing dynamics and situations of the Marvel characters; be it from Captain America or Johnny from Fantastic Four, Mad Max Fury or Wolverine versus Sabretooth. Deadpool frequently breaks the fourth wall; alluding to Fox’s takeover by Disney, Hugh Jackman coming out of hibernation and working till he is 90, Johnny’s short stint owing to budgetary constraints (Oops!), future hints of Deadpool’s partnership with Thor, and the mooost savage one: how Hugh Jackman does not have more shirtless scenes as he has let himself go after the divorce 😢. Damn! Living up to Deadpool’s title of The Merc with The Mouth.

Even Wolverine cannot beat the sheer variety of Deadpools cast in the movie. We have a special voiceover by Blake Lively (as Ladypool), daughter James as a screaming Mutant, daughter’s Inez and Olin as Kidpool and Babypool respectively (What is this? A Familypool ?!),internet sensation Peggy as Mary Poppins aka Dogpool, the previous troupe of Deadpool characters Blind Al, his love interest Vanessa, Dopinder, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus, Yukio, Buck etc. of course make special appearances, Nick Pauly as Dancepool to Bye Bye Bye (Those are some moves!),Mathew MacConaughey as Cowboy Pool (what a waste!) amongst others. Poor Nicepool is perhaps the only one who doesn’t live to tell the tale and Peter gets to save the day!

And all the manhandling that Deadpool went through at his suiting at the TVA, was it another Deadpool double or was it Ryan Reynolds million dollar a**, I am sure the world would want to know!

A Special mention to Elektra, The Blade, The Gambit, Laura X23 alongwith The Punisher, Daredevil, QuickSilver and Magneto… May They Rest In Peace. 

The sheer number of Easter Eggs, cross referencing between the different universes; especially between X-men, fox and Avengers to fit it all under one universe, innuendos and private jokes mixed together makes Deadpool and Wolverine a tough watch, where you need to be on your toes to keep up not only with the action but with the wordplay and references. It’s easy to Blink and miss here, making it perhaps quintessential for multiple watches of the multiverse to truly grasp the underlying idea behind every one-liner thrown around.

It’s this aspect of Marvel movies, which has prompted heated debates and discussions and created videos citing in-depth analysis of scenes, theories and explanations across the World Wide Web.

There is a post credit scene… obviously, so, of course watch till the end.

Deadpool had a list of cool songs by different artists playing in the background. Checkout the list here.

Cassandra looks sharp and bright, worthy of being an evil twin.

The movie is more Deadpool than Wolverine, if that is a thing?! The special brand of comedy to the multiple assplay references, though of course no Cocaine!!! Wolverine style movies, in contrast, have always been more intense and tragic, though I am not complaining.

While it’s 10 on 10 for comic timing, situational references, fourth wall climbing and breaking, my only grouch that would stop me from giving a rating above 4/5 is the poorly concluded plot. Everything was fine till Cassandra decides to mess with the TVA. We have Macfadyen giving us a short exposition on the hazards of messing with the multiverse and how the only way would be to circuit themselves, which would be fatal for whoever would volunteer right?…. But, after, of course the duo come back unscathed coz they did it together as a team and they got amaze regenerative capabilities with Goo Goo Dolls Iris playing in the background?!…. Like seriously ?!? 

Disney, here working with the principle of : “It’s the journey that matters, not the destination!”