Cast:
Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson / Deadpool), Hugh Jackman (Logan / Wolverine), Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova), Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Paradox), Dafne Keen (Laura / X-23), Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Rob Delaney (Peter), with Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Jennifer Garner (Elektra), Wesley Snipes (Blade), and Channing Tatum (Gambit) Directed by Shawn Levy.
Review:
I will admit that I liked what I saw of Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018), but there is probably something a bit strange to my inner self that I didn't write as much as I thought I did about why I thought they were good. I am then reminded that the character (as created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld that first showed in publication in 1990) being once described as looking like "Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar Pei" apparently sprung a desire for Reynolds to, well, want to involved in making a Deadpool film for years (we do not speak of X-Men Origins: Wolverine) before it actually became a thing (as credited by a certain leak of test footage). I generally forget about seeing films a second time around unless I really feel like it, but I imagine that the pace and energy of those two films worked more often than not to go with commitment from Reynolds that was worthwhile enough for most folks. Honestly though, I didn't really care about the idea of trying to pull the character for spinoffs because, well, keeping things simple really is sometimes better (of course I still can't really get used to the term "20th Century Studios", so there we are). But sure, I suppose six years between Deadpool films is a fair accomplishment, particularly since my interest in seeing comic book movies (particularly sequels) has become more of a coinflip than ever. With that in mind, it isn't too much of a surprise to see five credited writers with Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy (Reese and Wernick wrote the last two films, incidentally) to see both the return of Deadpool and Wolverine (as last played by Hugh Jackman seven years ago that surely isn't referenced here).
It is easy to say the movie is fine. It is comfortably decent in a way that I somehow should have seen coming and yet here we are with a movie that will accomplish its goals of R-rated entertainment in the realm best equated to a checkbox. Okay, maybe that isn't completely fair or meant to be an insult, but there were times during the 128-minute runtime (surprise, that is the longest of the series) where I was wondering where the line was drawn in making the film when it came to the meaning of "restraint" for what is basically a road movie. It seems to aim for being the goofball kind of comic movie that maybe ends up more like the drunk uncle type of goofiness that works best in the actual dynamic between its two main actors more than the bits and pieces of formula, which could either be about its comedic tone or, well, in its action. Jackman practically steps right back into the gear he always managed to achieve without strain or hesitation in terms of a cool loner with physicality and the timing that was a clear favorite anytime he was on the screen in the days of future past. That manages to make for a dynamic with Reynolds that is pretty funny mostly because each actually seem to have a good time being around each other in the style of a road movie. Reynolds and his love of such a gloriously violent silly character is evident still even with such time spent masked, this is for sure. Corrin is slightly effective in the rote sense of adversary (think back to the last two Deadpool film villains and get back to me) without really sticking the landing by the time of the ending because of that usual MCU complaint that still seems true: it's hard to make a neat villain when you know an effects show (or silly cameo) is coming. I actually am a bit bummed at the little time spent with the actual Deadpool supporting cast, particularly when Macfadyen only just manages to distract one in a few neat moments of timing. Evidently, there were plans to do a "Gambit" film with Tatum as the title character that ended up never happening, so here he gets to do a bit with that character, complete with an accent that I'm sure Peter Sellars would've loved in absurdity. But even with that accent, well, Snipes takes the cake as (still) the one and only Blade when it comes to timing. I suppose there is something to say about Garner returning for a bit to an old role, but Keen does better in one little campfire scene than the entirety of Garner and that one particular joke used to clearly draw laughs (there is one other cameo that drags to the most obvious death scene, but whatever).
It only just manages to hit the line of not overrunning its welcome (more times than not) in humor, but I sure as hell can understand where that schtick can really please or really drag, and this was one of those films where even liking a film means having a moment where you hold your hand in a twirling fashion and I think you get the picture. I'm sure there are folks that will enjoy that deluge of Deadpools in its diversionary and amusing tactics, but you know, I do wonder if someone got drunk when watching Spider-Verse and thought, "hey!". I find it peculiar to see this as a sort of tribute (well, the logo is found in the sand at one point but it plays "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)...which is a song old enough for me to remember hearing it in my elementary video-book nearly 20 years ago) to those days of 20th Century Fox-Marvel films, because like an old high school friend that you used to know, that stuff was already buried neatly without the need to bring it all up again (such as the yellow suit, which I don't really understand why people care that much when the "actor" is what matters, but whatever; however, I will not argue on saying the mask looks too goofy for that one scene it gets used). As a whole, I don't usually find myself trying to wrestle with assessing a film as average as this one, but there is a strange sense of trying to figure out where the line gets drawn between having one's patience tested and accepting the overall finish. I was fine with the movie in terms of where it finished for entertainment in the plundering world of familiar images and bits that come and go that one could be forgiven for thinking of as a pastiche or even a pastiche of a pastiche. The enjoyment of the film for me lies firmly in the middle, one that proves the importance of not pushing and rushing everything in fulfillment even when just making it in the margins.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
Next up: another theme month for August.
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