Director: Shawn Levy Screenwriter: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Running Time: 128 min. MPAA: R

Where does Deadpool fit in with the current Marvel movie landscape? This is the question that serves as the entire basis for Deadpool & Wolverine, existing as much of a fitting roast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it is a fanboy dream of a team-up picture. The answer is that it ultimately doesn’t matter how well the merc with a mouth can mesh with the current crop of PG-13 superheroes. His fourth-wall punching and giddy gutting of comic books is what carries him more than any promise of him trading quips with Thor.

The ribbing of Ryan Reynolds is much needed, given how much has happened since Deadpool 2. Industry wise, a lot has happened. Fox was purchased by Disney and it’s a point that Wade “Deadpool” Wilson does not shy away from. It’s a thematic element that plays well with Deadpool feeling as though he has lost his relevancy. In the same way that Disney ditched Fox’s Marvel productions, Deadpool thinks his days of anti-hero antics are over. Thus begins a search for purpose while running his mouth and shoving swords up butts.

There is a freedom that is felt with Deadpool coming at what he admits is a lower point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So while he could play with all the MCU has to offer, he chooses instead to fulfill the desires that don’t seem possible in a saga partially bound by continuity. This is one of the central reasons why Deadpool’s adventure finds him bringing Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the mix. This isn’t the same Wolverine from the character’s somber bow in 2017’s Logan but a Wolverine that is as much a dream version for comic book fans as it is a sloppy superhero as outcasted as Deadpool himself. That said, Jackman still plays the much-needed straight for a lot of Deadpool’s ongoing banter.

The humor hasn’t lost its sharp edge and goes beyond the obvious gags of “holy shit, we’re saying holy shit in a Disney Marvel movie.” A good chunk of the knowing jabs come from the absurdity of what aspects Deadpool can play with. The anti-hero digs through Marvel Fox properties more or less, and a decent narrative forms around the proverbial island of misfit Marvel. The middle finger is firmly delivered for continuity, considering that one of Deadpool’s enemies in this surreal adventure is an organization built on maintaining continuity. The allegory for the restrictive nature of the MCU is so bold that it’s surprising there’s a scant of subtley amid all the big winks and nudges.

Of course, for those who are coming in with hopes of some fun fights between Deadpool and Wolverine, this film is a buffet of brutality. Even with Deadpool’s running commentary about how cool this all is, there’s some fun in these no-rules battles. A highlight is when Deadpool and Wolverine viciously slice each other up entirely within a Honda Odyssey, playing out with the juxtaposed classic pop that punctuates every gleeful scene of violence and vulgarity. Since both of them have regenerative abilities, it’s less about who wins and more about who gets in the best piercings. Each skirmish feels clever and fresh for combat, where you always know it’s a stalemate, never relying on a superhero landing or one-liner to carry the carnage.

Where the film falters is that it’s zaniness speeds so quickly it nearly forgets about what Wade is fighting for. He keeps speaking about how his close friends are worth fighting for, yet they barely play a role in the rest of the film. The stakes don’t feel as high and arrive almost inexplicably to keep the Deadpool comedy train chugging. Wolverine has a similar drive, but his darker past remains more of a hazy pastiche of previous X-Men pictures. Their plight seems to be more about relevancy than sacrifice, which makes sense that even the grand finale throws in some Madonna to cultivate more laughs than tears.

Deadpool & Wolverine cut up the mainstream superhero landscape as much as they do each others’ throats. The vigor within the freedom to play with fan wishes of the genre brought out some good laughs from either the wry commentary or the cameos that felt more like genuine surprises rather than an assurance that all of this is connected. There’s also something genuinely refreshing about Deadpool doesn’t feel bound by maintaining the status quo, even if all this leads up to a somewhat standard finale of stopping another villain who wants to blow everything up. So, while Deadpool might not be able to chuck a grenade into Disney’s plans for Marvel, he can at least rattle the cage hard enough to laugh at its faults and fulfill geeky dreams of showdowns and cameos. At a time where it feels like so many superheroes want to plunge headfirst into the multiverse, only Deadpool has the gutter mouth to say that it’s a tired concept and kinda sucks.

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