2024.08.02 [Analysis] Deadpool & Wolverine is Horrible and Empty

Source: Reddit: [Analysis] Deadpool & Wolverine is Horrible and Empty

Let me start by saying I am a huge Marvel fan. I've seen fans nitpick and overly criticize MCU projects, hating on them just because it's the cool thing to do. On the other hand, I've also seen hardcore fans ignore any constructive criticisms or simply deny that the MCU is declining. Trust me when I say this rant isn't because I'm a hater. I want the MCU to succeed. I love Marvel. But I walked away from Deadpool & Wolverine feeling completely empty and void, and now I finally understand why.

1. The movie missed the opportunity to focus on three great character-driven stories. First, Deadpool's self-worth crisis. He wants to matter, to prove he's not just a one-trick pony, but he's filled with insecurity and self-doubt. This is relatable and sad. Second, Deadpool's heartbreak over losing Vanessa to another guy because he failed. It's bittersweet to see the girl you love happy with someone else, especially when you feel responsible for the loss. Many of us can relate to losing someone we loved because we weren't good enough. Third, Wolverine's tragic story. He lost everyone he loved because he failed them. This plunges him into despair, especially since he can't die, even to escape his misery. It's a next-level tragedy.

2. Many scenes had nothing to do with these three compelling potential storylines.

-> Deadpool's kidnapping by the TVA shifts the focus to him saving his friends and the timeline. While there's a hint that Deadpool could become someone who matters by letting his friends die, it doesn't contribute to the story because we know he won't do that.

-> The sequence where Deadpool and Wolverine get pruned, fight, meet Human Torch, get kidnapped, meet Cassandra, and escape is unrelated to the emotional arcs. The only slight connection is when Cassandra messes with Deadpool's mind, showing Vanessa leaving him. This scene is sad but ultimately irrelevant because it’s never addressed again.

-> The subplot involving Nicepool and Dogpool adds nothing to the three potential emotional stories.

-> Scenes featuring Gambit, Blade, Elektra, and X-23 are cool but don't contribute to Deadpool's quest for significance, his attempt to win back Vanessa, or Wolverine's struggle to forgive himself. These scenes seem designed solely for fun cameos and because they need a team to fight Cassandra.

-> The storming of Cassandra's base to escape the void feels like a plot device to move the characters forward (because we all know that they cannot do anything as long as they are stuck in the void), rather than deepening the narrative.

-> The team-up between Deadpool and Wolverine to kill a bunch of Deadpools is just a cool visual, with no bearing on the three potential emotional storylines mentioned.

3. The fights are pointless and lack stakes.

-> Deadpool vs. Wolverine (First Fight): While it's visually exciting to see Deadpool and Wolverine battle on the big screen, the fact that neither can die renders the fight meaningless. At the beginning of the movie, it's clear this fight is just fan service. Deadpool has no real reason to fight Wolverine, and Wolverine's motivation is vague at best. This fight has no consequences or impact on the story and serves only to showcase some cool fight scenes.

-> Sabretooth Fight: Sabretooth looks impressive, even though he's missing his trademark sabretooth, which kind of defeats the name. The fight, which could have been epic, ends with Sabretooth being easily defeated. It's disappointing and turns into a joke.

-> Johnny Storm Fight: Johnny Storm appears, showing off his strength, only to be quickly defeated. This, too, turns into a joke.

-> First Fight with Cassandra: This fight is also pointless. Cassandra is too overpowered, and it's too early in the story for her to be defeated. With two characters who can't die and an overpowered villain in an inescapable place, the outcome is predictable. They will escape because the plot needs to move forward, and that's exactly what happens.

-> Deadpool vs. Wolverine (Second Fight): While the second fight between Wolverine and Deadpool is cool, we know it won't have any lasting consequences. It's just filler. After these two fights, nothing has changed or impacted the story. Removing these scenes wouldn't leave any noticeable impact, leaving fans feeling hollow despite the much-anticipated showdown. The only thing that came out of it was the "educated wish" line.

-> Tricking Cassandra with Juggernaut's Helmet: This scene is cool, as is the one where they storm the base. However, it still feels a bit empty because they keep talking about how Deadpool needs to save his friends, who are stuck in another dimension. This makes it obvious that Deadpool and Wolverine will escape the void; otherwise, the story can't progress. So there are no real stakes where they could lose or the team could fail. They will escape, no matter what, because the plot demands it.

-> Team-Up Fight Against the Group of Deadpools: This fight feels empty because we know the Deadpools won't die. Their decision to help Cassandra is unexplained. So, if those Deadpools won't die, the only way for Wolverine and Deadpool to progress is through plot convenience, namely Peter. While visually cool, the fight lacks stakes. There's no tension since Deadpool and Wolverine aren't genuinely threatened.

-> Final Scene: Cassandra, Deadpool, and Wolverine don't even meet in the final scene. Instead, Deadpool and Wolverine are in a basement. The film teases their potential deaths, but we all know that won't happen.

4. The entire movie feels like purgatory. It feels like the plot is more about "escaping the void" than anything else.

5. Lack of Stakes Due to Absence of Key Characters: Deadpool's loved ones only appear at the beginning and end of the movie, disappearing for the rest of it. This absence makes it hard to feel any real stakes since we barely see their interactions with Deadpool. Knowing their backstory from previous movies isn’t enough; their limited presence in this film fails to immerse us in the emotional stakes of Deadpool potentially losing them.

The majority of the movie features characters who have no personal connection to either Deadpool or Wolverine. Johnny Storm, Sabretooth, Pyro, Juggernaut, Elektra, Blade, Gambit, and even X-23 with Wolverine feel like strangers. The scene in the cave where Deadpool meets these heroes feels hollow because they are all unfamiliar, except for those trapped in the void who seem to have formed their own group. Cassandra, Paradox, Nicepool, Dogpool, and the legion of Deadpools also lack any personal connection to Deadpool. The film's attempt to focus on the emotional weight of Deadpool saving his friends falls flat when we spend so much time with characters who are irrelevant to his personal story.

6. Show, Don’t Tell: The film frequently hints at Wolverine's troubled past without actually showing it. While budget constraints might be a factor, this approach is frustrating. I immediately thought of the story where Wolverine is tricked by Mysterio into killing his friends, mistaking them for Sentinels. Without showing these crucial backstory elements, the film fails to engage us with Wolverine's character, relying instead on vague references that fall flat.

7. The movie turned everything into a parody, and one of the worst examples is the ending. Picture this: You're Wolverine, burdened with the weight of having caused the death of everyone you loved. You've been labeled the worst Wolverine in the entire multiverse, turned the world against your friends, and are trapped in a state of endless despair because you can't die. You even reach a point where you're ready to sacrifice yourself to redeem your failures, reminiscent of Yondu's sacrifice.

Then, just moments later, the TVA lady essentially says, "Well, all your past mistakes have shaped who you are today, so even if I could change anything, I wouldn't. Embrace your past failures, accept yourself, and move on!"

And Wolverine responds with, "Oh, cool. Let’s get shawarma."

This is a gross oversimplification of Wolverine's deep and painful past. It’s unrealistic and dismissive to resolve such a complex, traumatic backstory with a motivational message in a matter of minutes, or even hours within the movie's timeline. It reduces his struggles to a clichéd trope, making his past feel trivial and undermining the emotional weight that should have been there. This is poor writing, leaving me completely apathetic to Wolverine’s history, which was supposed to be a source of profound pain and growth.