Deadpool & Wolverine

Audiences everywhere have MCU fatigue. Leave it to Ryan Reynolds to call out the multi-verse, the MCU, and the current state of affairs of superhero movies in the third installment of the character he was born to play in Deadpool & Wolverine. It's not lightly said since there are about 50-70 films in the superhero genre, however, Deadpool & Wolverine is a f&*!ing perfect film and is probably the best superhero movie made to date.

Reynolds and his character Deadpool have mastered the art of breaking the fourth wall by delivering meta inside jokes in his first two films by joking about real actors and other movies that are topical in pop culture. Deadpool was always left on the outskirts of the X-Men and the current MCU team of The Avengers for various reasons. Either Deadpool was owned by the now-defunct 20th Century Fox Studios or he was too R-rated for the family-friendly PG-13 superhero list. One of the big narratives of Deadpool & Wolverine this time around is how Deadpool the character wants to matter to his friends and family. He simply wants to be included in the big-name groups like The Avengers. Thankfully, Disney has the rights to Deadpool now and has somehow managed to make the most brutal R-rated-action superhero movie with a ton of heart and brings the entire superhero genre back to its roots by delivering everything fans have wanted since 2009 when Iron Man opened the door.

Ryan Reynolds has known for some time now that the MCU needs a big overhaul of stories and characters. And from recent box office failures and poor ratings from the MCU TV series, Marvel honcho Kevin Feige has started to believe things need a big change. This is where Feige, Reynolds, original Deadpool writers, and director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Free Guy, Real Steel) teamed up to deliver the ultimate superhero movie that will no doubt get bigger reactions and more praise than most superhero movies that came before it. The opening sequence with Deadpool fighting numerous people sets the stage for just how vulgar and fun the next two hours are going to play out with tons of blood, guts, and sexual motions where the laughter and cheers never stop coming.

In Deadpool & Wolverine, the story takes place six years after the events of Deadpool 2 where Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is retired from the character. He enjoys his life in his alternate universe where the Avengers don't exist. His friends and his true love Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) are his whole world. This is all interrupted when the Time Variance Authority from the TV show Loki shows up and wants to question Wilson about his actions in the second film. When the TVA reveals that his home universe is about to be deleted, he is allowed to save another universe by righting the wrongs that will change the course of the entire MCU by teaming up with his old pal Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).

As Deadpool travels to multiple universes looking for the best Wolverine to team up with in a montage that will have people gasping, applauding, and laughing, he lands on the one Wolverine that is deemed to be the worst one out of any universe. This Wolverine can barely retract his claws and frequently drunkenly passes out, however, his past is what keeps him from being the big hero he needs to be. It's not a real friendship at first either as Levy conjures up some of the best action sequences between Wolverine and Deadpool that put any other superhero fight sequences to shame - even the big airport showdown in Civil War is upstaged by a fantastic choreographed fight scene between the two characters inside a Honda minivan.

As the film moves on and Deadpool & Wolverine meet their villain in a world where former superheroes and villains are tossed aside that nobody likes anymore, the two leads form their team of sorts to fix the timelines and multi-verses while tackling their inner demons head-on in some truly emotional moments that Wolverine nor Deadpool have been allowed to live with the other studio. Reynolds and his team of writers and creators have masterfully cooked up some of the best moments in any superhero film that will have every comic book fan screaming with joy as they finally see some of their favorite characters getting the chance to show off and what it means to deliver the sought-after moments everyone has been clamoring for years to witness, whether it be pieces of dialogue, familiar faces showing up, or even the full-on costumes finally being presented in epic action sequences without the absurd censorship that hindered the previous films.

Hugh Jackman is the perfect Wolverine and never got to truly shine as the character until Logan, which plays a decent part in this movie. In Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman is allowed to be the many types of Wolverine audiences have always wanted to see from going beserk to having an emotional breakdown about his past. And Jackman plays the part perfectly, even when Deadpool is spatting off his one-liners. Long ago, Reynolds stated that he loved the character of Deadpool and always wanted to play him in feature films. However, he and his character were always left out of the MCU. Now with his big introduction into the bigger world, in which he consistently tells the camera that he's always wanted to be a part of something that matters, Reynolds goes for broke in comedy and action pieces that put any other action scene to shame. From big expansive sets that resemble Mad Max to that small fight scene inside a minivan, the gore and brutal violence mixed with comedy is pitch-perfect. Audiences will be shouting for joy around every corner when a blade or a claw pierces the skin and it is met with a vulgar joke.

This being a Deadpool movie and set inside the MCU where Disney has brought on their purchased IP of characters, the amount of cameos in this movie is going to shock people. Not only that, these are hands down some of the best cameos ever put on film and they are done in such a perfect way that it will no doubt change the MCU and the film industry going forward. There's nothing else like it and it's a sure bet that people will be cheering the loudest they ever have and shedding tears when the mass amount of cameos appear on screen for a good bit of time. The soundtrack is killer and mixes the nostalgic sounds of NSYNC's hit Bye, Bye, Bye as Deadpool is murdering a ton of people and dancing to the beat as he massacres everyone. Then there is  Madonna's Like A Prayer which acts as the anthem during the climactic moments of the film. It's a perfect cavalcade of music choices that only enhance the movie's tone.

