Spoiler-free Deadpool review; in 3…2…1…
The opening credits roll and you find yourself in “some douchebag’s film, produced by asshats, starring God’s perfect idiot, a hot chick, a British villain and a CGi character,” immediately taking you off guard. Just then, the realization that it’s directed by “an overpaid idiot” hits as the theater seat swaddles you for the next two hours, affording you only enough movement to laugh heartily and often.
Deadpool tells the story of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a former Special Forces soldier-turned mercenary, who in a last ditch effort to save his girlfriend Vanessa (Gotham’s Morena Baccarin) from watching him die from a terminal disease, agrees to subject himself to an experimental “treatment” that leaves him horribly scarred but with super-human healing abilities. Wilson swears vengeance against those who left him mutated and mutilated, embarking on an enterprise of destruction. At its core, Deadpool is a revenge masterpiece, painted by an artist with a penchant for humorous vulgarity.
While the interaction and underlying love story between Wilson and Vanessa provides a genuine pillowy-soft side for the film and set-up for the films final act, it remains in the background, allowing innumerable opportunities for Wilson to break the fourth wall and unapologetically crack wise at the theater audience or subject other supporting characters to a ruthless barrage of whimsically creative insults, sometimes both simultaneously. This is the essence and charm of our main character.
Leaving behind the debacle of 2009’s Wolverine:Origins’ Deadpool, director Tim Miller knew exactly what had to be done to atone for the previous iteration of the character: give the “Merc with the Mouth” a mouth; and he did just that delightfully. Some of the film’s best quips happen between Deadpool and the angsty Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) who verbally spar constantly about the former’s use of antiquated pop culture references. The movie is injected with additional sincerity following the introduction of the metal-skinned CGI character Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic), who true to comic book form, provides a external conscience to our protagonist.
It is almost impossible to list all of the times where Deadpool hits the sweet spot – because there are so many – and just as difficult to count the few missteps. This movie will indeed not be for everyone. This is not the happy-go-lucky typical Marvel movie. This movie is an F-bomb sundae, sprinkled with crude humor, topped with a nudity cherry.
It makes no apologies. It takes no prisoners. It is simply Deadpool.
