Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

A movie so good we saw it twice in the cinema, and I’d happily go a third time!

The MCU has truly hit me the feels a few times, but not for a while. To my memory, I cried at Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers Endgame, and all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies (that last one 😭).

You know what all these movies have in common? They feature lost and lonely misfits finding their place, purpose and family. Yes even Captain America is a misfit, he was a nerdy, little weakling and then he’s literally a man out of his time separated from his true loves (Bucky and Peggy!).

You know who else has given me wet eyes every movie? Deadpool. The merc with the fucking mouth in his hyper violent, foul mouthed R-rated movies are overflowing with heart. Wade Wilson just wants to be loved! He wants to matter to somebody! He finds a weird, little family and it’s goddamn beautiful.

As this movie succinctly puts it – he’s not trying to save The World but his world which is made up of the 9 people he holds most dear. And actually isn’t that more relatable?

And you know another hyper violent R-rated film that had me bawling at the end? Logan. I hadn’t seen that since it was in the cinema but we rewatched it before D&W and holy fuck it’s good and the ending.. full tears rolling down my face! That movie gets Wolverine, finally… Then kills him off in a beautiful sacrifice to save a group of mutant kids.

So when it came to Deadpool & Wolverine I was so hyped, I could not have been more hyped! Have I ever been more hyped for a movie? I was very excited for Captain Marvel (Carol is my girl) but that came with a little trepidation, with Deadpool & Wolverine I had nothing but faith in the team behind it, and it’s very existence is evidence of miracles.

In fact two viewings was necessary because I was practically vibrating with excitement the first time around and couldn’t completely focus!

There are so many amazing things about this movie, that made me so very happy, and I’ll list them in a bit (spoiler warning!) but first of all just… Hugh Jackman as Wolverine again is all hearts. 💛💛💛💛💛

And he is so very Wolverine, complete with in the yellow and blue!

The movie works because it finds the similarities in Wade and Logan. They don’t just share mutant super healing factors, they’re also both broken lonely people who have endured horrific traumas and done terrible things. They’re both at their hearts seeking their own forgiveness, to find love and acceptance. It’s a beautiful story of friendship, found after a lot of jokes and very knifey fights set to fun pop classics.

This movie also finally used the multiverse in a fun way, and – as Deadpool is the king of meta – it also works as a surprisingly emotional ode to Fox’s almost forgotten catalogue of Marvel movies. Most of them weren’t good… But it did hit me in the nostalgia to see the clips over the end credits. Those X-Men movies were all we had back then, and I loved them for that!

The cameos were some of my favourite moments! And we are getting in to the spoilers now.. if you ignored the warning above, that’s on you.

I still haven’t recovered from Chris Evan’s appearance as Johnny Storm. They got me with that one! Have I ever been as delighted as when he said “flame on” instead of ” avengers assemble”?!

Obviously I have to mention Gambit! I nearly flew out my seat when Channing Tatum appeared in full comic book Gambit costume with the weird head sock helmet thing completely with the fucking Cajun accent! I’m English so I have no clue what a true Cajun accent is but from what I’ve read it was pretty good (given how unrecognisable Scottish and Irish accents are in the 90s cartoon I’m not going to use that as a reference!)! I also really loved getting to see him using his powers to really fight! Exploding heads and all.

And Laura/X-23! Her appearance really ties the movie together and shows Wolverine that he can be a hero (or at least one version of him was). Seeing her in the sunglasses was a great moment, and Daphne Keene is just so good! After Logon (she is so tiny in Logan!), His Dark Materials, The Acolyte (🫶🏻 Jecki) I’m so impressed with what a powerful actress she is and I hope to see her in more!

Emma Corrin was fantastic as Cassandra Nova who was so fun and so absolutely unhinged! I am here for chaotic villains! Plus Matthew MacFadyen as Mr Paradox, hilarious – especially on the second viewing when I paid him more attention! Two British villains, I loved it.

There is so much more! The opening sequence was incredible (can’t get Bye Bye Bye out my head) – especially having only just watched Logan I was equally horrified and delighted! The interview with Happy! All the fight scenes were great but especially thrilling was the team up at Cassandra’s (Ant-Man) Head Quarters. The Wolverine variants were delicious too. Nicepool and the shout out to The Proposal (my 4th favourite Ryan Reynolds movie). The Star-Trek reference!

And man, the scene where they come together to stop the time ripper, and Wolverine’s suit burns off and that fantastic choir version of Like A Prayer plays – I get emotional thinking about it now.

You know what? I hope Hugh Jackman does have to do this until he’s 90 … well maybe not that long, but I want to see more of him in the yellow!