‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ an entertaining-enough cash grab

As Ryan Reynolds openly says in his new mega-blockbuster, “Deadpool & Wolverine” enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe “at a bit of a low point.”

Meta-humor saturates every corner of this “Deadpool” threequel, the first officially produced by Disney and the first R-rated entry in the MCU. For a franchise in need of a reset, “Deadpool & Wolverine” (mostly) succeeds in its role as superhero palate cleanser.

Interestingly, the majority of what works in “Deadpool & Wolverine” can be attributed to the run of superhero films produced by 20th Century Fox before Disney acquired the studio. That includes the glorious return of Hugh Jackman in his iconic role as Wolverine.

If you were worried this film would ruin the legacy of Jackman’s previous swan song, 2017’s powerful (and ultra-serious) “Logan,” well, you might have some feelings about the bloody, over-the-top, N’SYNC-infused opening credit sequence in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” If anyone can get away with stomping on the grave of a beloved film, it’s the fourth wall-breaking Deadpool, who openly (sorta) apologizes to the audience for the desecration.

Technically, the Logan in “Deadpool & Wolverine” is not the Logan from Jackman’s previous run of movies. As Reynolds' Deadpool jumps across the multiverse in search of a Wolverine who will stabilize his own decaying timeline, he stumbles across the “Worst Wolverine,” a depressed alcoholic version who managed to get all the X-Men in his universe killed. If this paragraph doesn’t make sense to you, then “Deadpool & Wolverine” probably won’t make much sense either.

The bulk of the movie takes place in the Void, first seen in the Disney+ series “Loki,” where disruptive variants are banished so as not to ruin the Sacred Timeline. When our pseudo-heroes land there, Deadpool searches for the crazed and powerful psychic Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) to help escape and fix his own dying universe.

The enjoyment of any “Deadpool” film rests on an individual’s tolerance for Ryan Reynolds’ profane, rambling take on the anti-hero. Reynolds spouts infantile one-liners at breakneck pace, all while stopping the action every few minutes to talk to the audience. It can be fun at times and grating at others.

Fortunately, Jackman’s mournful “Worst Wolverine” takes hold of all the movie’s best moments. The story is too thin and silly to do much about creating a satisfying arc on the level of “Logan,” but Jackman works magic with the role anyway. His profane outbursts also dutifully counter Reynolds’ hit-and-miss comedy.

Jackman isn’t the only relic from the 20th Century Fox days to succeed here, as the film’s nostalgia-tinged cameos have an unusual and welcome effect on the film overall. Spoilers about the film are everywhere at this point, but it’s truly a joy to see some of these characters appear in a substantial capacity.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is undeniably entertaining for anyone with passing knowledge of these characters, and, if nothing else, the movie delivers a few comic book moments fans have been waiting for since the first “X-Men” movie in 2000. If only Disney had put more effort into the film’s technical execution. Director Shawn Levy (“Free Guy”) oversees a bland environment with clunky editing and routine action beats. The movie makes its own jokes about looking like the Wasteland from “Mad Max,” but fails to bring even a tiny fraction of the pizzazz that George Miller presented earlier this summer in “Furiosa.” How does Disney spend $200 million on movies that look like they’re shot in a parking lot?

Lazy filmmaking seemingly won’t deter “Deadpool & Wolverine” from making gobs of money. To a certain extent, its success is totally fine. The movie is fun and funny enough, which counts for a lot after the recent run of drab MCU entries. An occasional dose of Deadpool can help the MCU purge its most nagging missteps.

Jackman might now play Wolverine until he’s 90. That feels like both wonderful and terrible news at the same time.

    Ryan Reynolds, left, and Hugh Jackman pose for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film "Deadpool & Wolverine" July 11 in London.