Title: Deadpool and Wolverine
MPA Rating: R
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins

What It Is: Deadpool (Reynolds) is back, baby! This time, he needs some help ensuring his timeline stays intact and doesn’t get destroyed, thanks to a rogue TVA agent named Mr. Paradox (Matthew MacFadyen). Meanwhile, he dives deep into a chronological abyss ruled by Cassandra Nova (Corrin). And the assistant he receives? Well, it’s none other than our not-so-friendly, Adamantium-laden Canadian madman, Wolverine (Jackman). The two hate each other—a lot. Can they get along long enough to not only quell the threat of Nova but also save Deadpool’s timeline?

What We Think: Man, Deadpool had something special going on in its first two iterations. There was a rebelliousness not found in the MCU. He’s kind of lost that here. This feels diluted and saccharine. Reynolds is definitely still the guy to play this character, and it was really nice to see Wolverine back in the hands of the man himself—Hugh Jackman. But this film just has way too much going on, and unfortunately, Shawn Levy doesn’t have the skill to balance it all and make everything work. It’s ridiculously fun, a hallmark of this series, but that fun wears thin with over two hours of runtime. Likewise, they’re cramming in way too many plot threads. The characters we grew to love in the first two films are thrown by the wayside in favor of new characters and for the sake of a joke at Fox’s expense.

I’m not mad about seeing a character I consider my personal favorite in all of Marvel. He made a name for himself—truly.

Our Grade: B-, This isn’t as good as the first two films, but it’s still one of the better MCU movies to come out in quite a while. Ryan Reynolds’ charm wears thin at times here, but Jackman, at his grumpiest, saves the day. It’s nice to see Marvel take some risks for once. If only they had trusted Sam Raimi to make that Doctor Strange sequel—something he easily could’ve handled in his sleep. Take notes, Kevin Feige: you trusted Shawn Levy to do something that had never been done, letting him make an R-rated Marvel film. Raimi could’ve done it, and done it better. A massive missed opportunity.