Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Have you ever tuned in to a new sitcom and found it to be a riot, only to discover three episodes in that all of the jokes are basically the same punchline and that the series has grown stale in a matter of minutes? Comedy is all about properly setting up for the correct payoff. Sure, there is the need for timing, which structures jokes a little bit, but being unexpected and unpredictable is a must as well; who cares about a punchline you can call from a mile away? When Deadpool first came out in 2016 (nearly a decade ago at this point), it was a major answer for the complete misuse of the fourth-wall-breaking, foul mouthed, invincible Marvel character that was once only seen in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009); remember when Ryan Reynolds was reduced to a mouthless imp who served no purpose in the film? Well, he spoke in Deadpool and with such colourful language. Those who aren’t privy to the comic book version of the character maybe weren’t prepared for how gory, relentless, and anarchistic the film would be, and it was fresh when pitted against so many PG-13, safe blockbusters.

The superhero genre needed this kind of self awareness (meta comedy and commentary that finally acknowledged how silly these films are despite their intended action) and risk. Too many studios were concerned that an R rated film wouldn’t sell as well, and Deadpool — with a determined Reynolds who sought after redemption after the disastrous Wolverine film — proved these uninspired executives wrong. Of course, there were films that tried to bite off what made Deadpool successful, but it felt like it was in a league of its own with its bold fun. The sequel film came out two years later in 2018 and felt like a bit of the same thing but a victory lap. Since that film, we’ve had to wait six years to finally reach the highly coveted Deadpool & Wolverine, and a lot has changed in the world since then. Nonetheless, the point I’m trying to get at here is that what was once unique and inspired a staggering eight years ago doesn’t mean that the same tone of comedy will work in the present. Sure, if Deadpool came out this year, we would be having a different conversation. My point is that Deadpool & Wolverine — while still fun enough — does nothing to push the franchise, story, character, or comedy further. It’s the same old Merc With a Mouth, which may be great news for you; if you’re anything like me (someone who appreciates new ideas and the pushing of boundaries), what was once seemingly out-there for a major studio is now yesterday’s news.

In short, the reason for the existence of this film is that fans wanted to see Hugh Jackman come back as Wolverine (after his gutsy send-off in the great Logan) and there was a demand for both seemingly invincible characters to go head-to-head (or go in the opposite direction and just start dating already). What the film insinuates is the reason for Deadpool & Wolverine is the concept of a deteriorating timeline. Deadpool — while retired from his masked duties and living as Wade Wilson and a car salesman who isn’t fit for the job — is found by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen): an agent who has asked Deadpool to fix their timeline (which was destroyed by the death of Wolverine). Mr. Paradox offers refuge for Deadpool in a new timeline while also stating that he will shorten the fractured existence prematurely. Deadpool isn’t keen on this and goes searching for a Wolverine to replace the departed one in the broken timeline, but this isn’t going to work in the eyes of Mr. Paradox, who deems the chosen Wolverine to be the worst one in existence.

*Deadpool & Wolverine* is fun, but it doesn’t go far enough or have enough fresh ideas to warrant its existence outside of fan service.

What stems from this contrived premise — one that was clearly made to try and force this union of characters together — is a series of sequences featuring both superheroes (if they can be considered as such in their gruff, unvarnished ways in this film). Wolverine tells Deadpool to “shut the fuck up” enough times to feel hackneyed. Both people attack each other again and again: a bit of a tired effort by the umpteenth time considering we know rather quickly that they literally cannot kill one another. They try to save themselves and their timelines once exiled for Deadpool’s erroneous effort to please everybody. On the topic of people pleasing, it is clear from the jump that Deadpool & Wolverine is all about fan service: a delivery on a desired concept, the same old kinds of jokes and violence, and the kind of obvious resorts that Marvel is infamous for now (at least the Deadpool series hasn’t been drilled into the ground yet, so, even though Deadpool & Wolverine feels a bit typical, it isn’t nearly as exhausting as your usual Marvel releases now).

Did some of the jokes make me laugh? Absolutely. A certain cameo appearance that was revealed to be a less desired character than the one we know them better for (you’ll know what I mean when we get there) got a chuckle from me, and so did at least a couple of Deadpool’s signature quips (hey, they may be of the same nature as always, but some still worked on me). Did the film grip me as a story? Not so much. Deadpool & Wolverine is a vessel that dies trying to make this concept work, and while it is far less shoehorned than it may seem on paper (the film is at least decent as escapism, even with the meta commentary and humour), that doesn’t mean that it justifies its reason to exist outside of “the fans wanted this”. I’m hoping that the diehards that pushed for this project are more satisfied than I am, as I remain moderately intrigued but mainly unfazed by a film and character that once stood for being startling.

The film relies too heavily on what worked before, including a plethora of cameos (many work well enough, but cameos cannot serve as the primary purpose for a narrative’s existence), the now-cookie-cutter jokes that now make Deadpool feel dated when he was once setting the bar for Marvel (they’re good enough, but we’re getting nothing new here), and the kinds of resolutions that effectively make a film like Deadpool & Wolverine feel even less necessary; if everything remains as-is from before and after the film, then why should this new entry exist? If Deadpool & Wolverine wanted to set the world on fire again, the characters would do more than just hold hands; the consequences would be far more dire; the humour and action would go over the line to the point of having audiences truly question how they got away with what they did.

I’m asking for too much from a company who brought back Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom (sure, he’s not reprising his role as Tony Stark and Iron Man explicitly, but this is proof once again that an organization that thrives on giving people the same old shit ten thousand times can never commit to change); if any film had the opportunity to spice Marvel up, it was Deadpool & Wolverine, which is instead just a fine source of buffoonery and not nearly the game changing release you’ve been led to believe. As a part of a series, it doesn’t go anywhere new or change the story all that much. As a stand alone release, it limps without the support of the other Deadpool films (or the Wolverine-related efforts, on that note). You may enjoy this film more than I did, and that’s understandable because comedy and fun is subjective. If you think Disney and Marvel have truly changed the game with Deadpool & Wolverine, which is honestly just a decent film at the end of the day and nothing more, just hang tight while I grab my magic beans I found in some goose manure by the lake earlier today; they’re still good enough to sell.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.