Our Guest film reviews are a collaboration with Billy Kaskay’s Ethics and Culture in Film elective.
Deadpool and Wolverine, Starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is the most recent film in the Deadpool series. Now under the ownership of Disney rather than FOX, this movie is the catalyst for the merging of both franchises’ characters. This 2024 movie was directed by Shawn Levy and is an action comedy, which expertly represents both the characters of Deadpool and Wolverine. At 2 hours and 7 minutes, this film’s theme of wanting to matter drives the plot and makes for a fantastic viewing experience.
The opening of the films starts by introducing a main plot point of the movie which is the fact that Hugh Jackman as Wolverine will be returning for one last movie. The plot for this movie, which runs parallel to the main reason for the creation of the movie, is based on the idea that Deadpool needs the help of Wolverine to accomplish his goals. Although we saw the death of Wolverine in Logan, this movie centers heavily around the multiverse which allows for a more rugged, comic accurate version of Wolverine to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this film, Wolverine and Deadpool need to work together to save the world from the TVA or the Time Variance Authority, which was established in the Loki Series. This film is full of fantastic cinematic techniques, including a soundtrack full of iconic songs and camera angles which truely make this movie feel like a superhero movie. Fast-paced camera movements really make this movie. This film switches from fast-paced to normal to slow camera movements expertly, which allow the movie to express itself differently with each plot point.
Shawn Levy achieved his goal of creating a Deadpool movie by including elements of seriousness behind the comedic aspects. The inclusion of Wolverine in this film grounds the film and allows it to be comedic and serious at the same time. This movie also has very effective writing. Although this movie is an action-comedy, the script still allows the viewer to connect with the message of the film. Of course, being a Deadpool movie, this movie is incredibly funny. Every single part of this movie will make you laugh. This being said, one weakness of this film is also the main purpose of this film: comedy. Although I just praised the comedic aspect of this film, some of the emotional tension and its ability to capture your attention are lost because of the constant comedy.
In conclusion, this movie is a great capstone to the Deadpool Trilogy. This film succeeds at being what it needs to be, a comedic action movie starring an invincible toddler and his gruff violence loving friend who hates himself. The acting, lighting, camera movements and sound track are very well used throughout the film and prove this is a Hollywood movie. If you are looking for a Deadpool movie, this one is not a bad choice, but know, the second Deadpool has more emotion to it. Overall, I’d give this movie a B because it has clear talent but doesn’t put too many new concepts on the table.
