“Deadpool and Wolverine” was released as a highly anticipated movie on July 26. In the US, social media generated a massive portion of the popularity and commerciality for the film, along with an earned 78% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The unlikely partnership between the legendary Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman and the humorous Deadpool played by Ryan Reynolds was exhilarating to view on screen.
The unexpected duo made fans frenzied to buy tickets for the film. The story starts with Deadpool’s desire to be an Avenger. However, havoc strikes when the Time Variance Authority selects Deadpool to save the multiverse and their unbalanced reality from extinction. Deadpool must find another variant of Wolverine from another reality to rebalance his own before it is too late and everyone becomes nonexistent.
Did this movie meet the expectations and hype to be the movie of the summer?
“No, I don’t think it was the movie of the summer […]. There were aspects that I thought were cool and stuff but if you didn’t watch it with the right person or something, it could be boring,” sophomore Kali Hazel said.
Other films released this summer that could claim the title of “film of the summer” include “Twisters“ with a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes and “A Quiet Place Day One,” which had an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, some people believe that “Deadpool and Wolverine” deserves to win the title.
“I think it was a hit. I really liked it,” sophomore Cate Craig said.
Hazel was first introduced to the film through social media, which she believed impacted how she viewed the film. This goes on to highlight the impact that these social media platforms have on any major film production.
So far this year according to IMDb the film has won the Golden Trailer Award for “Best Teaser,” “Best Summer 2024 Blockbuster Trailer,” the “Best Of Show,” and received “Most Anticipated Movie of 2024.”
With social media comes trends, and established hype. Craig recognized these various trends as the two actors’ viral rap battle and the “Bye Bye Bye” song written by NSYNC became a staple for the Deadpool dance trend.
“I tried to learn it too,” Craig said.
The success of the film is clear from the comedic factors in the various action-packed scenes. The complex characters rely on each other more than they would like to admit which goes on to make their already difficult relationship more amusing.
“I think the Deadpool movies are always successful because Ryan Reynolds is just very funny and he embodies his character well. But I also think a lot of fans of Wolverine, who got cut short when he died in his movies, were very happy to see that he was back and they were working together,” Craig said.
There are plenty of enjoyable scenes, and Hazel and Craig shared their favorites.
“In the beginning when Deadpool went back in time […] and he like, was fighting these, bad people […] when there was the song ‘Bye Bye Bye,'” Hazel said.
Craig’s favorite scene came later in the film when the events of the story were getting complicated. “I liked it when Deadpool was fighting all the other Deadpools,” Craig said.
While it is up to viewer preference whether “Deadpool and Wolverine” should be considered the film of the summer, with all the social media trends off the screen and the humorous relationship on screen, many fans were left captivated by the film, so the movie should be in consideration.
