I saw Deadpool & Wolverine's Terrific Team-up, Alternate Reality, Time Travel Time

Could Deadpool & Wolverine, a sequel to a movie mythology produced by Fox, be decrepit Disney's saving grace for a distilled MCU? You got me, but I (one who's been jaded by those ho-hum, let's-please-everyone-and-no-one, Carol Danvers chapters) believe this submission could do the trick, but then, how wrong could one go with Ryan Reynolds' Wade (Merc with a Mouth) Wilson and Hugh Jackman's alternate-Logan doin' their brazen thing? 

The waters were tested many years ago with this X-Men crossover in Wolverine's first, solo sojourn, but Reynolds' Wilson wasn't the Deadpool he'd later become. For Deadpool & Wolverine, Wilson is in full, fourth-wall-breaking, crimson-clad mode, and Jackman's Wolverine is, well, as tough and grouchy as ever, even if a variant. The combination creates a pleasurable Spock/McCoy, argumentized contrast. (Incidentally, Logan's yellow-blue, comic-book outfit doesn't rub against Jackman's tall, lean grain, anymore than the "adorable" Dogpool diminishes his master's snarky stride.) 

On the whole, this highly anticipated sequel, directed by Shawn (The Adam Project) Levy, who cowrote with Reynolds, Rhett Reece, Paul Wernick and Zeb Wells, is basic but profound in its implications. 

Time Variance Authority chief, Matthew Macfayden's prissy, time-wrecking Mr. Paradox, wants to eliminate Deadpool's timeline (which is set to extinguish in about a couple centuries, anyway), though the eradication would be beyond merciless in its expedition. Though Paradox toys with Wilson to cloak the magnitude of his motive, Wilson sets forth to plug Paradox's plan, tracking down a disgruntled variant of Logan (said to have let his own universe tumble). This prompts our protagonists to jump through various, time-dimensional hoops to maintain the long-term dimensional stability. Along this arduous path, the two visit (and learn from) a number of the MCU's heroes and a few we never had the extended pleasure to meet. That means audiences get plenty of X-Men and Avenger cameos and even a series of surprise manifestations of Deadpool and Wolverine, characterized by diverse shapes and sizes. Wow!  

To anchor the movie's mayhem, Deadpool & Wolverine makes no apologies for being profane, gruesome, explosion-laden and (most importantly) male-oriented: i.e., its leads are virile and act as most testosterone-propelled males would given the liberated chance within the plot's exaggerated circumstances. And they really have no choice but to do so, considering not only the crafty Paradox, but the diabolical Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova, Professor X's rotten, sequestered sister. (That dear Cassandra resembles the guy-bashing/western-civ-despising Sinead O'Connor only accentuates to her bigoted treachery, except that Cassandra displays much more compassion than the defunct, Irish singer ever did. I mean, Cassandra's contempt is at least fictional.) 

Deadpool & Wolverine is also a swell, throwback, buddy movie, much like the Lethal Weapon pictures. The banter is realistic, based on the personalities established, and the duo's reaction to others (whether friends, foes or fellow champions) feels right, like it's been there all along, just waiting to be plucked. 

As I've mentioned in past posts, there is, indeed, an audience for this type of brass-necked storytelling, which goes way back to Marvel's classic (Golden/Silver Age) comics. Thank goodness, this one drives home Marvel's traditionalism, confirming that its tried-and-true formula (even if served with copious crassness and ultra-violent interludes) has always been the one-and-only way to go, and if it's not to be that way, then why the hell even bother?  

An Alternate Reality: I saw Reminiscence...

Reminscence is a new dystopian movie, written and directed by Lisa (Westworld) Joy, starring superstar-for-good-reason Hugh (Wolverine) Jackman. It paints a soggy future (during the time of a nondescript war), where a Miami private eye uses (as a profitable sideline) an opiate-technology that lets folks relive parts of their past (mainly brighter days in light of the darker ones that have come to be). In actuality, Reminiscence is a somber variant of Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, which borrows from Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days, Douglas Trumbell's Brainstorm and the "memory" prose of Philip K. Dick to noir-esque, alternate-reality effect. 

