By John Corrado

There is a lot riding on Deadpool & Wolverine, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film not only serves as the third movie in the Deadpool franchise, but also officially brings the potty-mouthed Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) into the fold of the MCU, following Disney’s acquisition of studio 20th Century Fox.

In addition, the film has to balance the return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, following the character’s self-sacrifice in Logan, while also being the first R-rated Marvel movie released under the Disney banner. This is not to even mention the pressure being put on the film to right the ship of a slightly faltering MCU, following a string of disappointments including The Marvels.

It’s a lot riding on any single film to deliver, even a massive blockbuster like this one. But, as overstuffed as it can sometimes feel, Deadpool & Wolverine is, for the most part, a lot of fun. The film, which finds Shawn Levy taking over the reigns as director, delivers exactly what you want out of a third Deadpool movie, while also providing an entertaining official introduction for the character into the MCU, and a satisfying send-off for the Fox era of superhero movies.

The film gets away with bringing Logan back through a plot that finds Wade messing around with different timelines, and finding an alternate universe version of Wolverine who didn’t sacrifice himself and wears the classic yellow-and-blue suit from the comics. The film forces them to team up to restore balance to the universe. But really it’s an excuse for Levy to stage a series of action sequences featuring the two heroes side-by-side, set to ironic needle drops that pump through the speakers; the film opens with Wade dispensing a small army while dancing to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” also gives the sound system a real workout.

It’s very much a Deadpool movie; we get the winky, fourth-wall-breaking humour from Reynolds who fully lets loose in the role (including name-checking Marvel president Kevin Feige), an endless barrage of crude jokes, and graphic violence that borders on cartoonish in its grotesqueness. But it’s also a Wolverine movie, finding moments to explore the character’s purpose. An actor of Jackman’s calibre in this role isn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste, and his performance allows for some grace notes, even if the film openly jokes that he is only back for the money and box office potential.

The film finds a way to offer more of the same following the first two Deadpool movies, while also tying it into the increasingly convoluted MCU mythology (including the Disney Plus series Loki). In this way, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers exactly what you expect, but works a lot better than it could have, considering everything that it tries to pack in. This includes an endless parade of cameos, Easter Eggs, and callbacks. But, hey, at least the film acknowledges that’s what it is doing, and has some irreverent fun with it.

Levy is left juggling a lot of stuff, but does so in an enjoyable, fittingly nostalgic way. While more cynical viewers will see this as Disney simply finding more IP to play around with, there is something satisfying about seeing the film bring these characters into the same sandbox. You could say this is mainly fan service, and yeah, it kinda is. But Levy, Reynolds and Jackman do it reasonably well, while allowing for acknowledgment of what came before the MCU, and even poking fun at the whole multiverse concept.

The film’s visual style is somewhat flat at times (a challenge across the recent MCU films, which are now being made to blend in with the various streaming TV series), and if you don’t find Reynolds in any way endearing in this role, this movie likely isn’t going to change your opinion. But Deadpool & Wolverine is all about delivering what the fans want, and it offers consistent laughs and some fun surprises across just over two hours. It’s simply a good time at the movies.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Deadpool & Wolverine opens exclusively in theatres on July 26th.