July Movie Pick: 'Deadpool & Wolverine' - The Best PR Movie I Have Ever Seen

We all know that Marvel and Disney, in general, have been suffering losses because of their lack of quality releases in the past two years. Since 'Avengers: Endgame', Marvel has been trying to recreate the experience with less input, doing the brand a disservice. Even I, who became a huge fan around 'Captain America: Civil War', felt fatigue after a while. Even during this movie, I had some issues that I am going to write about in the spoiler section, but this movie went hard. It went hard on all the Marvel, or I should just say Disney, mistakes by twisting them in the most humorous way, making them fun. It was like I was in a psychiatric office, in hypnosis, reliving every traumatic memory after 'Endgame', while the psychiatric doctor, in this case, Deadpool, replaced the emotion I was feeling about them.

Once, not that long ago, I saw this incredible PR move by RuPaul. In the current season of 'RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race', he played with the contestants in one of the episodes as an actor duo, revisiting every rumor and bad whisper, twisting them into a comedy improv that absolutely destroyed their power and grip over his persona and the show, regaining his dominion. I love how both RuPaul and Feige just demolished those problems with humor and took control of the situation like complete pros.

Spoilers ahead: The movie shined when it brought Blade and let him speak about the ongoing drama with the new incarnation of the movie that, for the past, let's say, four years, can't lift off to start, and kept our new Blade, Mahershala Ali, trapped in a project that now look ready to go. Right before Blade appeared, we saw Elektra, and right before her, a statue of Wanda. With all the cool fights sprinkled throughout the movie, Blade and seeing Wanda were the things that boosted my energy the most. 'Deadpool & Wolverine' showcased all the success of the Marvel Universe and how many years they have been able to stay on top of the game. You can feel how much work was put into the brand from the start of the movie. Am I the only one who thought Johnny, played by Evans, was a Doctor Strange variant in the beginning? Wow, and the way he died! Also, the end credit scene was cool, but I was hoping there would be something more. Is the Thor cameo an actual spoiler? That would be great. It was like an end credit scene in the middle of the movie. Brilliant. There are some cameos that I hoped to see but never showed up, which made me a little disappointed. With that said, when Cassandra Nova said during the third act that she has some friends with her, I was let down that those she mentioned were Deadpool variants. I was hoping to see different mutants and Avengers from different universes, but either way, the action sequences were satisfying, providing the needed edge for me to dismiss my disappointment and enjoy the movie. What I really didn't like, no matter how comic book accurate it was, was Wolverine's mask. For some reason, it looked like the graphics of a video game and it took me out of the movie for a while. Hugh Jackman's face is much better to look at. At least his body was on display. That hairy, muscular body was on fire, my lord, and I am no believer, but I believed that Hugh Jackman can do anything, with me.

To be honest, I stopped watching trailers and spots for the movie long ago. I even bought a ticket for a cinema that I swore I would never go to again, just because I know how fast and casual the spoilers are. One second you are opening YouTube, and in the next, you see heads rolling. There was so much that I didn't know, but also so much I wanted more from the movie. Don't get me wrong, now I have faith that Marvel keeps their hands on the pulse of the public and is more familiar with the right direction. I must add that I feel a bloody, sexy, uncensored Marvel is much fresher and more interesting than the old formula we are tired of. That is why I decided that I wanted to see the movie on the first night, right away. In this fast-paced world, businesses that are not ready to change, adapt, or just can't be savvy disappear. Look at what it took Marvel to reignite some of their fans—a bloodier, sexier version of every fail they ever made in the most meta, humoristic way.

I am not yet absolutely cured of the small fatigue that I am feeling, but this movie was a good start. I felt the remedy. While we are expecting more formulaic movies in the near future and remaining nervous about them, I also feel hope for comic book movies in general. This is the second time I am going to a 3D movie, expecting it not to be in 3D. Of course, I sent my friend who is not that big of a fan to fetch the glasses, so I didn't miss the first fight. It was so funny that when he came back, they replayed the fight backward, and I was able to tell him, "This is what you missed." Such a fun and meta experience.

Iliya Badev