Few critics could deny that the highly anticipated super spectacle, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has its charms — but most left wanting more.
After a summer without superheroes, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is slashing its way into theaters.
The high-octane collision of the wisecracking antihero Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds in two previous films, and the hulking and messianic Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman (returning to the role for the first time since “Logan” in 2017), marks Marvel Studios’ only release of the calendar year. The movie, directed by Shawn Levy, is projected to have the best ever domestic opening weekend for an R-rated film.
Most critics have found something to like in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which has an 81 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. They say it has a superpowered jokes-per-minute ratio and two winning performances from its lead actors. But many reviewers had a mixed-to-negative assessment of the movie overall, calling it difficult to follow, lacking in real tension or stakes and overly reliant on self-referential story lines.
Read on for some highlights.
Look, I Laughed [Vulture]
The movie’s aggressive sense of humor about itself may win you over despite its flaws. “‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ isn’t a particularly good movie — I’m not even sure it is a movie,” Bilge Ebiri wrote. “But it’s so determined to beat you down with its incessant irreverence that you might find yourself submitting to it.”
Nothing Ever Ends [The New York Times]
The movie’s existence reflects Hollywood’s inability to “let well enough alone,” wrote Alissa Wilkinson, but it’s entertaining nonetheless. “It still features Reynolds making fun of himself; it has some fun set pieces, clever sight gags, amusing surprises, left-field references and adoring pauses to admire Jackman’s biceps and abs.”
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Makes the M.C.U. the Villain — and Not in a Good Way [Polygon]
In a negative review, Joshua Rivera found the film dispiritingly hollow. “‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has made its hero the worst kind of comic book character: one who doesn’t stand for anything.”
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s Sarky Gagathon Mocks the M.C.U. Back to Life [The Guardian]
Peter Bradshaw appreciated the movie’s satirical bent while capturing a common complaint about it in a few words. “It’s amusing and exhausting,” he wrote.
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Source: Movies - nytimes.com