For people to tap into the coveted past, Jackman's Nick Bannister straps his clients into his memory machinery (a brow brace and a quasi-isolation tank) and along the investigative trail, meets Mae, played by Rebecca Ferguson (Jackman's Greatest Showman costar). Mae's  long-legged allure and classic-movie mystique make Bannister fall in love with her, but alas, Mae vanishes one day without a trace, and Bannister's obsession with the knockout inspires him to comb their stockpiled memories to find her. (This goes against the advice of Bannister's caring assistant, Watts {Thandiwe Newton}, as Mae's path points to a criminal mastermind, Saint Joe {Daniel Wu} and a strong-arming fixer, Cyrus Booth {Cliff Curtis}, who are tied to estranged elitists.) 

The story's execution tugs at the heartstrings with all the lost-love pangs one might expect (and Ramin Djawadi's pulsating score propels its pathos, along with that old, Richard Rogers standby, "Where and When"), all contained within a beguiling and sprawling adventure. But this adventure isn't Homer's Odyssey, but rather a much more intimate voyage in line with Richard Matheson's Somewhere in Time, Nicholas Meyer's Time After Time and Rod Serling's Twilight Zone tale, "the Long Morrow". In this regard, Bannister's intent is as significant as if he were searching for a mountainous treasure in some far-away land, and his lady fair proves as difficult to grasp, since the path to regain her spirals into addiction. 

One could argue that Bannister's quest essays the ups and downs of nostalgia: its sweetness and woe. It explores why one would wish to reattach to a person, place or time, when improving the status quo (improving the moment at hand) would be more feasible and immediate. But then those who'd look to the present and/or future for an antidote to their emptiness aren't as prone to understand love. (The past, after all, is much easier to romanticize, no matter the flaws attached.) 

 

This philosophical, if not psychological, perspective gives Reminiscence its draw, but alas, the story is marred by an unneeded, climate-change motif. Its allegorical, water-has-risen garnishing may look nice and shimmering, but its controversial, we-told-ya-so redundancy taints the story's pathos, which should (could) have stood on its own.  

Despite this unfortunate chink, Reminiscence is a haunting experiment that challenges both body and soul: a human-condition, science-fiction product that works in direct defiance to the noisy splash that populates most high-profile, speculative filmmaking today. For those who like their escapism somber and deep, Reminiscence is without question one to seek. 

An Alternate Reality: Fox's X-Men Cracked the Multiverse First

There's much talk of the alternate-reality/multiverse approach to both Marvel and DC mythologies: how their cinematic universes will open for a broad range of superhero crossovers. The intrigue is justified, but the idea isn't trailblazing or unusual among imagi-franchises. 

Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Star Trek, Terminator, Planet of the Apes, Alien Nation, Fringe, Sliders, Cloverfield and (in perhaps a more subtle manner) Toho's kaiju have paved thought-provoking, parallel paths. However (unless one considers such small-screen endeavors as Gerard Christopher's Superboy or Lois and Clark), the forerunner on the live-action superhero-franchise front is Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men. 

The actual catalyst came with Days of Future Past, named after a comic-book saga, which in turn was named after a legendary concept album by the Moody Blues. 

In X-Men's Days, time travel invades, with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine leading the charge. The '70s morph as a result, with an assassination attempt on President Nixon and bad girl, Mystique turning good in the end.

 

Nothing was the same after those events, though the altered history presented doesn't erase what came before or what may exist along an infinite number of celestial trails. The setup also allowed its actors to exchange roles and backgrounds within Days' ensuing sequels/prequels: a gimmick that both Warner Brothers and Disney now employ without shame. 

Considering X-Men's track record, our diligent mutants have left the door wide open for amazing offshoots and outcomes. For example, a few years prior, audiences were treated to a rugged realm where Logan grew old in a character study that, though connected to previous chapters, embodied its own world, while still begging for a down-the-line link to intersecting pockets.

