Deadpool & Wolverine

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has given up the fast-paced Deadpool life for one more mundane. But, the universe is being threatened with extinction and it is up to the reluctant superhero, with an equally reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in tow, to save it all in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Robin's Review: C

OK, right up front, I am not a fan of the Marvel Universe, especially when they introduced the Multiverse concept. If one universe is good, then an infinite number must be amazing, right? No, they are not.

There is a story, of sorts, buried under all the bombast, bright lights, mayhem and R-rating. Mr., Paradox (Matthew McFadden), the ambitious, nominal head of the Time Variance Authority, which controls all of the timelines of all the universes, has deemed Deadpool’s obsolete and will cease to exist in 72 hours with the aid of the Time Ripper.

Meanwhile Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), the twin sister of Charles Xavier and possessor of incredible telekinetic and telepathic power, has designs to use the Time Ripper to her own ends. There is violence galore as Deadpool and Wolverine must fight the bad guys and turn the tables on Paradox and Cassandra. I suppose this will appease the Marvel fans who have waited breathlessly for this to open.

I think I made it clear I am not an MCU fan by any stretch of the imagination. But, even though “DP & W” topped a two hour run time, there is one saving grace in this latest addition to the Marvel franchise. Deadpool, as expected, gets all of the one-liners and that continues here. These zingers poke frequent fun at the industry, the franchise, Disney, Hugh Jackman and many more, Deadpool breaking the fourth wall with his into the camera’s irreverences and they continue from start to finish, providing a respite from the usual bombast.

While I long ago gave up on the MCU and its many, many characters, it is amusing to see how the filmmakers, led by director Shawn Levy, brings, one way or another, all (or nearly all) of the Marvel characters that ever existed – we even get cameos by Elektra (Jennifer Garner) and Blade (Wesley Snipes) – into the story.

There was enough distraction going on so I did not mind, too much, having my audio and video senses overloaded with noise and light. But, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is for the fans only. I do not think there will be many conversions to the Marvel Multiverse but the fans will be happy.

Disney Marvel opens "Deadpool & Wolverine" in theaters on 7/26/24.