Deadpool Movie Review (Spoiler Free)
The merc with a mouth is back and he is depicted way better than what we obtained a couple of years back!
Genre: Action/Comedy/Fantasy
Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Stefan Kapicic, Brianna Hildebrand, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Leslie Uggams & Karan Soni
Run Time: 108 min.
US Release: 12 February 2016
UK Release: 10 February 2016
German Release: 11 February 2016
BE AWARE THAT THIS FILM CONTAINS TWO AFTER CREDIT SCENES!
Comic book season starts early this year and we are treated with a fantastic first release! This is the second run for Fox at trying to bring Deadpool on to the big screen, after the 2009 disaster that is X-Men Origins: Wolverine and they redeemed themselves for everything that went wrong in that movie, but especially for mishandling the merc with a mouth’s character. Deadpool is as close to being a perfect of a comic book adaptation as it can be and managed to turn me into an excited little fan boy again.
The character himself is one of the newest creations of Marvel and was at first perceived by readers as a sort of spoof of the DC character Deathstroke but while the later never attained much fame, Deadpool grew to become one of Marvel’s most praised anti-heroes. Now I never really read a lot of Deadpool graphic novels and just know the basics, but going into this movie I can say without one doubt, that this is the truest adaptation of a comic book character to date! Watching this felt like turning the pages of a Deadpool comic.
The plot revolves around Wade Wilson (Reynolds) a merc for hire also known as Deadpool. This guy is fully aware that he is a graphic novel character being adapted into film. He is hunting down Ajax (Skrein), a villain that did hurt him on a personal level and along the way recounts to the viewer what exactly happened to him. Included is a love story with Vanessa (Baccarin), a stripper that is just as mentally unstable as Wilson and that is all I will say concerning the plot to this action-comedy.
I need to express this early on: BEST OPENING CREDITS EVER! It is hilarious and sets the path for what is to come. Okay now that this is out of my system, let’s move on. This action blockbuster had the freedom not many movies have, due to the obtained R-rating, and Tim Miller didn’t hesitate to use that said liberty to depict vile and violent scenarios that Deadpool would have said or done in his line of graphic novels. The humour is incredibly meta, constantly referring to other films the character or Reynolds was in, specifically X-Men: Wolverine and Green Lantern and that really fits the character extremely well, as it is what the merc with a mouth does.
The script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick was amazing, I loved the unconventional way of storytelling because it did not distract from the movie and even the love story in it was handled extremely well. Something I have been wondering about is how much fourth wall breaking there will be, and how it will transfer on the big screen. We saw it done before with Lord of War, The Wolf of Wall Street or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but never was it attempted in an action packed comic book adaptation. Well, first of all Wilson is constantly talking to the audience but he does it really smart. It does not feel like it is too much and it is entertaining.
Ryan Reynolds is great as Deadpool, we all saw him in interviews and in other movies and know how much he likes to talk. This is the perfect character for him and he finally rights the wrong done to him and the character in that Wolverine origin film. He portrays and understands Wade Wilson so well; it is as if he is that persona. Anybody who followed his career or the development of this film knows how much he loves this comic book anti-hero, as he has been constantly quoted on that by the media. That love and respect is omnipresent in this action flick.
This is Ed Skrein’s redemption for the terrible Transporter Refueled he starred in last year. He is a great villain and a really nasty person at that. It was easy to dislike the prick he is portraying. Brianna Hildebrand (as Negasonic Teenage Warhead) is surprisingly good and nailed that teen attitude, while also able to kick some ass. This Marvel adaptation also has the best depiction of Colossus! I loved the Russian accent (because Colossus is Russian) and was happy to see the character to finally be fleshed out.
This is T.J. Miller’s best performance of his career, he was funny, likeable and a slightly dialled down version of an ass compared to Wade Wilson. His chemistry with Reynolds is fantastic and I really enjoyed the back and forth banter between the two. Morena Baccarin gave another jaw-dropping performance and had great chemistry with the lead actor; the love story between her and Reynolds was very uncommon but new.
Deadpool is an incredibly fast paced movie without a single boring moment, including the flashbacks that tell the audience how he came to be the merc with a mouth. The action sequences were shot surprisingly smooth without any use of shaky cam and overall it felt like a vividly fluid blockbuster that runs towards a satisfactory conclusion. The effects were amazing; CGI was used in this film but it was used as a utensil and not as a necessity that runs the complete movie. The action choreography was impressive, snappy and beautiful to look at. There was really nothing to complaint about.
The only issue I had was during the first 20 minutes. As amazing as it was for an opening sequence, I had seen most of it in the trailers (which, apart from the first one, I tried to evade but ultimately succumbed to when I went to watch The Hateful Eight) and that did somehow dampen the enjoyment I should have felt. It was a negative technicality from the marketing perspective, but it did nevertheless affect how I experienced the first 20 minutes.
Verdict: Deadpool is a much-needed refreshment for the superhero genre. It is aware of what it is and doesn’t hold back on depicting what it needs to show, that is what makes it so much fun. Tim Miller’ s debut film is incredibly funny, while being very bloody and violent at the same time and Ryan Reynolds gives an impeccable performance as the merc with a mouth.Deadpool is a movie that did everything correct; from the script to the casting, as well as in terms of cinematography and that is why, even though I did not enjoy the opening act as much as I wish I would have, I will give it a 10 out of 10. I do implore you to go see Deadpool, even as a Valentine’s Day flick because, awkwardly enough, it also works as a romantic comedy.
So what was your opinion of Deadpool? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Leave a comment in the section below if you wish to discuss. Thank you very much for reading and if you found this review to be helpful make sure to like and share it.