Logan gave us something so brash and idealized, in fact, that rumor now claims that Jackman's world-weary mutant may cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Some say that Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier might manifest, too. We've also heard about Ryan Reynolds' intended insertion as Stan the Man's cameo replacement. And then there's this whole double-Quicksilver thing which--ah, shoot, for the sake of squashing a major spoiler, I must go mum. (Watch WandaVision Episode #5 for that significant scoop.) 

I sure hope that many members of the Fox team do, indeed, show in the grand, mix-and-match Marvel Cinematic Universe plan. The alternate-reality scope of X-Men is too prolific not to nibble on, in particular with Disney now holding the anything-goes, rebooting reins. If made part of the  unfurling, zigzagging realities, X-Men holds the transforming tonic to be uplifting, sorrowful, thrilling and above all, surprising at the same and varying times: ideal flavoring for any MCU stew.  

Let's hope the House of the Mouse doesn't fumble the opportunist ball. The X-Men should rub elbows with such big-screen counterparts as the Avengers, Spidey and the Fantastic Four; and more than on specialized occasion, but on a hardy, indefinite basis. Fingers crossed that this tried-and-true band of uncanny irregulars ascends again into the coveted X-light. 

An Alternate Reality: Deadpool Enters Disney's MCU

Fans have wondered when (and if ever) Deadpool 3 (or a related X-Force movie) might surface. Some have presumed the proposed sequel would wallow in pre-production hell, in the measly manner Alien and Planet of the Apes sequels/prequels have gone through Disney. However, at long last, Deadpool 3 has been confirmed a go, and hold onto your seats, it's gonna be part of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, no less. (I wonder if Deadpool 2's trampling of Solo had any influence on this decision. I mean, why not water where the monetary flowers bloom, right?)

This confirmation sprinkles more credibility onto the notion that Old Logan/Wolverine will be featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, even if it's still up in the air whether Hugh Jackman will reprise his role. 

Nevertheless, if Ryan Reynolds is to star in and oversee Deadpool 3, one can only infer that negotiations have already commenced to secure Jackman in full, mutant mode. This could also lead to a reunion between the X-Men champions at some point, since Deadpool and Wolverine did spar in the latter's first, eponymous film, albeit with a far different angle than most had desired or anticipated. 

Another thing to consider is that Logan hit theaters R-rated, and of course, the Deadpool movies boast the same designation (except for that wraparound edition of Part 2 that was made to appease the timid). Will the razor-sharp, Fox approach to superheroes seep into Disney's bracketing? According to reports and promises, Deadpool 3 will be as rude and crude as its predecessors. If so, perhaps the same will go for any new X-Men additives, no matter the character variants or circumstances.

It was only a matter of time before the X-Men met the Avengers on the big screen. With parallel-universe confrontations creeping into both Marvel and DC live-action productions, the Deadpool/X-Men visitations seem not only logical, but shrewd.

But let's sure as hell hope the new brew doesn't ultimately go "woke" in the way of Star Wars. There's a tremendous opportunity here to achieve greatness if the mixing and matching bounces right. We sure don't need any dewdrop agenda to castrate it. 

An Alternate Reality: Doc Strange Meets Old Wolverine?

A new alternate-reality rumor is brewing: Wolverine, in the possible guise of Old Logan, could find his way into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

The question is, will Hugh Jackman reprise his legendary role, in particular as it manifested in his prior, Wolverine chapter?

Heck, if they're going to implant the novelty, why not go for broke? For better or worse, Disney now holds the reins to a number of Fox franchises, including X-Men. Perhaps it would be wise to exploit the takeover with Jackman resuming his indignant mutant, thus ushering Fox's successful series into the Avengers realm, along with a bunch of other beloved, Marvel incarnations, of course. 

There's no confirmation yet that Jackman would be the man to portray Logan (young or old), but a Jackman/Benedict Cumberbatch team-up would sure be something to see and no doubt soar the Sorcerer Supreme's sequel to mind-bending, historic heights. Fingers crossed on this one. 

