It’s been since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that I’ve seen an MCU movie on the big screen, so it was amusing to hear that now-iconic fanfare play over the logo ushering Deadpool into the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you were afraid that the House of Mouse would put a leash on the merc with the mouth, then think again. This movie is wild. But it also has surprising heart. Deadpool & Wolverine is a lot of movie but one that feels so right in a time when Marvel movies have become a bit played out.

As promised by the title of this review, this will be spoiler-free, so rest easy. I’ll mention some minor inciting stuff and things seen in the first two trailers, but nothing beyond that. But in short, the TVA from Loki have come knocking on Deadpool’s door to usher him into the “sacred timeline”. But all is not what it seems and Wade Wilson finds himself on a quest of sorts and before long, Wolverine ends up joining him on a quest to save his own timeline while also being pursued by the film’s villain, Cassandra Nova and the TVA’s Mr. Paradox See, told you it’d be spoiler-free.

So if you’re anything like me, you were probably wondering how they would be bringing Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine while also not tarnishing the legacy that was Logan, one of the most beloved and acclaimed superhero films to date. I can say that Deadpool & Wolverine does acknowledge that film’s existence but also finds a workaround to make this movie happen.

Each Deadpool movie has brought about a new director and this time is no exception, with Shawn Levy (Free Guy) taking on the role of director and one of the writers. As mentioned, Disney does not put any leash on Deadpool or restrict him in any way. In fact, Disney and the MCU find themselves targeted by Wade quite often, as he rips into the concept of the multiverse, the reaction to phases 4 and 5, and the Disney acquisition quite often and doesn’t hold back. The humour is rapid and quite vulgar, perhaps the most gnarly we’ve heard Deadpool to date even. With so many jokes per minute, not all of them land, but a good majority did. The same lack of restrictions also applies to the violence, with this definitely being the most bloody entry in the Deadpool franchise, with some moments rivalling The Boys on the gore scale. Not being bound by a PG-13 rating, the action is pretty entertaining and well-shot, especially a sweet tracking shot toward the end of the film. By not having to cut around the hits, Deadpool & Wolverine revels in the stabbing of its two leads over and over again for our amusement, all set to a kickass soundtrack of cheesy pop music and power ballads.

But it’s not all blood and jokes. Deadpool & Wolverine can get surprisingly serious and touching throughout its runtime. While Wade certainly gets his moments of introspection, a lot of that seriousness naturally comes from Wolverine. To say he’s having a bad time of it would be an understatement and Jackman finds a way to tap into everything that made Logan memorable and iconic while also not completely rehashing what he’s done before. Plus, it’s great seeing him in the comic book-accurate yellow costume.

And of course, you must be wondering. Are there cameos? Yes, yes there are. They don’t hit quite as hard as Spider-Man: No Way Home did, but if you’re of a certain generation and knew the rumour mill at the time, you’ll definitely get a laugh and some crowd-pleasing moments. But this movie isn’t all about the cameos, they’re there as more icing on the cake to a story centred around the two leads. Deadpool has been quipping about Hugh Jackman/Wolverine ever since the first film in the franchise, so seeing them team up is great fun (so much fun that Deadpool himself even has a “special” joke for the occasion). With Deadpool’s non-stop quipping and Wolverine’s gruff personality, the movie becomes a buddy cop road trip movie, as the two travel around trying to get to their objective.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a busy movie, sometimes maybe even to its own detriment, but it’s still a great time at the movies. I was invested, I laughed, I did mental double takes trying to keep up with the humour, and then the movie surprised me by being more poignant than I thought it would be. While it’s most certainly not for kids, this is a great return to form for the MCU and one that benefitted by straying away from the established formula enough to be different while still being a Deadpool movie through and through.