Abbott and Costello. Laurel and Hardy. Wilder and Pryor.
Reynolds and Jackman?
The stars of “Deadpool & Wolverine” have done just one film together, but their debut pairing is as funny as any modern comedy.
Maybe funnier.
Want a rich story that won’t insult your intelligence? Sorry, Bub. This is all about the meta winks, fan service and grossout humor.
All of the above is so lovingly crafted that you’ll barely notice the slipshod story and bald exposition.
OK, maybe a little.
Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool is growing up, at least by his standards. He longs to reconnect with his old flame Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), but she wants him to be something more than a “Merc with a Mouth.”
She needs … a hero.
He gets that chance when he meets Mr. Paradox (“Succession’s” Matthew Macfayden), an unctuous type who oversees the Time Variance Authority. And he has some terrible news.
The world’s current timeline is marked for extinction, and it can only be saved by the one person who embodies its mercurial balance.
That’s Logan AKA the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Who, as we all learned in “Logan,” is dead.
Confused? Yeah, this story’s a mess even by comic book film standards. And it gets sloppier from here. That may chase some away, but the value of a good “Deadpool” saga is in the jokes, the meta moments and Reynolds’ irrepressible wit.
Reynolds snags a Wolverine from one of many multiverses (yes, THAT again) and they end up in The Void, a place where the screenwriters can conjure anything to make the Comic-Con crowd go wild.
And boy, do they do just that.
Now, they’ll have to defeat Cassandra (Emma Corrin, very effective), the superpowerful woman running The Void to save the universe.
Just recapping the basic plot beats is enough to make one’s teeth ache. It’s silly and beneath a multi-gazillion dollar franchise.
Really. C’mon, team. Do better.
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Director Shawn Levy (“Date Night,” “A Night at the Museum”) funnels all his energy into the funny business.
Sight gags. Running gags. Meta gags. Gay sex gags. Indescribable sex gags. MCU gags.
And, best of all, fourth-wall breaking rants that smite Disney, Fox, the MCU and so much more. And wouldn’t you know it? A shockingly high percentage land.
Hard.
Reynolds deserves oodles of credit. He’s one of five credited screenwriters, and his juvenile brand of humor is plastered all over the screen. His timing is flawless and his heart is in every yuk.
Deadpool is his creation, his baby, and he’ll do the toddler no harm.
Jackman attacks Wolverine from a dramatically different perspective. He’s all rage and regret, a killing machine with a bruised and battered Id. We’ve seen it over the course of too many films to count (eh, go find the Wikipedia page … we’ll wait) and he’s just as committed here.
Except the terrain is radically different. There’s little narrative structure to fall back on. It’s talent, star power and elbow grease in one muscle-bound package. Jackman still finds the broken soul of his character, and the screenplay spares just enough time to let it flower.
Miraculous.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” goes the “Spider-Man: No Way Home” route in stunning ways. Nothing more will be shared here, but your inner geek will cry out in joy.
Most of all, you’ll laugh. A lot. It helps to know the genre, the iconography and the minor moments that made the MCU matter.
The very best part of “Deadpool & Wolverine?” It’s the ultimate palate cleanser for a franchise that profoundly lost its way. It brims with affection and goodwill, acknowledging the missteps and eager to march in a fan-friendly direction.
Will it take? We’ll know once the Avengers reassemble. For now, savor a sublimely silly, over-the-top romp starring actors who care about one thing above all else.
Let’s put on a show.
HiT or Miss: “Deadpool & Wolverine” is a smorgasbord of violence, in-jokes and actors who treat every scene as if it could be their last in their signature costumes. They care. You will, too.
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