Deadpool & Wolverine Review – Walking Out After 42 Minutes!
A Catholic writer's reflection
As much as I wanted to sit through the entire movie, I had to leave at about 42 minutes without finishing my free popcorn. Sorry, this is just not for me.
I wanted to see the whole film to make a proper review but I couldn’t stand the way that the constant cussing has even dared to mentioned Jesus’ name in a way that I found unsuitable and disrespectful. While there are fans who may enjoy this type of jokes, personally, I think we can still have some sense of humor without cussing or using the name of Jesus Christ in vain.
“You shall not invoke the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain.” - Exodus 20:7
“A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” - Luke 6:45
And as though words are not enough, the movie even included a scene with Wolverine from another dimension being nailed to a cross!
As for the violence, I can understand that in times of crisis where we have to defend ourselves or our loved ones, it may be permissible to take another person’s life. But this movie just makes it seem as though doing so is fun, artistic and cool.
I think that’s where the danger lies. When movies create this image of a hero that seems to have a heart and a desire for good but mixed with a kind of evil that’s never justified nor redeemed.
Perhaps this is where we can better understand the meaning of mortal sin. Mortal sin, when not repented from, destroys charity (love) in the heart and deadens the soul. One can do nothing of merit while in a state of mortal sin. For how can you truly love when you continue to kill that love as you persist in evil?
“Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” - Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1855
This is totally different from fallen characters with an arc of redemption, characters who may have had a sinful past but who were able to rise up from that and undergo a period of transformation towards the good.
Those who were able to watch the whole movie may tell me how a radical transformation of character could have happened at the end, but I doubt that would be the case. My guess is that there would have been a series of big fights, some kind of revelation and a lot more cussing, but there would have been no change of heart towards violence or a growth towards true humility.
The movie can eventually have the main characters do one last “selfless” act to complete the “hero image” that they wanted to project. However, this would still be problematic in the sense that Deadpool previously claimed to be Marvel’s Jesus! Hence, sacrificing his life would have been consistent with his blasphemous claim. But that could only mean he has just elevated himself to the role of Messiah and forgot to honor the true One.
And what would the audience learn? That we could all be good without the true Jesus? That we can speak blasphemous words and still be considered a hero?
According to “Our Sunday Visitor”, the OSV News classification of this movie is O — morally offensive.
Epilogue (and Spoiler Alert): According to those who completed watching the movie, the film did end on a similar note with Deadpool & Wolverine sacrificing themselves. They were, however, able to come out from the danger alive with Deadpool proudly and blasphemously saying “he has risen”!
Jocelyn Soriano wrote the books 366 Days of Compassion, To Love an Invisible God, and Defending My Catholic Faith. To support Jocelyn in her “full-time mission” as a Catholic writer, please consider subscribing, upgrading your subscription, buying her books or giving her a tip via Ko-fi.
Dear Ms. Soriano,
I was never a sailor, but I did learn to curse like one when I was a police Detective & away from the Lord. When I came back to my faith, all the cursing went away & stayed away in 1994. A week later, I heard my Paster preach on the topic of “Keeping one’s promises with God” & I was reminded of a promise I made at 13, a deal, that if He would stop my father’s drinking & make him a good family man; I would not drink as an adult. The next day, I stopped, nothing since June, 1994.
I saw the movie Unforgiven, starring Clint Eastwood, and expected themes from the Prodigal Son & other acts of Redemption. I figuratively put on my Bible hat & also my English Archetypes hat to process what the movie had to offer. There was cursing in abundance, the Pastor portrayed in the West was not heroic or one who walked alongside Eastwood’s murderous character. On one level, I could simply say, see the movie & see hom man & God struggle for his soul.
Thankfully, about a year after I saw the movie, the below writeup by a Pastor breaks-down the theological themes that are going on in this movie. As you open the hyperlink, you will need to scroll down to Unforgiven, then read the analysis…it contains no cursing. The writer backs up his analysis with Scripture and he may have even found Biblical similarities that the writer did not intend - a fairly frequent development that great writers have admitted to.
https://frame-poythress.org/ebooks/theology-at-the-movies/#unforgiven
And this brings me to a more recent movie, that has been analyzed by multiple writers for a long list of Biblical themes & characters from Jesus parables in the midst of a hilarious plot in which the main characters have Bible counterparts, the men are on their own journeys and even a form of an Angel shows-up three times at a bowling alley bar to speak to Jeff Bridges -the Dude. The movie is the Big Lebowski. It may have set the world record for cursing within a span of time. If a viewer can watch the movie and recognize the intended types as well as the unintended types, and they know their Bible, they will see a peace-nik, redemption, a Pharisee in the character of John Goodman who loves his “brothers” but who was twisted by his experience in the Vietnam War. The characters are all flawed, set new standards for cursing and stereotypical other characters become the equivalent temptresses/tempters from Odysseus’s Odyssey. I will paste a trailer & one analysis if you or readers decide to go there & watch it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cd-go0oBF4Y
Analysis, by one, of many
https://withchristianeyes.net/2022/04/25/35460/
Final comment. As a Chaplain deployed to disaster sites around the U.S. following Hurricanes, tornados and fires we minister to a variety of people who already were dealing with personal disasters in their own lives. They do not always speak like choir members. Chaplains, Police & Firemen &ER staff are all battle-hardened to hear cursing - it is not from the Holy one. I am sure the disciples heard it all. Christ we know walked, spoke, ate with & touched every form of sinner & possibly curser. He was attracted to go to sinners & like Paul wrote, he would become all things to reach a solitary sinner for the sake of Christ’s Gospel.
Praise God that smart Christians have processed multi-layered movies against their knowledge of the Bible and how very far the Hound of Heaven will/did go to bring one sinner to salvation.
To quote a friend, “warts & all”
Blessings