Release: February 12th, 2016Genre: Action/Comedy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrien, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand
The cult-favorite comic antihero Deadpool finally hits the big screen! The so-called Merc with a Mouth is one of my personal favorite Marvel characters, who was horrendously butchered in 2009's maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Unsatisfied with the portrayal, Reynolds set out to make things right. After test footage was leaked from the VFX studio behind the film, it gained enough popularity to convince Fox to greenlight the film, which Reynolds had been trying to get done himself. Despite the comparatively tiny budget to other big superhero releases, Deadpool manages to be one of the best in recent years.
Known for his wicked sense of humor and ability to "break the fourth wall" (That is, acknowledge there's an audience and know that he's in a comic book or film) Reynolds and crew knew that this had to be a hard-R rated film to do the character justice. Problem is, Hollywood execs don't like that letter, because it means less money.
That didn't stop them though, because this film is brutally violent, offensive, vulgar, and hysterically funny.
When former spec-ops operative Wade WIlson discovers he has late-stage cancer, he is contacted by a mysterious secret organization that claims they can cure him and give him amazing superpowers. Under their custody, they experiment and torture him until he develops a powerful ability to heal from any wound, at the cost of his skin. He escapes their evil clutches, and becomes the mutant vigilante Deadpool, tracking down the men who did it to him. Along the way, he's interrupted by the X-Man Colossus, and his trainee Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who attempt to recruit him for the mutant team.
They set out to do this character justice, and the result is perhaps one of the most accurate portrayals of a comic character ever. Reynolds is hilarious as Deadpool, every joke manages to land, and his antics are a treat to watch.
The story is told partially through flashbacks, which are significantly darker and more serious and provide a perfect contrast to Deadpool's vulgar quips. The pacing is great too, the film never drags and probably could have used an extra 10 or 20 minutes to flesh out the story even more.
The metal-skinned Mutant Colossus is a hilarious opposite of Deadpool, and his inclusion is another welcome contrast. The two characters play wonderfully off of each other.
The film's self-aware nature provides plenty of laughs, but still manages to get you to take it seriously. You begin to really feel and connect with Deadpool, because he's a flawed, broken character with nothing to lose.
The other standout of the film is the direction. There's a few sequences of crazy action, but it's all filmed beautifully, each bullet wound feels solid, each punch resonates with you, and its incredibly satisfying. There's no distracting shakycam.
The effects are impressive for the budget but still pretty spotty. CGI blood is noticeable, and as impressive as it is that we finally got a comic book-accurate Colossus on the big screen, he isn't the best looking CGI character I've ever seen. Hopefully with a bigger budget next time around we can see them do wonders with the CGI.
If you're a superhero fan, or a dirty comedy fan, there's something for you here. Even if you don't like the X-Men movies, you'll probably have a blast at Deadpool. This isn't a kid-friendly movie, though, so sensitive people who are easily offended might want to look elsewhere.
Verdict: 4/5
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