Origins of a Movie Merc
"Deadpool," starring Ryan Reynolds as the "Merc With a Mouth," is a project that has been years in the making. This is Reynolds's second shot at Deadpool, since his first shot at playing the immortal, psychopathic mercenary, was in the 2009 film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." However, the realization of that film's character was an extreme disappointment to Deadpool fans, as it changed his back-story, and changed his entire look. Back then, due to this great disappointment, everyone feared that a Deadpool solo feature would never be made. And for five long years, fans would have to wait.
The "Leaked" Deadpool Video
Then, in 2014, a six-minute, "proof of concept" video was "leaked" onto the Internet (possibly by Ryan Reynolds himself,) featuring an exciting action sequence, along with Ryan Reynolds' voice talent. The video was apparently made by an effects company to prove that a Deadpool film can work, in the hopes that 20th Century Fox, who owned the film rights, would green-light a Deadpool film. Reynolds voiced the character in the same profane, violent, and extremely funny character that comic book fans have come to know and love, and it made the collective internet soil its Underoos with joy. If only, they all sobbed, the powers-that-be would understand that an R-rated Deadpool movie would actually make money, then maybe this film would get made.
Shortly after fanboys and fangirls lost their collective minds over this "leaked" footage, 20th Century Fox green-lit the film to every fan's delight. The thought among comic book aficionados was that this was Ryan Reynolds' opportunity to do two things: 1) Redeem himself for bad superhero movies, such as "Blade III," the Wolverine film, and especially, "Green Lantern." Ryan seemed to be liked as Deadpool, and only as Deadpool. So, this was his chance to shine. And 2) Deadpool fans could finally see a true-to-the-comic version of the Deadpool character, in live-action onscreen.
So, Is It Any Good?
YES. It is a solid hit! (Someone please blurb me. BLURB ME!) "Deadpool" is a lean, mean one-hour and forty-eight minute assault on the senses and the funny bone, and it barely lets you rest before the next joke or action sequence. Even the opening credits are hilarious, providing one of the most inventive openings in modern superhero cinema, where the cast is described in a very unorthodox way. This is a movie that you must pay attention to or you will miss many a joke.
Okay. What's It About?
The film follows a Canadian mercenary for hire, named Wade Wilson, whose main source of revenue appears to be intimidating young men into not harassing females on a college campus. We see that he's not the most scrupulous man, and that he has killed people in combat, but he's also not working for the mob, either. So, points for Wade? Then, he meets Vanessa, a prostitute with a heart for bad-ass mercenaries named "Wade Wilson," and they have a storybook romance.
What? Is This a Rom-Com?
No, you annoying sub-heading. This is not a rom-com, so reality hits back at Wade and hits him hard with a cancer diagnosis. Quite honestly, there was a moment in the doctor's office where Wade is deep in thought, and this reviewer actually had a tear in his eye for a moment.
Coincidentally, (or not,) Wade meets a man in a suit who offers to make Wade "better than better," and thus begins Wade's attempt to cure himself of his cancer, which, of course, goes horribly wrong, leaving Wade's skin horrifically disfigured, but with an unlimited healing factor. Yes. That means Wade is a physically scarred, immortal man. He cannot be killed. But being a horribly disfigured man means he cannot show himself to his main squeeze, Vanessa, who he left to be on her own in order to get the "treatment." Now, Wade seeks the man who gave him the treatment in order to force him to restore his previous good looks, He makes a suit, kills a bunch of people for information, and his pathway is cleared to finish the treatment, and kill all the bad guys in the end.
Why Is He Talking Directly To Me?
Fans of the comic know that Deadpool has always known that he is a fictitious character. It was Marvel's way to send up the superhero genre with a self-reverential comic book character who broke the "fourth wall" and talked straight to the reader. In this film, Deadpool knows that he's a character in a movie, and he frequently talks to the audience. In one scene, he's talking to the camera, but when another character answers him, Deadpool says he wasn't talking to him, but to us, the moviegoers. This is just one of the more fun aspects of the movie. At any point, the movie seems to take a complete u-turn, or it goes on a hilarious tangent that references some inside joke only the audience is in on.
Is It Violent and Sexual?
Yes, and YES. Hoo hoo boy, is it ever! The movie is chock full of gun-play, and while there is blood, it's almost cartoonish in its outlandishness, and not nearly as disgusting as an R-rating would have you believe. (Unless you get squeamish at the sight of any blood on screen, I think you'll be fine.) There is male and female nudity, and a couple tastefully shot sex scenes. The language is definitely more adult, and the jokes are mostly of a sexual nature. I fully expected more potty humor, but it seemed to stick with more sex-themed humor.
Is The Plot Thin?
The plot is sparse and uncomplicated, but that's a good thing. The movie is boiled down to this: Boy meets girl. Boy gets cancer. Boy leaves girl to get cancer cure. Boy's cancer cure severely disfigures him. Girl is kidnapped by bad guy. Boy must kill a mountain of people to battle for the love of his life.
That about sums up the plot. The jewel in the "Deadpool" crown is its complete reveling in its profanity and violence, like kids playing on the most awesome playground. You can tell that Ryan Reynolds is having a ball playing Deadpool, and it's easily his best superhero turn, even if Deadpool isn't exactly a superhero. He's an anti-hero who is amoral enough to not mind killing anyone to save his girl. Also, Deadpool gets some help from two members of a certain school for mutants, namely Colossus, and "Negasonic Teenage Warhead," who is as bad-ass as the name implies. She deserves way more screen time in the future.
Alright. So, Boil It Down For Me.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable, adult romp into a unique, blood-splattered world inhabited by an entertaining, motor-mouth, immortal mercenary whose humor is as relentless as his killing skills. It will please practically any Deadpool fan.
This movie is rated R, for language, adult situations, graphic nudity, and graphic violence, although I must say that I have seen movies where the violence is much more graphic, and the nudity much more pervasive. Nonetheless, be forewarned that this is an adult movie, and judge accordingly whether your kids are mature enough for this movie.
Sounds Good. Is There a Marvel Post-Credits Scene?
Yes, and you must not miss it. Older moviegoers will understand the scene more than younger fans, but it's hilarious and informative, nonetheless.
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