Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
The foul-mouthed and overly violent superhero in the Marvel canon has not only a new movie but is now part of the Disney family. He has officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU.
Ryan Reynolds is back as Deadpool for a third film in the lucrative R-rated franchise, and this time he brought friends, including Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Things are a little different this time around, which may spark some questions. For example, 20th Century Fox is now owned by Disney, so does that mean the R rating will be toned down a bit? Deadpool is now part of the MCU, which has released nothing but PG-13 movies. Does this mean this new movie is closer to PG-13 than R?
I'm here to answer some of these questions before you head to the theater or let someone in your family buy a ticket.
This article is not to tell you what I thought about "Deadpool & Wolverine," whether I think it's worth seeing or whether I think it's appropriate for you or anyone else in your family to see. This article is meant to educate you on what you can expect to see in the movie and how it compares to the earlier films, and then turn it over to you to make decisions for you and your family.
Here is what parents should know about "Deadpool & Wolverine."
Sex
The first two "Deadpool" movies didn't shy away from sex and sexual depictions. The first movie, in particular, had a fair amount of sex and sexual situations. The third film has toned that down significantly. There were no sex scenes or nudity in "Deadpool & Wolverine."
That doesn't mean the sexual humor was toned down, however.
There is crude humor throughout the run time, with visual gags to add to the vulgarity. It has lots of jokes about different sexual situations and harsh language used to describe it. Most of the insults are based on sexuality, and the movie has multiple comments about sex as well.
While the movie doesn't show sexual situations like its predecessors, there is plenty of sexual humor in "Deadpool & Wolverine." The sexual jokes and language would earn the movie an R rating.
Language
Marvel is slipping more language into its movies, and it caused a stir when "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" became the first MCU movie to use the F word. That movie opened the door a crack, and "Deadpool & Wolverine" blew it off the hinges.
There are well over 100 uses of the F word in just about every combination imaginable, and they're uttered by pretty much every character, including some kids. Throw in every other curse word you've ever heard or haven't heard, for that matter, and "Deadpool & Wolverine" likely has it. If you have seen the first two movies, this should come as no surprise. The language is certainly that of an R-rated movie and earned the rating many times over.
Violence/gore
I was ready for the crude humor and language. Still, I forgot just how violent, gory and graphic the "Deadpool" movies are. It's hard to compare without watching the first two installments again, but this movie felt the bloodiest of the bunch.
The movie kicks off with a slow motion fight scene with graphic violence played for laughs. The team behind "Deadpool & Wolverine" wanted to let you know out of the gate that they weren't backing down due to a new studio or cinematic universe.
The movie goes all in immediately, and some of the goriest moments come in that opening sequence. I don't think I need to go into any detail, but you should know blood and body parts are strewn across the screen, and people are killed in some disturbing ways.
What makes it feel slightly different is how absurd and over-the-top the violence is. The violence is more or less constant throughout the movie, but there are a few sequences that get incredibly violent and graphic.
Again, the comedic tone takes out some of the intensity of the violence, but the graphic nature is hard to miss.
Conclusion
My guess is that most of you familiar with the "Deadpool" franchise are not surprised by any of this. Still, for some, it's worth noting that despite a new studio known for family entertainment taking over, Deadpool is still very much Deadpool — and almost more so. The actual sex may be downplayed a bit, but the crude humor and language are just as strong and prevalent as ever. The violence is also there and may even be amped up a notch from the first two movies.
"Deadpool & Wolverine" earned its R rating in every way it could, and the filmmakers seem proud of it. They clearly make an effort to let you know this is a different kind of superhero in a very familiar universe.
"Deadpool & Wolverine" is officially rated R for strong bloody violence, language, gore, and sexual references.