I saw Logan...

In the X-Men movie universe, there's no longer a linear track. “Days of Future Past” changed all that. Varying offshoots like “Deadpool” and “Apocalypse” now characterize the franchise. “Logan” is the latest in this offbeat, parallel-chapter trend.

Directed by James Mangold from a script he coauthored with Scott Frank, “Logan” is, in a sense, “Wolverine 3”, but only in that it’s another solo-leading film for the franchise’s most popular mutant. This movie, however, is more or less its own thing: not succinctly connected to any of the cinematic chapters that came before it, nor linked directly to the X-Men comic-book series or its Marvel spin-offs. It is, on the other hand, loosely based on Mark Millar and Steven McNivan's "Old Man Logan": a post-apocalyptic mini-series, where our hero has (of all unexpected things) aged and mutant supremacy is waning. 

In the film adaptation, we're given a somber, ominous vision of Hugh Jackman's iconic portrayal, with Logan now on the run from his once noble past, with a seizure-prone Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) at his side in the possible year of 2029, where they encounter another of their kind: a little girl named Laura (Dafne Keen). Like Wolverine, she possesses an Adamantium constitution and the lethal claws that accompany it. Sinister men converge to capture the remarkable, little girl, but she doesn't intend to be caught, her sights steadfastly set on a mutant playground called Eden (how Mad Maxian, or perhaps even Trekian). With Wolverine and Professor X along for the trip (even if they're not at their energetic best), one could presume Laura has a damn good chance of achieving her dream. 

The bad guys in this instance are representative of any entitled, bullying group that sees society's slippage as its means for control. Led by scientist Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant), his security henchman Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and the rapacious Reavers, the villains won't rest until the doctor's little, super soldier is seized. Nonetheless, these baddies appear to chase her more for sport than any viable cause: not that hunting a little girl, regardless of how captivating her abilities, should be perceived as honorable.

Hope at least prevails in Logan's staunch, though downcast presence, which comes with an implied blessing of fate. Professor X and the once mutant-seeker Caliban (Stephen Merchant) aid him in her welfare, with the latter's "home" giving the fugitives temporary refuge. Logan, in the meantime, must consider how he might fix Laura's dilemma, finally invoking the basic mettle to fight the antagonists head-on and maybe, just maybe, deliver the lass to her fabled haven. Alas, he hasn't been in good-deed practice for a spell, but through Laura's inspiring innocence, he manages to break that slump, thus culminating the film's burgeoning bond.

There’s a rich, slow sadness in the story's arc, which allows us to reacquaint ourselves with old friends and when need be, embrace new ones, even if they're disagreeable. Above all, we care about the protagonists and feel bad that they've entered such harshness: symbolic, in a way, of those tough times we all face in life. These mutants, however, must regain their dignity against staggering odds. Seeing how such may be accomplished makes the story, beyond its extrapolated circumstances, as engrossing as any standard melodrama kissed by Oscar's pretentious grace. "Logan", though, deserves its accolades and then some. 

Though the film holds Mangold's intended "Watchmen" flair, I liken “Logan” more to the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, “Maggie”: another character study that presents an adult's perspective toward a child's predicament. Additionally, "Logan'"s tone is similar to Mickey Rourke's in "The Wrestler": another tale of a tired man seeking a second chance, or at least some sign that life can be as rewarding as it once was. Whether Logan and his friends attain their goal is left for the audience to discover, but the path that leads there is fascinating and when it touches its tenderest parts, uplifting, particularly for anyone who might feel downtrodden, uninspired or overwhelmed. 

"Logan", contrary to what publicity implies, could act as an initial chapter in a new, progressing series, no matter what the ending seems to finalize. Because of the film's unique temperament, Wolverine, Professor X, Caliban and little Laura, have a decent chance to return, though it's probable they'd be reinvented on yet another parallel plane. Regardless, it matters little how they resurface (either on the printed page or the big screen), as long as they teach us how to cope, whether in the future, the past or as will likely be the case, in whatever fictional present we find ourselves at such moment.