MAKE MINE MARVEL MADNESS

 

MOVIE
Deadpool & Wolverine
Director Shawn Levy
Review Ray Chan

The renowned film studio 20th Century Fox pioneered the real age of Marvel superheroes. Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it brought some of Marvel Comics' most iconic four-colour characters to life on the big screen with the X-Men and Fantastic Four.
    In 2019, of course, it was acquired by Disney to become 20th Century Studios, and so became cohorts with Marvel Studios, the creator of the MCU, a media franchise and shared universe of films and television series based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications.    
    As time attests, not all of Fox's productions were favourably received, although the two Deadpool offerings stood out for their originality.
    Deadpool & Wolverine is Marvel Studios' first foray starring the Merc with a Mouth, and carries on the flavour of the initial 'Pool pics with irreverent humour and shenanigans.
    But more importantly, it serves as a love letter — a regular missive of memories — to everything that came before it, celebrating the Fox universe and all it accomplished over the years.
    The movie is stuffed with silly in-jokes, references, fourth wall disruptions and bits of comedy, pretty much the same as its predecessors, but taking it to an extreme.
    Despite an effort to infuse a hint of emotion during the last act, it’s basically a non-stop laugh-a-thon that exists to deconstruct everything we know about superhero films. It certainly shows no fear at biting hard the hand that feeds it.
    The overall gist is that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) — a being with superhuman strength and regenerative healing abilities — is tasked with preventing his timeline from being destroyed, entailing finding a multiverse version of the claw-sheathing Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to join him on a trek through the Void, a wasteland for all the Marvel projects that failed or never reached fruition.
    There, they encounter Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), the megalomaniacal twin sister of X-Men leader Charles Xavier, who rules the Void with an iron fist.
    Early scenes are as funny as they are violent, leading to the movie’s R-rating (MA15+ in Australia). In his efforts to find a “perfect” Wolverine, Deadpool meets several different versions of the Canadian carnivoid, most of which result in amusing encounters with variants adapted from comic book appearances.
    (One gripe: on the first of his travels, he exhumes the skeleton of the mutant who died in 2017’s Logan, the magnificent saga of the last Wolverine story, and one this writer considers the best ever superhero movie made. The shocking exploit is done for cheap laughs merely to set up a grisly confrontation with a group of assassins, and severely dilutes a cinematic masterpiece which really should have been left untouched.) 
    The picture truly takes off though once the protagonists hit the Void. Many gags are aimed at the Marvel movies made by Fox, several of which didn’t exactly satisfy fans. Others deal with figures who declined in popularity, never made it past the casting rumour stage, and so on.
   But there’s an effort to give these maligned or faded characters some redemption. Multiple well-known actors appear in cameos, game to be in on the gag while also quite clearly happy to get a makeover. A surprise twist featuring Chris Evans is almost the icing on the cake, while look out for the guy who was last seen playing a certain Man of Steel in the Warner Bros franchises.
    Reynolds had a part in the script, and he doesn't shy away from making himself the butt of much buffoonery. Yet despite the red rogue's many incessant quips, it's Jackman who steals many scenes, smartly playing the straight guy, with the pair resembling a modern-day Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis for the masses.
    But here’s the thing. Deadpool & Wolverine is so laser-focused on satirising all things Marvel that there’s really not much else to it. The two previous films at least had a semblance of story, whereas this is nothing more than a 127-minute string of references for Marvel fans to salivate over.
    So on that note, here's a warning: if you come in cold and know nothing about the Deadpool or Marvel legacy, you will be sorely disappointed. 

#marvelstudios #deadpool&wolverine

NOT DEAD IN THE WATER ... YET

MOVIE 

Deadpool 2
Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison
REVIEW RAY CHAN

The first Deadpool movie poked fun at superhero films two years ago with an impertinent, profane and mirthful send-up of the genre.
    And if you liked that, chances are you'll enjoy the sequel, which continues down the same formulaic track, right from the unconventional opening sequences through to the post-movie scenes (there are two in mid-credits), with Ryan Reynolds – who co-wrote the story – breaking down the fourth wall every chance he gets.
    Deadpool 2 takes place after our hero – or even anti-hero - Wade Wilson, tragically loses his wife Vanessa just as the couple were contemplating starting a family, cueing up the odd Celine Dion interlude which had social media channels in a tizz.
    Wade finds himself protecting a mutant named Firefist (NZ's Julian Dennison, who seems to be stuck in the form of a pre-pubescent teen) from the time-travelling super-soldier Cable (Josh Brolin), who's ripped, humourless and a perfect foil for the effervescent protagonist.
    The most hilarious segments of the movie occur when Wade builds his own army to defeat Cable. Called the X-Force, the team had an illustrious career in the comics, but here comprises bargain-basement mutants such as Shatterstar, Zeitgeist, Bedlam and a chap called Peter, who's completely powerless but responded to the advertisement anyway. Another member is Vanisher, who in the funny books was a villain with ability to teleport; but in the movie, he's merely an invisible man. The character is played by a Hollywood mega-star, whose face can be seen for a few seconds if you watch closely enough.
    The only member of X-Force to show any mettle is Domino (Zazie Beetz), whose power is good luck, and who, armpit hair and all, eventually proves to be a useful ally to Wade, as do the returning duo of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, along with her fellow X-Man and Japanese girlfriend Yukio.
    Reynolds uses every opportunity to plug his homeland Canada, and once again apologises for his role in the unfortunate 2011 Green Lantern adaptation; he did the same in the first movie. At one point Wade tells Cable to “Zip it, Thanos”, referencing Brolin’s role in Avengers: Infinity War. Brolin is surely the first actor to play two different characters in consequent Marvel Universe movies.
    There's no doubt that the unpredictable, helter-skelter origin story was deservingly lauded for its bold and creative approach. Ultimately though, one also needs to question whether the novelty will wear off.
    Deadpool 2 hasn't entirely lost the sense of freshness: while all the devices that elevated the original movie are here - the rapid-fire sarcasm; the over-the-top action; the ironic use of pop music  (two songs are by Australian bands) - there are still enough in-jokes and spectacularly choreographed battle scenes to keep the viewer entertained. 
    But the studio must realise that the brand runs the risk of turning stale by sticking to the same mix of violence, crass jokes and vulgar putdowns.
    Moviegoers know what to expect now from the Merc with the Mouth, and as much as they may enjoy this sequel and loved the the first movie, the shock value has lessened, and so may the enjoyment factor of future instalments in the franchise.

#deadpool2