If you haven’t already, check out our epic chat with screenwriter Rhett Reese here.
When the credits rolled on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I think we all but closed the book on seeing any further big screen adventures of Marvel Comics fan favourite, Deadpool. For a movie that got so many things wrong, it was their portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth that was the biggest missed opportunity, boiling down a character that had the potential to inject an unbelievable amount of fun into the dour proceedings to a ‘final boss’ role, and wasting the one actor who was born to play the role of the fast talking, fourth wall breaking assassin, Ryan Reynolds. But, thankfully, after years of being stuck in development hell and one strategic test footage leak, Deadpool bursts onto ours screens in all his violent, profane glory, delivering an absolute blast that shows what a super hero movie can do with a wicked sense of humour and the perfect person behind the mask.
The minute the movie starts, you know you’re in for something different as director Tim Miller and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick delight in taking the over saturated super hero genre down a peg or two. From the opening credits that gleefully send up the tropes we’ve seen a million times before or some knowing asides to the character previous big screen incarnation, this movie is rife with meta humour, and it is a refreshing antidote for those fed up with the countless comic book movies that have come and gone in recent years. Which is funny in itself, as this is firmly placed as part of Fox’s X-Men franchise (thanks to the appearance of Stefan Kapicic’s Colossus and Briana Hildebrand’s X-man in training Negasonic Teenage Warhead). The story here is relatively simple: mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is diagnosed with cancer, and opts for a procedure that will give him superhuman powers to save his true love Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) from the ordeal of watching him succumb to the horrible disease. After years of torture, he gains the ability to heal himself from absolutely anything, but is horribly disfigured in the process, which in his mind sets his chances of being with Vanessa to zero. Lusting revenge, and driven quite insane, he dedicates his life to ending that of Ajax (Ed Skrein), the man who gave him his new powers. Many people are no doubt saying “oh great, another origin story”, but it’s related through clever uses of flash backs that punctuate the action scenes that do away with usual pit falls of telling the hero's origin.
From start to finish, Deadpool is a relentless, giddy ride that won’t fail to leave a big, goofy smile on your face. As I’ve said before, no one else but Ryan Reynolds could have played Deadpool, and he proves that here by being maximum Ryan Reynolds, letting the quips, fourth wall breaks, and one liners flow forth with ease. Even hidden underneath a mask or prosthetics, his affable nature shines through and it won’t take you long to agree that he is the only person for this particular job. But Reynolds is only one piece of the puzzle of what makes this work, Reese and Wernik’s script being the other. The pair manage to cram in an insane amount of charm and hilarity (this is the only movie I consider telling any of the jokes as spoilers, because you really have to experience them first hand) into a 108 minute movie, while leaving no stone unturned when it comes to exploiting the movie’s R rating (16’s on this side of the pond). The nudity, violence, and swearing are all turned up to 11, and while at points you may think it puerile, you’ll be too busy laughing your head off to notice. Deadpool is a movie that has be designed to solely entertain, and it does that with ease.
Director Tim Miller is no slouch either with his feature film debut, delivering some incredible action scenes and keeping the movie chugging along at an incredible pace. You’ve no doubt seen the test footage by now, but believe me when I say you’re not ready for how that freeway chase plays out for real. It works as great way of settling you into what Deadpool has in store, and, again, the adult only rating adds to the fun of it all. And the only way up is from there, with a finale that has every chance of making you punch the air with joy. But it’s not all profanity and dismemberment, as there is a pretty sweet love story that drives most of the action, albeit one with a sex montage and more than one reference to anal sex. Morena Baccarin, who thankfully doesn’t fall into the usual trap of just being adamsel in distress, and Reynolds have perfect chemistry together, with Wade and Vanessa being absolutely perfect for each other (those Nicholas Sparks like posters put out by the marketing team weren’t actually far off). In fact, all the cast play their roles perfectly, from T.J. Miller as the joke spewing Weasel to Ed Skrein’s “british villain” Ajax, who does’t do much else other than be the villain, but that’s the point. At the end of the day, Deadpool is about Vanessa and Wade, and Skrein plays the obstacle to their happiness perfectly.
It has been a very long time since you’ve seen something like Deadpool. Gleefully profane and so funny its pain inducing, this is the most wholly entertaining super hero movie you will have seen in a very long time.
When the credits rolled on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I think we all but closed the book on seeing any further big screen adventures of Marvel Comics fan favourite, Deadpool. For a movie that got so many things wrong, it was their portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth that was the biggest missed opportunity, boiling down a character that had the potential to inject an unbelievable amount of fun into the dour proceedings to a ‘final boss’ role, and wasting the one actor who was born to play the role of the fast talking, fourth wall breaking assassin, Ryan Reynolds. But, thankfully, after years of being stuck in development hell and one strategic test footage leak, Deadpool bursts onto ours screens in all his violent, profane glory, delivering an absolute blast that shows what a super hero movie can do with a wicked sense of humour and the perfect person behind the mask.
The minute the movie starts, you know you’re in for something different as director Tim Miller and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick delight in taking the over saturated super hero genre down a peg or two. From the opening credits that gleefully send up the tropes we’ve seen a million times before or some knowing asides to the character previous big screen incarnation, this movie is rife with meta humour, and it is a refreshing antidote for those fed up with the countless comic book movies that have come and gone in recent years. Which is funny in itself, as this is firmly placed as part of Fox’s X-Men franchise (thanks to the appearance of Stefan Kapicic’s Colossus and Briana Hildebrand’s X-man in training Negasonic Teenage Warhead). The story here is relatively simple: mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is diagnosed with cancer, and opts for a procedure that will give him superhuman powers to save his true love Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) from the ordeal of watching him succumb to the horrible disease. After years of torture, he gains the ability to heal himself from absolutely anything, but is horribly disfigured in the process, which in his mind sets his chances of being with Vanessa to zero. Lusting revenge, and driven quite insane, he dedicates his life to ending that of Ajax (Ed Skrein), the man who gave him his new powers. Many people are no doubt saying “oh great, another origin story”, but it’s related through clever uses of flash backs that punctuate the action scenes that do away with usual pit falls of telling the hero's origin.
From start to finish, Deadpool is a relentless, giddy ride that won’t fail to leave a big, goofy smile on your face. As I’ve said before, no one else but Ryan Reynolds could have played Deadpool, and he proves that here by being maximum Ryan Reynolds, letting the quips, fourth wall breaks, and one liners flow forth with ease. Even hidden underneath a mask or prosthetics, his affable nature shines through and it won’t take you long to agree that he is the only person for this particular job. But Reynolds is only one piece of the puzzle of what makes this work, Reese and Wernik’s script being the other. The pair manage to cram in an insane amount of charm and hilarity (this is the only movie I consider telling any of the jokes as spoilers, because you really have to experience them first hand) into a 108 minute movie, while leaving no stone unturned when it comes to exploiting the movie’s R rating (16’s on this side of the pond). The nudity, violence, and swearing are all turned up to 11, and while at points you may think it puerile, you’ll be too busy laughing your head off to notice. Deadpool is a movie that has be designed to solely entertain, and it does that with ease.
It has been a very long time since you’ve seen something like Deadpool. Gleefully profane and so funny its pain inducing, this is the most wholly entertaining super hero movie you will have seen in a very long time.
