The “man with the mouth” is back! And he's brought his adamantium-clawed friend with him Deadpool & Wolverine” could be the coup the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) needs right now, and according to advance reviews, it's basically guaranteed to be the biggest blockbuster of this summer movie season

“Deadpool 3” opens this Friday (July 26), and the review ban has been lifted, allowing critics lucky enough to be among the first to see the comic book film to give their thoughts As of this writing, “Deadpool & Wolverine” holds a high score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes This score is based on 145 reviews and has earned the “Certified Fresh” seal

However, while the early reviews have many of my contacts eager to see Deadpool's latest adventure over the weekend, I am a bit skeptical Because when I look at the Rotten Tomatoes score for Deadpool & Wolverine, which is based on reviews from publications that the review aggregation site considers “top-tier critics,” the story is quite different

Filtered by “top-tier critics,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” scores 64% (based on 39 reviews) This is not dismal, but it is lower than the relatively recent MCU film “Black Widow” (with a score of 69% from “top critics”), which is flattering and comparable

Also lower than “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3” (67%) and “Black Panther” (75%): also lower than “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3” (67%) and “Black Panther: The Last Jedi” (75%), but at least “The Doctor Strange: The Madness Multiverse” beats ”Doctor Strange

This low “top critics” score suggests that the 81% overall score may have come from a higher average score by the enthusiast and hobby press It should be noted, however, that a review by a “top critic” is not necessarily more valuable than other scores

Dive into Rotten Tomatoes' “top critics” reviews and you will quickly come across critics who were not particularly impressed with Marvel's trilogy

The Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin, in particular, gave the film only one star, labeling it “a grim, grimy film that feels like a spiritual dead end for the franchise”

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney was not so kind: “For the core audience, the gags may be enough, but for the rest of the audience, the sloppily staged action is repetitive, the plot is haphazard, and the humor is so self-conscious that and the film may fall flat on its ass On the other hand, Newsday reporter Rafer Guzman said, “I'd rather just watch a movie than be pandered to by a movie”

Perhaps one of the most negative book reviews was by William Bibiani of TheWrap

“It's a shame,” he said, “because the studio that built its identity on superhero crossovers has finally abandoned any pretense of dramatically justifying them

Of course, there have been many more favorable reviews from “top critics” David Fear of The Rolling Stones praised the film's “absurd embrace of the meta aspect,” and Liz Shannon Miller of Consequences found it “serviceable at its worst moments and great fun when it's really cooking” The Guardian described it as “delightful and exhausting”

Regardless of the reviews, most superhero fans (and moviegoers in general) will want to judge “Deadpool & Wolverine” for themselves Despite the new concerns raised by these less-than-positive opinions, I still have my opening weekend tickets reserved and will ultimately judge for myself