Deadpool & Wolverine Review: A Solid MCU Entry, But It's No Juggernaut

Disney's "Deadpool & Wolverine" is a rip-snorting good time at the movies. Mainly it's a funeral dirge for Fox, the company that had the rights to Deadpool until Disney bought them. Because of that, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is, as he says, "Marvel Jesus," rising from the ashes to save the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he doesn't entirely pull it off, he comes awfully close — closer in fact than any of the other recent Marvel movies, even the legacy ones.

Of course, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is also just an excuse to get Deadpool and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) together for an adventure, so don't expect much of a plot — that's not the reason to see the movie. But if you did describe the plot, it would be thus: Deadpool is taken to the Time Variance Authority (TVA) under duress and told that his timeline is dying because its anchor hero, Wolverine, has died. Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), the TVA worker that took him, offers Deadpool the choice to help him end his timeline and be a hero or go back home and die with his friends. Deadpool chooses Option C: get Wolverine back.

First he tries the original version of Wolverine, not believing he really died, and when that doesn't work, he recruits a version from an alternate timeline. But Deadpool doesn't seem to understand that he can't just swap one Wolverine for another, and for that, Mr. Paradox zaps him and this new version of Wolverine into the Void, aka the place where the TVA dumps their garbage. The majority of the movie is spent here as Deadpool and Wolverine try to get out in between fights — amongst themselves and between them and other people. By the time they get free, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), the evil twin of Charles Xavier, has decided to use Mr. Paradox's pruning device to take out all worlds, and it's up to Deadpool and Wolverine to stop her. Can they do it? Well, whose names are on the marquee?

The thing is, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is entirely character-driven. While that's true of a lot of MCU movies, especially the earlier ones like "Iron Man" and "Thor," they at least had a plot to back up the incredibly charismatic characters. With "Deadpool & Wolverine" though, the writers — Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Zeb Wells, and Paul Wernick — have entirely succumbed to this instinct, having the barest sketch of a plot that takes them from Point A to Point B but mostly serves as an excuse for a lot of cameos. That's mostly okay.

After all, after the first two "Deadpool" movies, that's pretty much what you'd expect; "Deadpool 1" and "Deadpool 2" weren't exactly heavy on plot. But of the three, this one has the least plot of all, and that's because it has more on its mind. This movie thrives on welcoming those in Fox's Marvel Universe into the Disney fold, even if the characters will never be seen again outside of this film.

However, introducing Deadpool to the squeaky-clean MCU is risky. Everyone knows that it's Disney behind this movie now, and having Deadpool as part of Disney seems incongruous. Of course, Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Movies, wanted to bring Deadpool into the MCU, and the franchise's upright image wasn't going to stop him. In fact, the movie doubles down on previous "Deadpool" movies, making this one the most violent yet. However, it's not the most raunchy; that honor goes to the first one. We could wonder about Disney's comfort with violence over sex, but there are many excuses for that twist in "Deadpool & Wolverine."

All in all, this movie does a great job of being both a "Deadpool" threequel and the first "Deadpool" film in the MCU. But still, something feels like it's missing. I felt this with the first "Deadpool" too. It could just be me, but there was a point in both movies where I got tired of laughing and just wanted the plot to kick in. Of course, that's a lot to ask from a "Deadpool" movie. The whole point is that we've come to see Deadpool (and in this case Wolverine, too) crack wise and vulgar. Still, I wish there was just the tiniest bit more plot in the movies. Wise-cracking and cameos go a long way, but a slightly more substantial plot wouldn't hurt anyone.

That said, everyone in the movie is top-notch. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are of course fantastic as Deadpool and Wolverine, especially Jackman as a version of Logan he hasn't played before. Plus, everyone with cameos does a great job. No spoilers here but suffice it to say that the actors are all great, even if their last outings in Fox's Marvel Universe weren't ... or didn't happen at all. But Emma Corrin may be the best thing in the movie. Her Cassandra Nova is sweet and vicious and empathetic. You can't quite get a read on her, which makes her all the more scary. And the movie is directed by Shawn Levy with such expert care and attention to detail that it's almost enough to get by.

While I may have trouble with the lack of plot in "Deadpool & Wolverine," many people will simply luxuriate in two-plus hours of Deadpool and Wolverine doing their thing. That's just fine. In fact, that's exactly what Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, and Shawn Levy want you to do: say goodbye to the old and hello to the new with them. "Deadpool & Wolverine" isn't the height of the MCU, but it is the height of the MCU right now, and for a franchise that's struggling at the moment, it's the shot in the arm that the MCU needs.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" comes to theaters on July 26.