Deadpool & Wolverine brings so much life back into the superhero genre and changes the world for the betterment of future movies that have grown stale over the past few years. It consistently mocks the superhero genre and MCU specifically as it tries to find a new balance and tone with some amazing characters that will blow everyone's socks off. The fight sequences and comedic dialogue are perfect as the movie finally reveals that Deadpool & Wolverine are probably the best duo team up that will finally save the MCU from becoming obsolete and where these two beloved characters can finally be a part of the big squad that has made billions of dollars.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Deadpool & Wolverine pray their way to Blu-ray + Digital Code via Disney, Marvel, and 20th Century Studios. The sole disc is housed inside a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork features Deadpool, Wolverine, and Dogpool posing for pictures. There is an insert for a digital code.

Deadpool & Wolverine shoots a wonderful 1080p HD transfer that everyone can be proud of. The blend of practical effects, gore, and other planets with CGI looks seamless and beautiful.

The color palette is bold, rich, and full of excellent colors. The Void in this 1080p HD transfer looks a bit more muted than it does in the 4K presentation. Maybe it's because that has the added enhancements of Dolby Vision, however, this Blu-ray looks impressive. The climactic side-scrolling fight scene is ripe with color, bringing out all of the various red shades in the Deadpool costumes along with the bright yellow and blue colors in Wolverine's outfit. The many uses of the red blood are distinguishable and easily seen throughout the film. Blue skies, green pastures, and trees always contrast exquisitely with the primary costume colors. The purple and grey tones of the smoke monster that kills everything in the Void add a few eclectic color patterns to the chaos on screen. Black levels are very inky and bold, especially in the few nighttime sequences and in Blade's outfit. The skin tones are natural as well.

The detail is amazing too. The clarity of the textured costumes shows up as individual stitching and patterns can be seen when paused. Even in the heavier CGI moments, it looks fluid when compared to the practical effects. Other close-ups reveal facial pores, individual stubble and hairs on the actor's faces, beads of sweat, and tons of real and CGI-rendered blood and guts. Background items never run soft and throw out a ton of wonderful detail, such as the golden guns, brick shops, fireworks, and more. Even Dogpool's long tongue has incredible detail here. For those who only have access to the Blu-ray Disc here will be very satisfied with this excellent video presentation.

This release comes with a DTS-HD 7.1 audio mix. It's not quite clear why Disney and Marvel won't input a Dolby Atmos track on a Blu-ray yet but this 7.1 option is powerful and a joy to listen to. It's just with the Dolby Atmos track, the height speakers bring more punch and the immersiveness of the chaotic superhero sounds travel smoother from speaker to speaker. Both are excellent though. Right from the get-go, it's great to hear Logan's adamantium bones crush the human bones of the Time Variant Authority. Tons of gun blasts, bazooka explosions, sword showdowns, and other superhero noises are robust, full, and loud as can be expected. It's a waterfall of superhero action in these incredible fight scenes.

The minivan fight sequences utilize the kevlar seatbelts, and glass window breaks, all while the major fight scenes deal with more than 100 people fighting all over the screen with tons of yells, takedown noises, and explosive debris flying overhead. The score and song cures are epic and always bring an unexpected twist of comedy and action to each moment of the film that never drowns out any of the other audio effects. The low end of the bass is excellent and kicks into high gear during the needle drops and heavier action sequences that will give the atmosphere a good rumble without crossing into rocky territory. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow with English, French, and Spanish Subtitles.

An unimpressive 45 minutes from one of the biggest movies ever made are spread across the Blu-ray Disc.  For a movie this massive, it's hoped that there would be a 3-hour making-of, but there isn't. The 45 minutes of extras are super fun but are short-lived.

• Audio Commentary- Director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds deliver a wonderful, must-listen commentary track where they have a jovial discussion on making the film, the cast, jokes, action beats, and more.
• Finding Madonna: Making the Oner (HD, 7 Mins.) - The side-scrolling main event towards the end of the film gets some attention in how the filmmakers, actors, and stuntpeople made it all happen, along with Madonna's song.
• Practical Approach: Celebrating the Art of Ray Chan (HD, 10 Mins.) - The production designer discusses all of the locations and interiors for the film.
• Loose Ends (HD, 11 Mins.) - The major hero cameos are all on top and talk about coming back for this film.
• Wolverine (HD, 6 Mins.) - Hugh Jackman and his titular character are talk about in this segment and how they brought him back.
• Deadpool's Fun Sack 3 (HD, 4 Mins.) - Part three of the PSA for testicular cancer from Ryan Reynolds.
• Gag Reel (HD, 5 Mins.) - A fun collection of missed cues, dancing, laughter, flubbed lines, and more from the set.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 2 Mins.) - A couple of small moments that were left out of the film. There has to be more they aren't showing.

Get ready to experience the joy, the carnage, the romance of Deadpool & Wolverine all over again - in 1080p! The movie makes everyone want to watch it over and over because it has those nostalgic bits mixed with amazing and creative action sequences along with some heavy emotional material and tons of vulgar comedy that only Deadpool & Wolverine can get away with. The 1080p image looks amazing and the DTS-HD 7.1 audio mix sounds wonderful. The bonus features are a ton of fun even if there aren't many. Highly Recommended

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