Deadpool & Wolverine - Why Superhero Movies Are Dying
Thoughts On: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
To save his timeline and universe Deadpool must resurrect Wolverine.
I've not laughed as hard at a movie as I did Deadpool & Wolverine in a long while. The first Deadpool was pretty spectacular on release; the brazen action-comedy was fresh and bold; the spectacle worked so well because it was by and large unseen. However, I don't think the first Deadpool holds up as well on rewatches, and the second Deadpool was a bit lacklustre. The primary reason behind this comes down to the sarcastic nature of the character and narrative. Whilst this is what distinguishes the Deadpool franchise tonally from all the other superhero slosh, it is not necessarily a good foundation of storytelling. The same that I thought about Deadpool 2 could then be mentioned here - in short Spiderman 2 remains the best example of a superhero action-comedy because it has heart backed up by great character building and strong storytelling. Sarcasm is not a great place to build a story from because it is a negative force of communication; stories need to say and do something affirmative to feel of substance. So while Deadpool & Wolverine notes the downfall of the superhero movie seen over the last 5 years or so, it doesn't really do much better than them where it really counts and actually falls into the trap they have found themselves in. Tonally, Deadpool is a completely separate entity with unique comedic opportunities and characters that cannot be compared to the rest of the Marvel universe. The outsider and misfit quality of its world is where the fun and substance is found. But Marvel movies lack good storytelling; they always have - it just took about 7 years for fans at large to begin to see through the spectacle. Deadpool & Wolverine does not tell a particularly good story.
Strong storytelling could be defined simply as substantial action and being; a good story moves us emotionally and takes us through an ordeal of sorts that feels meaningful and somewhat unpredictable. Lesser storytelling facilitates action and being; we sit through a plot without much attention awaiting action sequences, moments of comedy or spectacle. In his latest adventure Deadpool simply needs to save the world because he has a touch of humanity and love in him. We feel no particular transformation or struggle across the narrative after we realise this; the narrative is procedural and does nothing, in terms of plot, that other Marvel movies haven't. In such, our hero (anti-hero) is a bit lost and so needs to locate new friends to help him destroy a mystic sci-fi gadget in the possession of a corrupt organisation and magic evil entity wanting to destroy reality. We've seen this time and time again from Marvel and so become numb to the plot being spun after the first act. The tone and characters make for unique laughs, but the story we are told is pretty much negligible in the overall experience. One of the most unfortunately self-aware moments of Deadpool 3 comes before the final climax where he turns to the camera and says - almost there. The writers know we've seen this before and are slogging through recycled plot points for the sake of the tone and the image of Wolverine in the yellow suite fighting Deadpool - which we get. I can't give any points for the self-awareness here though; would be nice to have something done differently, to see characters go on a more substantial and meaningful journey that builds a story as good as the fleeting images and bold concepts the film is built upon. One demonstrative point I will make without delving into spoilers concerns Wolverine or Logan being critical to the existence of a particular universe. We never actually get to explore this in the story, nor do we get to feel this through the characters. Why is Wolverine so special; what does he do that makes him critical to the existence of space and time in his part of the multi-verse; why is it that Deadpool is the character that must resurrect him? The only tangible answer provided is: plot; audiences would pay to see these two characters together on screen and Marvel has the opportunity to do such having bought Fox. There are implications of more but I will not extrapolate because I don't feel that is at all earned by the level of storytelling displayed.
All of that said, Deadpool 3 is a good film. A movie doesn't need a great story to be fun and enjoyable, but it is limited to just such without one in this case. The sound track and general musical/montage elements are brilliant, the action is solid (nothing jaw-dropping though) and tone much more stable and less insipid than Deadpool 2 - which definitely felt to stumble with the bigger budget. Deadpool & Wolverine then gives you confidence that the franchise actually has legs and isn't necessarily a gimmick. However, if it is to continue strong it needs to find more complicated adventures built from genuinely intriguing drama and circumstances for Deadpool to go on rather than simply smash his personality and world against other superhero figures for cool moments - which is the primary cause of the slow dying of superhero movies in the modern cinematic landscape.
