Jackman is worth his weight in adamantium.
There’s a lot at stake inDeadpool and Wolverine.
This is the only theatrical release for the ongoing series this year.
But following the culmination of the Infinity Saga, the MCU hasn’t maintained that enviable hit rate.
Of course, Wolverine also plays a crucial role here, as the title suggests.
Reynolds has the motormouthed clowning down pat, delivering an *NSYNC-soundtracked dance number/goon battle with gusto.
Rob Delaney’s Peter again delights with fleeting appearances.
Directors rarely put a unique stamp on Marvel movies, tending to conform to the house style.
Under the R-rated exterior, Deadpool’s sweetness shines through (particularly where Dogpool is involved).
There’s also a sense of personal stakes, which often feels absent in franchise lynchpins.
The action for the most part has a pleasing comic-book dynamism to it.
That’s the biggest miracle that this messiah manages here, with some genuine jaw-to-floor coups.
How the film will play on repeat viewings when the surprise factor is gone is debatable.
And for all its brash swagger, there are punches pulled.
