Deadpool and Wolverine review: Deadly, daring, and delicious

Ever since it was revealed that Deadpool 3 would be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there has been this air of uncertainty about the movie. Could the notoriously family-friendly Marvel Studios do Wade Wilson justice? Would that even be possible without an R-rating? Thankfully, we never had to ask that latter question, because it was granted the same mature rating that 20th Century Fox had given the previous two films in the franchise, and that made doing the character justice an inevitability.

It was so inevitable, in fact, that Deadpool and Wolverine has etched itself a place among the MCU's greatest tales. Oh yes, Wolverine is in it too, and he's as much a part of it as Deadpool himself, as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman offer up an adventure as ambitious as it is bloody, and the result is, well, bloody brilliant.

Deadpool and Wolverine is everything you could want it to be

The premise of the film is deceptively complex, but on the surface it's really quite simple: Wade Wilson learns that his world his dying and attempts to recruit a different version of Wolverine to help him save it, but this Logan isn't like his Logan; he's fighting his own personal struggles and couldn't think of anything he'd rather do less than help out someone as unbelievably annoying as Deadpool. It's the perfect odd couple scenario, except with a lot of more violence, f-bombs, and multiverse-hopping.

Yes, this movie is an important part of the MCU's Multiverse Saga, but it's not bogged down in multiversal lore. It instead keeps things straightforward, allowing for an entertaining romp that works incredibly well as a standalone (though there is no disputing its importance to the overall franchise). Because the truth is, as exciting as it was to sit on the edge of your seat and wait for the cameos and surprises, the real highlight of the movie is the chemistry between its two leads.

Reynolds and Jackman are electric together, pairing better than you could hope for. Deadpool's motormouth in-your-face style clashes with Logan's reserved broodiness instantly and it makes for many great scenes between the two that just illustrate how ridiculous a duo they are. They have nothing in common, and everything in common at the same time; for they are both fighting for their own goals, their own redemption, their own worlds. While Deadpool's world is still alive, Logan seeks to avenge his, righting some wrongs along the way.

Seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine again is enough to make any longtime fan emotional (I know I sure felt some tears creeping up on me in the movie theater!). It might have been close to a decade since he last played the role in Logan, but he hasn't lost a step, as he slots back into the character with ease. There's a more feral quality to this particular Wolverine which he absolutely nails and it's extremely fulfilling to see him get to bring that side of the character to life.

A love-letter to both Marvel and X-Men fans

One of the real treats of the movie leading into it was, of course, the fact that Jackman would be donning the comic-accurate Wolverine suit for the first time ever and he didn't disappoint. He looked like he had been ripped straight from the pages of Marvel Comics's X-Men adventures and the mask (yes, it's in there, too) is a thing of beauty when it's finally worn. We knew Jackman could play whatever type of Wolverine he was tasked with, but to see the comic-accurate one come to life before our eyes; that is something else entirely.

What's also something else is Emma Corrin's performance. Cassandra Nova is chilling, but she's also captivating, making the hair on the back of your neck stand up when she almost playfully struts onto the screen. Corrin is a scene-stealer and you can't look away whenever they appear (as much as many of Cassandra's scenes make you want to). And even though Cassandra is capable of bringing the fun to a halt in an instant, Corrin's electric performance is a twisted kind of fun in its own right, making the character right at home in the outlandish and over-the-top movie.

And it is outlandish and over-the-top. Deadpool said it himself in one of the lines that stood out from one of the earliest trailers; this movie promises "big slow-motion action sequences" in which nobody knows if the characters "live or die", and it delivers on all fronts. This high-stakes super-sized smackdown features multiple ambitious fight scenes, and all of them are ridiculously entertaining (in a way that only a Deadpool movie knows how to be). The final one, in particular, is one of the most impressive (and entertaining) feats in a Marvel movie ever.

This is a love letter to the fans, giving them everything they could ever want in a Deadpool and Wolverine team-up movie. Reynolds knows how to do that (he had a huge role in bringing this one to life) and it shows. One of the most exciting aspects of the movie are the cameos, and though we'll not venture into spoiler territory here, I will say that the film does a remarkable job of balancing them out with the central storyline. No one outstays their welcome, but they aren't blink-and-you'll-miss-it-either; everyone serves a purpose, and it goes a long way in adding substance to the fan-service.

But sometimes fan-service is a good thing. Deadpool and Wolverine isn't anything that it doesn't already claim to be. It's fun, fast-paced, and adventurous, and everybody is there to have a good time. That's not to say that it isn't poignant, because it is; the Deadpool movies know how to use clever writing to service a more meaningful story, hiding powerful storytelling behind the quips, and this one is only the most recent example of that. As fun as the movie is, it's not pointless; it has a purpose and it serves it well.

As great as it is to see these two characters as part of the MCU, it's even cooler that Deadpool and Wolverine is essentially the final chapter in the 20th Century Fox Marvel Universe. The film is a fitting send-off to two decades of mutants and storytelling, as it honors the beautiful, imperfect legacy of the X-Men movie franchise while also figuring out a way to ensure that the very best of it (Wade and Logan) get to have their long overdue MCU moments.

This movie is a big swing for Marvel Studios and they only went and hit a home-run. Deadpool and Wolverine is a roaring success that brings the Marvel Cinematic Universe back to where it needs to be. It's also a whole lot of fun in the process - the kind of fun that you will remember for a long time to come.