Movie Review: In ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ the Superhero Movie Finally Accepts Itself for What It Is 

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" in New York City, New York, US, July 22, 2024. (Reuters)
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" in New York City, New York, US, July 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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Movie Review: In ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ the Superhero Movie Finally Accepts Itself for What It Is 

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" in New York City, New York, US, July 22, 2024. (Reuters)
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" in New York City, New York, US, July 22, 2024. (Reuters)

If one thing is certain about “Deadpool,” it’s that its titular hero, for reasons never explained, understands his place in the world — well, in our world.

Indeed, the irreverent and raunchy mutant is sure to belabor his awareness of the context in which he lives — namely an over-saturated, increasingly labyrinthine multibillion-dollar Marvel multiverse which spans decades, studios and too many films for most viewers to count.

From its inception, the “Deadpool” franchise has prided itself on a subversive, self-aware anti-superhero superhero movie, making fun of everything from comic books to Hollywood to its biggest champion, co-writer and star, Ryan Reynolds.

It’s no surprise then, as fans have come to expect, that the long-anticipated “Deadpool & Wolverine” further embraces its fourth wall-breaking self-awareness — even as it looks increasingly and more earnestly like the superhero movie blueprint it loves to exploit. That tension — the fact that “Deadpool” has called out comic book movie tropes despite being, in fact, a comic book movie — is somehow remedied in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which leans into its genre more than the franchise’s first two movies.

Perhaps this gives viewers more clarity on its intended audience. After all, someone who hates superhero films — I’m looking at you, Scorsese — isn’t going to be won over because of a few self-deprecating jokes about lazy writing, budgets for A-list cameos and the overused “superhero landing” Reynolds’ Deadpool regularly refers to.

But this time around, director Shawn Levy — his first Marvel movie — seems to have found a sweet spot. Levy is surely helped by the fact that the third film in the franchise has a bigger budget, more hype and, of course, a brooding Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

That anticipation makes their relationship, packed with hatred and fandom, all the more enticing. Their fight scenes against each other are just as compelling as their moments of self-sacrificial partnership in the spirit of, you guessed it, saving the world(s).

Speaking of worlds, there is one important development in our own to be aware of ahead of time. The first two “Deadpool” films were distributed by 20th Century Fox, whose $71.3 billion acquisition by the Walt Disney Co. in 2019 opened the door for the franchise to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Deadpool & Wolverine” takes full advantage of that vast playground, which began in 2008 with Robert Downey Jr.’s “Iron Man” and now includes more than 30 films and a host of television shows. The acquisition is also a recurring target of Deadpool’s sarcasm throughout the movie.

Although steeped in references and cameos that can feel a bit like inside baseball for the less devoted, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is easy enough to follow for the casual Marvel viewer, though it wouldn’t hurt to have seen the first “Deadpool” and Jackman’s 2017 “Logan,” a harbinger of the increasing appetite for R-rated superhero violence. The Disney+ series “Loki” also gives helpful context, though is by no means a must watch, on the Time Variance Authority, which polices multiverse timelines to avoid “incursions,” or the catastrophic colliding of universes.

A defining feature of “Deadpool” has been its R rating and hyper violent action scenes. Whether thanks to more money, Levy’s direction or some combination of the two, these scenes are much more visually appealing.

But “Deadpool & Wolverine” does succumb to some of the deus ex machina writing that so often plagues superhero movies. Wade Wilson’s (the real identity of Deadpool) relationship with his ex (?) Vanessa is particularly underdeveloped — though it’s possible that ambiguity is a metaphor for Deadpool’s future within the MCU.

The plot feels aimless at points toward the end. One cameo-saturated battle scene in particular is resolved in a way that leaves its audience wanting after spending quite a bit of time building tension around it. While there are a few impressive stars who make an appearance, audiences may be disappointed by the amount of MCU characters referenced who don’t make it in.

The bloody but comedic final fight scene, however, is enough to perk viewers back up for the last act, solidifying the film’s identity as a fun, generally well-made summer movie.

