‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ movie review: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman’s bromance works on every level

A still from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Laughter is the sure-fire medicine to stave off superhero fatigue. The 34^th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (anyone counting?) features the ultimate dream team of the merc with the mouth, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) teaming up with X-Men’s Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), he of the adamantine skeleton and retractable claws.   

Following the events of 2017’s Logan and 2018’s Deadpool 2, Deadpool makes a bid to join the Avengers. When Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) denies him entry, Deadpool hangs up his mask and is not finding much joy or purpose as a used-car salesman. He is not with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) either.  At his birthday party, Deadpool is captured by the Time Variance Authority and meets Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), who offers him a chance to be on the Sacred Timeline on Earth-616.

Deadpool’s timeline, unfortunately, is disintegrating and the people he loves, including his roommate Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), will cease to be, according to Paradox, because of Wolverine’s death, the timeline’s anchor being. Deadpool this decides to save his timeline and the people close to him by travelling through the multiverse to find a Wolverine to take the place of the one that died.

A still from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

After meeting various iterations of Wolverine including a gambling variant, with an eye patch and white tux, one crucified on a giant X, an old one and a Wolverine of the comic book height of 5 feet 3 inches, Deadpool brings back a Logan who carries the burden of losing his team. The two team up with much quarrelling and sniping and go to the Void where they meet scary Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Charles Xavier’s sister. Cassandra is also a telepath, but unlike her brother, she literally gets into people’s minds, poking her hands into their heads and swirling their brains and memories around.

They barely escape with their minds and memories intact before heading off to the Borderlands to recruit the Resistance — Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Blade (Wesley Snipes), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and Laura (Dafne Keen). There is a jolly fight and all comes right in the end including the timelines. While the cameos including those by Chris Evans, Wunmi Mosaku and Chris Hemsworth are great fun, the action sizzles and Corrin is superb as the sly and slimy Cassandra, Deadpool & Wolverine is powered by the crackling chemistry between Reynolds and Jackman.  

There are laughs aplenty in the various Deadpool variants — from Lady Deadpool (Blake Lively), Dogpool, Kidpool and Babypool to a Cowboy Deadpool (had to be Matthew McConaughey) and Headpool (Nathan Fillion). The unscarred Nicepool, with his groovy vibe and glorious hair, is hilarious. There are so many laugh-out-loud lines (many of them unprintable), including Deadpool chiding Gambit about his dialogue coach, his comments on MCU boss Kevin Feige’s insistence on cocaine and all its slang terms being off limits, as well as calling himself Marvel Jesus, and all the jokes of moving from 20th Century Fox to Disney (“I am going to Disneyland!”).

Deadpool & Wolverine is that perfect summer film with laughs and thrilling action, gift-wrapped with that light pixie dust of good, old fashioned superhero films. It is one of those films that can be re-watched any number of times with many happy takeaways. What a jolly joy!

Deadpool & Wolverine is currently running in theatres