Meewella | Critic

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Tag: Rhett Reese

QuickView: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

“Suck it Fox! I’m going to Disneyland!”

Deadpool

The future of the Merc with a Mouth was uncertain following Disney’s acquisition of Fox, his brand of snarky violence seeming an odd fit for the more cohesive sensibilities of the MCU. Yet, as Marvel continues to flounder in a post-Endgame world, Deadpool’s irreverent return is a shot in the arm even as it looks more to the past than the future. The Time Variance Authority provides a neat excuse to resurrect Wolverine without doing (too much) disservice to his send-off in Logan, an issue addressed directly in the opening scene. However, those hoping that this will advance the MCU’s multiverse plot will be sorely disappointed as Deadpool treats the Avengers with adoration but the bloated franchise with comedic disdain (“You’re joining at a bit of a low point”). Deadpool & Wolverine excels in witty dialogue and absurd physical comedy, unfolding like an ultraviolent sketch comedy as the unlikely pair — the loquacious and the laconic — interact with a swathe of characters on a journey through loosely-connected scenes to save Wade’s timeline. This sadly jettisons the majority of the series’ returning cast for most of the running time in favour of an intellectual property playground. The action is sufficiently rousing, but embracing both characters’ accelerated healing factor also robs the fights of even short-term peril, the opening sequence being the most creative and memorable. Littered with surprising cameos, the film serves as a fitting send-off to Fox’s early investment in Marvel properties before their imminent MCU reboots, though it does little for the characters themselves who are disposable meta-references. This is insubstantial cinema trading on nostalgia like No Way Home, a trick already wearing slightly thin, but as a comedy I laughed more frequently than I have at any recent film.

7/10

QuickView: Ghosted (2023)

“She does travel a lot for work.”

Cole

After her brief, scene-stealing role in No Time To Die, Ana de Armas has been catapulted to the status of action lead, whilst Chris Evans steps back as the hapless everyman. A romcom action adventure about a farmer who discovers his one night stand is a CIA agent, Ghosted opens inauspiciously with a meet cute more awkward than romantic, and a man unable to recognise his stalkerish behaviour even when directly pointed out by his sister. Red flags aside, any romance is doomed by the independently charismatic leads’ palpable lack of chemistry. From the writers of Deadpool and Zombieland, one might expect a deft blend of violence, emotion and humour but Ghosted instead delivers tonal whiplash as it jumps from Cole’s distress at killing a man to petty “comedic” squabbling in a matter of seconds. Aside from a climactic fight in a revolving restaurant, there is nothing memorable about the action save for the decision to set it to upbeat pop songs — this is palpably a gimmick with none of the creative choreography of last year’s Bullet Train. There is some mild, mindless entertainment to be had with Ghosted but you’re better off taking the hint and moving on: there are plenty more films in the c-inema.

4/10

QuickView: Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Zombieland - Double Tap poster

“Welcome to Zombieland. Back for seconds? After all this time? Well, what can I say, but thank you. You have a lot of choices when it comes to zombie entertainment, and we appreciate you picking us.”

Columbus

Zombieland was an unexpected gem, a cynical and yet strangely joyous take on the apocalypse. Although fans clamoured for a sequel, the rising stars of Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone meant that it took a full decade to arrive and in many ways that is Double Tap‘s biggest problem in a saturated genre, even as Columbus addresses it in his introductory voice over. The chief culprit is the script which, although it contains a few laugh-out-loud moments, is largely a retread of the original’s road trip formula. The handful of new characters we meet are one-note caricatures rather than rounded individuals with the emotional depth that elevated Zombieland. Similarly, the high energy of a mid-credits flashback sequence serves only to highlight how muted Double Tap often feels. The result: a frequently entertaining but decidedly shallow sequel that offers no reason to rewatch it rather than its predecessor.

6/10

QuickView: Deadpool 2 (2018)

“Family was always an f-word for me.”

Deadpool

Like the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, Deadpool retains his confident swagger but has lost some of his disruptive freshness. The humour remains edgy and wonderfully delivered, and the film maintains its ability to surprise, despite straining with the attempt to tell a larger story. Domino is a fantastic addition and her “lucky” superpower allows for the most creative action sequences. In some ways the film serves as an argument against Disney’s acquisition of Fox, so that Deadpool can take equal potshots at DC and the MCU from the sidelines. Deadpool 2 also makes far better use of a post-credits sequence than Marvel has managed of late.

7/10

"A film is a petrified fountain of thought."

(CC) BY-NC 2003-2023 Priyan Meewella

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