SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Will you be sharpening your claws and heading to theaters for the new “Deadpool & Wolverine” this weekend? ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty gives his spoiler-free thoughts on if it’s worth the watch, or not.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Where to Watch: Theaters

Directed By: 

Shawn Levy

Written By: 

Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds

Starring:

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Genre:

Action, Comedy, Superhero

Rated R

All media courtesy of Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios is releasing just one film this year in theaters, and Deadpool is tasked with not only saving his own universe, but perhaps the entire MCU.

Wade Wilson is battling the TVA (Time Variance Authority) and will need the help of the greatest X-Men he knows, the Wolverine. With this dynamic frenemy together on screen, will Deadpool have a shot at being a part of the MCU moving forward, or face being purged forever in the past?

The first two Deadpool movies were a breath of fresh air for a very stale X-Men universe. With multiple timelines and a lack of energy to bring the characters into proper comics-accurate form, seeing the Merk with the mouth decked in red felt like an evolution in the mutant storylines.

When Disney purchased Fox, Deadpool was the only character I could see existing in Disney’s MCU, but had no idea how that would work. That’s where Hugh Jackman came in to save it.

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“Deadpool & Wolverine” is a love letter to the Fox Marvel Universe. Treating it with reverence, and respect, and celebrating what did and did not work in a way that’s very entertaining.

It’s bloody, hyperviolent, gratuitous, and foul-mouthed in all the ways you expect a Deadpool movie to be. I was amazed at some of the jokes that made it into the film, and I feel that’s a testament that Disney not only knew and understood the character, but embraced being made fun of.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s chemistry is off the charts. This is a team-up you can feel both actors have been anticipating for years, and they’ve rewarded fans that also have waited richly. I appreciate the differentiation of this Wolverine from the one beautifully shown in ‘Logan’, while still paying respect to the character and his legacy.

There are a lot of secrets in Deadpool and Wolverine, so go in avoiding as much as you can and see it as quickly as possible to avoid getting spoiled online. This is absolutely one to see in theaters for the crowds. It feels like a return to 2018 levels of applause and event-style filmmaking. I was hyped to be able to experience it, and can’t wait to again with a theater full of fans.

If there are criticisms, I feel the editing somewhat hurt the impact some jokes have. There are so many, that they get lost in whichever one is the strongest during the moment, and I wanted to be able to process them more.

The villain Cassandra Nova is very menacing, but contradicts some of her persona in the film and feels underwritten. The underlying superhero story also feels as convoluted as this phase of the MCU has continued to feel, though here they are able to poke fun at it, while also having their cake and eating it too.

Does this solve the MCU story issues? No, but it does provide an excellent addition and official introduction of X-Men and Mutants into the MCU.

Overall, this is absolutely a See It. Go in a quickly as you can knowing as little as possible and have a great time in the theaters!

See It or Skip It? See It!

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