An excerpt from my script review for Deadpool and Wolverine which will be available 12/10/24:
2.) Plot Stability
It’s said that the line is blurred on where Ryan Reynolds ends and Deadpool begins.
Although both want to do the right thing, deep down in his sticky maple syrup heart, Ryan Reynolds is a good guy.
A famous someone that you truly wish success, whether it’s bringing a beloved hero to the screen properly or purchasing a struggling Welsh football club.
Before I met my wife, my sister came to visit in college and she showed me Van Wilder.
I know it’s not his favorite piece of work, but one of the things that came through was how nice Van was to his underdog classmates. Oh, and my sister cackling on the floor at the college shenanigans.
Few years later, I’m with the boss at a Canucks game, and in between periods they show people on the jumbotron…
Close-up of Alanis Morissette. Mild smattering of applause.
Pull back to reveal Ryan Reynolds sitting next to her, the pair holding hands, and the fans went crazy.
It felt like a “tipping point” kind of moment, and I remember seeing it in Morissette’s eyes right then and there…Ryan was about to become a huge star and that thought made her uncomfortable.
Add more years to the timeline and he does Deadpool right….then Deadpool 2…
And before 3, I sat down with the boss and the youngest and watched Logan, because it was rumored this film would be addressed, and in the right way.
(So long as we didn’t over think the timeframe of that timeline.)
For Deadpool and Wolverine were on vacation opening night, and saw it at a local theater somewhere in Florida.
Packed in for a Friday night showing, I remember laughing my ass off at the opening scene, and didn’t stop until the credits.
The wife and I looked at each other during this scene, smiled and nodded. We knew we were in good hands for the next two hours.
Alright, I know everyone didn’t love it as much as us, what with the forced TVA tie-in, but the good definitely outweighed the bad.
We got to see original characters brought back to life, one of which was a great twist.
Even saw one that was teased for years, to a fan base almost as dedicated as Deadpool’s.
Electra coming in first was smart.
The Daywalker fucking strolling through that beam of sunlight…are you kidding me?!
And that card flipping through the air…?
This was a very special moment for me, and not just as a Gambit fan, but the youngest grabbing my arm because she knew who this was, even before he showed up onscreen.
Earlier that year, she and I watched X-Men ’97, and in it Gambit sacrifices himself to save Rogue and his fellow mutants, even though she had dumped him for Magneto.
Gambit’s character resonated with her, and even as a cartoon, she shed a few tears over it.
So to see him on the big screen, in live action meant a lot to her, and made the movie all the more special for us.
(Now, I will say that I’m excited that his cameo has generated a new interest in a solo Gambit project for Tatum, but they must have a better script than what they tried to do initially. Like a page one rewrite to avoid an Origins style catastrophe.)
But Reynolds and Co. did all this “good” for us!
And not just bringing these two icons from Fox to the Disney MCU, but it was all the smaller touches that made this film an overwhelming success.
Like when the wife squeezed my hand when Laura showed up, and then had her chat with Logan by the fire.
She was glad I had her watch Logan, because it added an extra layer of enjoyment to the film. To that we say…thank you.
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