The sole MCU release of 2024, “Deadpool & Wolverine” proves it’s not necessarily the source material that’s causing so-called superhero fatigue. It also suggests, in light of Marvel’s move to scale back production following a pandemic and historic Hollywood strikes, that increased attention given to making a movie will ultimately help the final product.



Rare Iconic Movie Posters to Be Auctioned in US

A poster for the for film “King Kong” is pictured during a press preview ahead of the Cinema on Paper: The Dwight M. Cleveland Collection Movie Posters Auction, at Heritage Auctions in London on February 27, 2025. (Justin Tallis / AFP)
A poster for the for film “King Kong” is pictured during a press preview ahead of the Cinema on Paper: The Dwight M. Cleveland Collection Movie Posters Auction, at Heritage Auctions in London on February 27, 2025. (Justin Tallis / AFP)
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Rare Iconic Movie Posters to Be Auctioned in US

A poster for the for film “King Kong” is pictured during a press preview ahead of the Cinema on Paper: The Dwight M. Cleveland Collection Movie Posters Auction, at Heritage Auctions in London on February 27, 2025. (Justin Tallis / AFP)
A poster for the for film “King Kong” is pictured during a press preview ahead of the Cinema on Paper: The Dwight M. Cleveland Collection Movie Posters Auction, at Heritage Auctions in London on February 27, 2025. (Justin Tallis / AFP)

Dozens of rare posters from some of the 20th century's most iconic films will go under the hammer this month as an American collector relinquishes some of his most precious possessions.

The 500 posters and lobby cards from classic films such as "King Kong", "Casablanca" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" have been exhibited in recent weeks in London, New York and Chicago.

Collected over half a century by real estate agent Dwight Cleveland, they are to be auctioned by Heritage showrooms in Dallas on March 27 and 28.

"I cherish every single one of them because every one of them was hand-picked," Cleveland, 65, told AFP.

"These are commercial art. They were intended to grab us by the lapels and yank us into a movie theater and say, 'See this film'."

But this was also "important art" that went beyond just advertising, he argued.

The posters and cards, which would have been displayed in cinema foyers, span around 125 years of film history. Many of the images date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

But after 50 years "it's getting harder and harder to find anything to add to the collection", said Cleveland.

"I don't feel like there's anything else I can do and give to this hobby," he added.

Some of the posters will do better at auction than others, he said, including the one for the 1933 version of "King Kong" showing actor Fay Wray in the grip of the beast.

It has an estimated guide price of $40,000 to $80,000.

- Passion -

"The selection of Cleveland's collection offered by Heritage in March represents the best of the best," said Joe Maddalena, Heritage's vice president.

"What makes me different from most collectors is that I fell in love with the artwork first," said Cleveland.

"I do not come to this from a film background."

Cleveland's interest in the subject began at school, where his art teacher displayed film posters and lobby cards in his room.

"We walked by these every day, and we kind of made fun of him, to be honest with you, because he had quite a few of them, and it was a very esoteric collection," Cleveland said.

But one day in 1977, his last year at school, he was drawn to a lobby card from the 1929 movie "Wolf Song" starring Gary Cooper and Mexican actor Lupe Velez.

He became hooked and it took him 18 months to gather enough movie items to trade for the card with his then former teacher -- sparking a lifelong love of collecting.

Cleveland's extensive collection has already been exhibited in the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2019.

Other exhibitions have been held in San Diego, Los Angeles and New York.

Other rare finds going under the hammer include a 1953 Italian poster for the 1942 film "Casablanca" starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Most of the posters to be auctioned have estimates of between $1,000 to $2,000. Heritage has calculated that the whole auction could raise one million dollars.

After the Dallas auction, Cleveland will still own about 10,000 lobby cards and around 500 posters, which he might one day either donate or put up for auction.

"I'll be sad to see some of them go, but I'll be happy that they're going to be in the hands of other collectors to whom they'll mean a lot," he said.