Movie Review
Review Deadpool
This project went from pretty much being cancelled to being one of the most anticipated movies of 2016. It spent many years in development hell because the people at 20th Century Fox didn't believe that the project had enough box office potential…..well, they have certainly been proved wrong so far! It's the famous Marvel comic adapted to the big screen, just with a serious amount of rude jokes, nudity, crazy sex and violence…definitely not one for the kiddies!!!
Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who protects women from would-be stalkers. One night he meets female escort Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) in a strip club and they become romantically involved for about one year. His life is shattered when he discovers that he has multiple organ cancer. He undergoes an experimental procedure to cure his cancer but the serum injected by Francis aka Ajax (Ed Skrein) proves to be torturous and life changing, leaving him with special healing powers and a disfigured face. Not wanting to upset Vanessa, Wade leaves her and lives with a blind woman named Al (Leslie Uggams). With the help of X- Men Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Colossus (voice of Stefan Kapicic), the masked vigilante Deadpool as he is now known, seeks revenge and will stop at nothing to acquire a cure for his disfigurement.
The first thing I noticed was how inventive the storytelling is. The film throws you into the action from the first moment (literally: the very first moment) and then it goes back and forth in brilliant and unexpected ways to slowly unspool the story of this insane - but oddly charming - antihero. Flashbacks and fast-forwards can be annoying as hell, but when done right, they can help render even a somewhat simple story fresh and exciting. And that's exactly how Deadpool felt to me right from the start: like a fresh (if somewhat dirty) jolt of energy. Talking about comedic relief, the movie was full of pop culture references that those alone can be made into a handbook. The dirty jokes never stopped coming, and you know what, they were awesome! Everything is about political correctness these days. Here is Deadpool with his unfiltered self-expression, and it was cathartic.
Ryan Reynolds makes up for the atrocities of his previous portrayal of a comic book character in The Green Lantern. He's in excellent form here, showcasing his comedic talents which even include poking fun at himself. He lives and breathes the part of Deadpool and is sure to please fans of this 'superhero'. The in-jokes involving the X-Men characters are just one of the many highlights of the unorthodox comedy strategy employed by the writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wenick. Credit must also go to the director. This is Tim Miller's first feature length film. He is better known as a visual effects artist and it's evident in his direction how much he knows about this field. Even the CGI creation in Colossus is a character you have to admire.
The supporting cast do amazingly well as well. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead from the X-men are just the greatest additions to this film. This is easily the best incarnation of Colossus we have ever seen and with such a low budget he looked beautiful. Of course, with them on board there are some very funny Xmen jokes to look out for. Morenna Baccarin is the perfect love interest for Ryan Reynolds. Her character is a lot better than other 2-Dimensional females in comic book films. When she is introduced and the way that happens shows how much of an impact she makes and it is great.
Despite all my praise, it's not a perfect film. The villain in this revenge tale is utterly forgettable and the story itself far too derivative to do its highly unconventional protagonist (he insists he's not a hero) - justice: but it's a damn good first entry in a franchise that will hopefully explore the character and his world to a much larger extent in the sequel(s). And it's actually a very important film for another reason. If Deadpool is a financial success - which at this point is already clear it will be - this could play a vital role in how studios henceforth view the financial prospects of R-rated superhero films, and we'll hopefully see more of them in the future.
Last but not least, Deadpool, the superhero/antihero, was actually extremely likable, and Ryan Reynolds did a spectacular job bringing him to life.
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