Deadpool & Wolverine

There haven't been many times in recent years that so much pressure has been placed on so few shoulders in Hollywood. Although it probably didn't start out that way, Deadpool & Wolverine has ended up shouldering the responsibility for the future of Marvel's gigantic film venture, and for many, the entire box office year also depends on whether a good old-fashioned blockbuster like this can continue to pull in the expected billion. Ryan Reynolds and company have to deliver a satisfying Deadpool sequel, seemingly act as a soft introduction for the entire 20th Century Fox X-Men universe, and revitalise the MCU in just around two hours. No pressure.

It's incredibly easy to move into critical spoiler territory here, so let's just say that six years have passed since the events of Deadpool 2, and Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is contacted by the TVA (Time Variance Authority) that most people know if they've seen the Loki series on Disney+ (though everything is explained here too). It turns out that our timeline, the so-called "Sacred Timeline" is in danger, so Wilson must find Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman himself, and prevent the multiverse from collapsing.

First of all, it's worth noting that both Reynolds and Jackman are in top form here. Reynolds' quippy take on the character may not last forever, and Reynolds' rather singular, limited range as a character actor only becomes more evident as more and more roles have the same mannerisms and body language, but you can't take away the fact that he is Deadpool. Jackman is far more impressive as he has a far more varied back catalogue, yet falls seamlessly back into the role here, and does so with aplomb. They are backed up by an effective cast that welcomes a sea of cameos. It's a packed line-up to say the least, and beyond those we've already seen in teasers, such as Dafne Keen as X23 and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth, there's a lot to look forward to.

Only Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova seems slightly out of place, and all joking aside, she unfortunately continues the rather disappointing trend of Marvel using antagonists solely as glorified plot devices. But beyond that, the film is not just well acted, but masterfully constructed, choreographed and put together.

And it's funny, as in really funny. Of course, the comedic focus comes and goes like ebb and flow, but every time Reynolds, director Shawn Levy and the writers deliver a joke, it lands - every time. This is one of the funniest films of the year, and arguably the funniest MCU film since the original Guardians of the Galaxy.

Much more than that is pretty hard to say, as this will probably, for starters if nothing else, be a film that lives and dies on keeping the grand secrets intact, leaving an aura of mystery around how Reynolds and company deliver this wild action/comedy bash. The long and the short of it is that they succeeded, for the most part. No, this is not a film that can single-handedly revitalise the MCU - that was always an unrealistic goal. At the same time, this is a hugely powerful comeback that may signal Marvel's willingness to take more creative risks and let individual films stand out more.

Deadpool & Wolverine makes the most of its R-rating, as do other violent action epics like Boy Kills World and John Wick Chapter 4 by throwing body parts at you in all directions. What's more, there's plenty of swearing and no shortage of self-critical irony. There's everything that other anaemic Marvel films have been lacking lately - character. It's not the violence or the swearing that's the point. However, it all comes to symbolise a willingness to step a little outside the already trodden Marvel path, which hopefully they will continue to do going forward.

Some sequences are more entertaining than others, and as I said, Reynolds can't do this character forever because metal fatigue will eventually set in. But for now, this was exactly what we needed, and that in itself is pretty awesome.