JUST like the first two 'Deadpool' movies, the latest one kicks off with a bloody balletic brawl set to an off-kilter song choice.
It's certainly an 18-and-above sitting, as the cinema classification indicates, and there's plenty of creative ultraviolence, blood spatter, and dismembered limbs flying about to satisfy action and gore junkies.
And with a title like 'Deadpool & Wolverine', you get twice the carnage.
With Hugh Jackman returning to the role of Wolverine a.k.a. Logan, the character finally gets to show off his brutal side as he goes on a berserker rage like never before onscreen.
This movie is Marvel's first stellar pairing that delivers the fun and entertainment fans have been waiting for.
Deadpool's Ryan Reynolds and Jackman have shared a playful rivalry offscreen over the years and getting to see them cinematically duke it out through the two superhero roles that have come to define them is an event in itself.
The story concerns some time-travelling shenanigans involving the bureaucratic Time Variance Authority where Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool has to save his timeline and the people he cares about in it by searching for a variant of Wolverine from another timeline to make things right. I know, just bear with it.
In his quest across the Metaverse, Deadpool unintentionally finds the worst Wolverine of the bunch and they get banished to the Void, a wasteland run by the evil telepath Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).
Now they must find a way to escape and save their timelines from being eliminated forever.
Along the way, they will get some help from very familiar friends in a movie filled with easter eggs, references, homages, and tributes to the comics and previous movies.
There's a lot of nostalgia on display and fan-baiting akin to 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and all of the cameos are utilised well as they are embedded into the storyline rather than just superficial appearances.
It's easy to get excited and follow the development of the movie beforehand and to watch all the trailers that will give a little teaser on what to expect.
But the best way to experience this is through delayed gratification. I went in blind without listening to the rumours or knowing anything solid about the movie, and the eventual experience was priceless.
It's such a rare feeling these days with social media and oversharing that spoils the thrill of being surprised in a good way and having your mind genuinely blown by what unfolds onscreen.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' was great too but it would have been way more memorable if I hadn't already known that the various Spidey actors from different eras would be in the same movie.
One thing that stood out with 'Deadpool & Wolverine' was the almost non-stop barrage of hot zingers, and insults that were flying out right, left and centre.
And in true Deadpool meta, breaking-the-fourth-wall fashion, no one was spared. Everyone got roasted, from Hollywood studios, producers, and the artistes' careers, to the delivery of timely jokes (heres looking at you, Will Smith).
There were even self-aware snarky comments about exposition dumps and long movie runtimes!
While it may not be the greatest superhero movie of all time, you can at least expect to have a good time at the cinema.
I did and the audience was in agreement judging by the amount of laughing, clapping and cheering during the movie. This is a movie that has rewatch value!
But the most important aspect was the potent chemistry of the two leads, enhanced by the great way that the writers wrote the characters.
The two were the quintessential odd couple and both were given equal weight in terms of their story as they went on a redemptive journey to become heroes in the end.
The blend of action, hilarity, and total absurdity in this buddy movie was grounded by some serious moments that had pathos and surprisingly, heart.
The movie has something for everyone and it's a heartwarming package that respects and honours the source material and the various cinematic productions that have come before.
Let's hope Marvel Studios produces more work in this vein in the future.
If you're looking for fun, uplifting and action-packed escapism with heart, then look no further than 'Deadpool & Wolverine'.
For fans of comic book superheroes and the X-Men, this is certainly a must-watch!
NOW SHOWING
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Aaron Stanford, Matthew Macfadyen, Brianna Hildebrand
Duration: 127 mins
Classification: 18