Wade Winston Wilson, aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), is head-hunted and specifically tasked to help assist an entity with a problem they have. Deadpool decides that the only person who will be able to help him with this task is Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The two go on an adventure to fulfil that task and save the world/universe at the same time, kinda... especially when these two are essentially oil and milk and do not get on.
I am going to try not to spoil this movie as it will be extremely difficult to talk about it due to there being so much going on, and the trailers do absolutely nothing to give the movie away. With that said, I am going to keep this fairly simple and start with the acting. Born to play Iron Man, we can see no other person than Robert Downey Jr. This is almost the same with Chris Evans as Captain America. This also rings true for Ryan and Hugh as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. These two guys ARE their comic book characters, AND whilst one has been at it for around 24 years, there is no denying that these two actors as these two characters are so well loved and revered at this point, it feels like home when both actors play these characters. Hugh has stated before that he would not play Wolverine again after Logan, and here he is, playing Wolverine again, after Logan and again, pretty much delivering such a performance, many may feel he stole the show. This could well be due to familiarity bias because, at this point, we know Hugh as being excellent as Wolverine. To the purists out there who ranted and raved about Wolverine needing to be comic book accurate in height, which is 5'3, and Hugh standing in at 6'2, it was because he was so good, nobody cared, the acting, the story and the delivery were that good. The story is good, but a little messy. It could have been worse, but it was serviceable, and everything else in the movie helps to elevate the movie, allowing you to disregard the messiness of the story. There is also a slight weightiness to Wolverine's story, and this also rings true for Deadpool himself. I won't go into the other actors involved, but Paradox and Cassandra were ok, but they did not have many layers or substance to them. The film is more about Deadpool with Wolverine than what the villain is doing, so yes, villainess or sinister things, but nothing close to that of Killmonger or Thanos. No real heavy lifting here, a little more for Cassandra due to her proximity to certain characters in the X-Men universe, but the film is definitely carried by Hugh and his portrayal of Wolverine.
The visuals. Straight from the beginning, this movie gives you the slo-mos we have been used to from the first movie, as well as the "choppy" storytelling. Moreover, whilst there were no beautiful shots that made you think, "wow, what a visual", there were some excellent fight scenes with great choreography. Not quite a Chad Stahelski, but still great to watch. There were plenty of times I said "orfff" or "ouch" because whether these guys can regenerate or not, some of these shots should hurt a great deal, and I felt it!
The music and the jokes were just line after line of funny lines with track after track of brilliant music. The intro, great music (among other things), and the visuals were excellent. Near the middle of the movie, great music and near the end of the movie, great music. The music accompanying the fights was spot on as well, but if you are aware of music cues, you do need to listen out for them in this movie. The jokes were so funny, and there were times I was laughing so hard that I missed another joke. This movie is witty, smart, and quick, and the fourth wall breaking was superb. There are jabs flying left and right, making it hard to keep up with b cause I'd be laughing as another jab is landing. It reminded me of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. The jabs were speaking directly to the audience about the current state of affairs and your thoughts about the last few years at the establishment, basically....what do they call that, meta-commentary? But I will say, the jokes, jabs, and comedy did not feel forced for me.
Finally, the story, well, back to it. Whilst not amazing, the delivery and execution were great, unlike a few Marvel movies in the past few years. There is quality here. Everything worked and made sense, but the delivery, direction and demand from the director of these actors is what has made this film work for me, even if the story is a bit messy. A combination of everything coming together in perfect harmony to bring you something to watch, have to encapsulate you, laugh (and at some moments) and cry at others. I am not sure if it is due to the familiarity bias with some of these characters, but I have to be honest and say, I did get emotional...even if it was a little bit.
I do believe this is a movie that will be loved by many, liked by loads and disliked by some. With that said and in comparison to what he has had of late, this is a really, really fun movie that is quality and gives us promise of what to come. Maybe, just maybe, Marvel is back "on form". We just need more quality like this in Captain America: Brave New World and The Thunderbolts. Maybe, just maybe, Marvel can get back to where they were, on top.
