I'll be real with ya'll: I was kinda excited for this movie, but before it released I had like no expectations this movie would be great or even awesome, specially after the underrated jewel known as X-Men '97 dropped. I heard all the rumours about Channing Tatum as Gambit making an appearance alongside Jennifer Garner's Elektra and I got flashbacks of Nicolas Cage in The Flash movie.
So there I was with my mother, on the premiere in my island of the movie, alongside a huge number of Deadpool fans who probably know the character more than I do... And ima be real: the movie was a genuiely positive surprise. Here's how I felt about the themes of the movie.
The movie starts in a very straight-forward way: they literally tell the audience that they can't live up to the ending of Logan and that none of the Avengers as we know them from the MCU will show up on this flick through the incredible dance number and Happy Hogan respectively.
We then see Deadpool celebrating his birthday with his beloved people and getting taken away by the TVA. There, Paradox makes a very tempting deal to Deadpool: leave the "silly close to death universe" he comes from, and join the wonderful and magical world of The Avengers. Deadpool at first is excited... But then he remembers the people from his universe who at least tried to stan for him, and finds out they won't make It through as he could.
I feel the message here is kind of obvious: the movie is criticizing the thought-process of the fandom about how everything before the MCU meant nothing, and only stuff inside It is what matters (which trust me, I sadly know a lot of people who think like this).
We then see Deadpool trying to fix his timeline by hiring any sort of Wolverine from the multiverse, as he is meant to be the anchor being of his' (I'll come back to this later)... And he ends up finding a Wolverine who turns out to be the worst one and the biggest letdown in the multiverse.
They then get thrown into the place from Loki which has a name I forgot, meet Cassandra Nova through Chris Evans Human Torch (I'll get to him later as well), and one way after the other they eventually get into a fight in a car and get taken by someone.
And here, is when the movie started clicking for me. We see Jennifer Garner's Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade and Channing Tatum's Gambit as the rumours were saying... But It wasn't in the way I thought It would be.
Ok, now we talk about the cameos. Ignoring Cavillrine and the Deadpool Corps (the weakest parts of the movie imo due to how unnecessary to the overall story they felt), I genuiely believe this movie does something which movies such as The Flash were not able to even come close to doing: give the guest appearances a purpose.
Chris Evans as the Human Torch isn't just a funny gag: he is meant to get the audience into a reality check. We nowadays know the actor for Captain America, and even Deadpool thinks he is that character when he first sees him. But then he flames on and we realize he is also a remaining piece from the past who somehow is still in the audience's concience through a new role. And It all ties back to the whole critique of the "FOX/Classic Marvel media bad/MCU good" mentality. Notice how people start treating him like nothing in the movie after he is revealed to be the Human Torch. Even Deadpool when he dies describes him as a "budget eater". However, the resistance remembers him fondly and as a strong ally.
And yes, now we get to Elektra, Blade and Gambit. I feel these three cameos also each have a purpose: Elektra represents the movies which failed from the beginning from the classic Marvel era, Blade represents the semi successful franchises, and Tatum's Gambit what never even got a chance to shine (such as the Doctor Doom and Silver Surfer solo movies for example). They constantly talk about how their universes never got a chance at redemption, weren't given the option to fight for them and so. This I believe is also a critique of the whole "throwing the old toy to replace him with a new one" approach many fans and even Disney are guilty of. Nicolas Cage Superman and Michael Keaton Batman didn't ever come close to these feelings on The Flash, they literally were there because WB had enough money to afford them and get one or two claps at the cinema.
... And then, we get the scene with Logan and Laura. Now is when we talk about Wolverine.
I believe, the Wolverine we see in this movie isn't the one from Logan for a genuine purpose: It isn't meant to be a representation of the Logan people and critics loved, It is meant to be a commentary on Wolverine as a concept and media identity.
This Logan got drunk and wasn't there when his X-Men died... Almost similar to how the X-Men movies after Logan became strong flops when the character wasn't being used as much anymore. He wears the yellow suit to remind him of what he lost... He's wearing the remains of his franchise on his own body to remind him of what has been lost. And throught the movie, we see his arc alongside Deadpool of what this movie tries to offer at its core: embrace the past, both on the good and the bad, but also keep moving forward for a future.
The rest of the movie writes itself: Logan and Deadpool decide to finally join forces for a common goal, they get to give Elektra, Blade and Gambit the chance they never got in the spotlight, they make It back, defeat Cassandra Nova after an admittedly rushed but cool fight against the Deadpool Corps, all while Wolverine finally wears proudly his full costume with mask and all to embrace his X-Men roots... And the movie ends with Logan finally finding a new purpose beyond his franchise, and Deadpool being able to coexist both with his friends such as Colossus, Negasonic and Peter.
Long story short: I don't think Deadpool & Wolverine is the Flash and Space Jam 2 cameo fest people are claiming It is: I feel It is a commentary on the status of the MCU fandom and even the MCU itself. How people think too much about how everything has to be under the same umbrella and in perfect connectivity... But never stop even once to consider anything of what came before which lead the way for the MCU. And the credits deeply strengthen these points.
For every X-Men The Last Stand or Origins Wolverine there was a First Class or Days Of Future Past, for every Ghost Rider or Elektra there was a Blade 2... And even if some of these movies were not great, the fact they still made way to what we have now is what truly matters. And sure, the MCU did make some characters justice (Daredevil, Iron Man and Thor)... But It also has some weak spots which need to be acknowledged (Hulk/Bruce Banner being the biggest one imo).
All in all, despite some weak jokes at times and the Deadpool Corps feeling rushed out of nowhere, I give this movie a 7.8/10. It is flawed of course, but I genuiely feel It has a purpose beyond being a cameo fest unlike the Mario Movie or The Flash. And that's what I value a lot.
Noipoi
and
dezeray112
just so at least 2 persons give It a read, I feel they might find It worth It.
