A couple of years ago Martin Scorsese publicly complained about the negative effects of Marvel superhero movies on the prospects of moviemaking and the future of cinema.  I didn’t agree with his comments about the Marvel movies then (the MCU cycle was pretty darn compelling, all told), but if he was referring to the Deadpool cycle in particular, I would be in total agreement.  I don’t understand it and I cannot appreciate it.

Shawn Levy’s film forces antihero Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) to find the corpse of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to reanimate him and save the world.  When that doesn’t work, he finds a Wolverine in an alternate timeline (the insidious Multiverse at work again) and forces him to help him travel to the Void, defeat an evil tyrant (Emma Corwin) and return the Sacred Timeline back to normal.  When that doesn’t work, the two warriors team up to defeat a horde of alternate Deadpools and the evil tyrant in a modern American city.  Finally, good triumphs over evil.  Supposedly.

Incredibly popular, this notoriously profane, ultra-violent comic book adventure has been the hit of the summer.  That cannot be denied, but it is also, in my view, the nadir of modern American filmmaking, a gobsmackingly ridiculous foray into the abyss of senselessness.  This film is torturous.  It isn’t funny, it isn’t amusing, it isn’t smart, it isn’t valuable in any way.  How is this crap popular?  What about it appeals to people?  It’s a bunch of nonsense, punctuated by graphic killing, swearing and grouchy Wolverine.  What a waste.

I blame Ryan Reynolds.  Why is this man popular?  What has he done of any quality?  He seems like a nice guy who makes terrible movies, owns part of a soccer team, does a lot of commercials and has a hot wife.  I don’t understand Deadpool and his popularity.  The multiverse is ruining modern American filmmaking and Martin Scorsese was right, just a few years ahead of his time.  Somebody please come to the rescue and save us from this cinematic crap, please.  ☆.  25 July 2024.