The Mosley Review: Deadpool & Wolverine
Nowadays, we the fans don't ask for much. We are not asking for an Oscar caliber story or the cinematic God send of a film that'll change the face of the industry. For a few years now, we have been experiencing a decline in quality and wayward direction when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have been waiting for a film to be released that captures that same amount of fun, energy, fan service and emotional resonance that started with Iron Man and carried the studio to a healthy 11 year stretch. Well, I'm happy to say that this film single handedly fulfilled that wish and then some. I have truly forgotten what it was like to walk in with the highest of expectations and to have them exceeded in such a brilliant and exciting way. The story of the film may not be the most coherent or streamlined at times, but it got us from point A to Z in a bombastic way. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when a true fan of a character and his origins gets the chance to bring to life their story and style, it can work when paired with a filmmaker and team that shares the same passion. This film was that passion project and you feel it in every single frame. What I truly loved is how the titular characters were effectively and organically woven into the greater MCU while not really disturbing what has come before.
Ryan Reynolds has never been better as our favorite merc with a mouth Wade Wilson / Deadpool. From beginning to end, he delivers a fantastic and sometimes truly emotional performance as the wild card hero. The comedic timing is next to known and his mouth truly becomes a weapon in one of the most shocking moments of the film. He is and forever will be Deadpool and nobody else will ever come close to his brilliance. Morena Baccarin returns as Vanessa Carlysle and delivers a huge part of the emotional motivation for Wade and the film. Rob Delaney was excellent once again as Wade's best friend Peter Wisdom and I loved that he had an even bigger part to play toward the end of the film. The loveable Leslie Uggams steals the first part of the film yet again as Blind Al. The banter between her and Wade was always a highlight of the first two films and that continues here. Matthew Macfadyen was excellent as the the TVA Agent, Mr. Paradox. There is a level of smug, arrogance and sinister to him that is slowly unraveled as the film goes along and I loved every bit of it. Hugh Jackman puts the claws back on once again as the Logan / Wolverine and he hasn’t skipped a beat. Hugh has given us so much depth to the character over the past 23 years and he continues to deliver an expertly layered performance. He gets to portray a new version of Logan that we haven't seen before that is from a different timeline and it was refreshing to see him be unleashed in an even bloodier way. The emotional anguish this Logan goes through was truly heartbreaking and his journey for personal peace was well plotted and it earned its resolution. When I tell you that the chemistry, fun and overall violent relationship that is built between Logan and Deadpool was perfect, I mean it! It truly took me back to the days of the classic 80's gritty buddy cop films like Another 48hrs. They fight each other constantly, but eventually need one another to achieve a common goal and it was beautiful by the end. Emma Corrin was outstanding as the main antagonist, Cassandra Nova. The amount of lore about the character was fascinating and well explained in a fun and graphic way with her abilities on brutal display. She almost upstaged the main heroes as she would glide around them and infiltrate their minds and hearts.
The score by the great Rob Simonsen was sweet in the beginning and quickly became bombastic and epic as the film progressed. It was the best during a particular action sequence toward the last half of the film. The best track was “Hideout“ and once you see the film, you’ll know why. The only few gripes I have with the film were the details of the “anchor point in time” rules as they were a bit wonky and there were a few moments where I wish Deadpool was more serious. The jokes got a bit out of hand in the worst way when there needed to be more focus on the plot. Speaking of plot, as a Deadpool and Wolverine adventure through time it works, but this was more of a tribute to the Marvel/Fox universe that started back in 2000. As we all know it features alot of the cameos from familiar characters, but there is one that I loved the most. Even though he wasn't in the Fox universe, he was and still is the reason why we have these films today. It brought pure joy and tears to my eyes to see my favorite Marvel character come back to the big screen one more time and still be a badass. Overall, this was one of the most fun, energetic and fan pleasing Marvel films of all time. It was yet another love letter to Deadpool, to every aspect of Wolverine and to the Fox universe that came before it. Do stick around for both end credit scenes as one of them gives a loving thank you and goodbye tribute to the Marvel\Fox universe. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
