Review: Deadpool

Do you remember when comic book films were fun? The time when they did not take themselves too seriously, even if the source material was dark, and just set out to entertain people and ensure the audience had fun.

Of course, that all changed with the release of The Dark Knight Trilogy. Now, before you all start sharpening your pitchforks, I love the Nolan Batman films, but they did turn the seriousness up to 11, which started a trend with other comic book films doing the same. Now, we have Deadpool, who is not known for seriousness. But is it any good?

Deadpool is the story of Wade Wilson, a wise-cracking mercenary played by Ryan Reynolds. Wilson meets and falls in love with Vanessa, played by Morena Baccarin and is just as crazy as Wilson. But, as always happens, tragedy strikes when he is informed that he has late-stage cancer. It is at this point that he is offered an opportunity to be cured and also be given superhero like abilities. While this does happen, he is left horribly scarred and sets out to get revenge.

First things first; this is not your typical superhero comic film. Deadpool is foul-mouthed, violent and unlike any other comic characters, aware that he is fictional and therefore constantly breaks the fourth wall. As this is the case, this is not a film for the kids. It earns it’s 15 rating, and honestly, I was a little surprised it did not get the 18. It is not shy about the violence, but instead embraces it. Also, there is a lot of profanity in this movie, and it is awesome. Profanity can be funny if done well and it certainly is in Deadpool. A lot of this is due the cast.

Reynolds is fantastic as Wilson/Deadpool. If you watch any interviews with Reynolds, he is clearly funny and very smart-mouthed. Which is exactly what Deadpool needed.

This version of Deadpool is about as far away from the sewn up abomination we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as possible. It is clear that Reynolds loves this character and plays him perfectly. He is backed up by the previously mentioned Baccarin and especially by T.J. Miller, who plays Wilson’s friend Weasel. He is responsible for some of the films wittiest and harshest remarks, which are hilarious. Also, special mentions are reserved for the opening credits of the movie. They set the tone for the movie and honestly, if you do not laugh at all during the credits, then this may not be the right film for you.

In terms of the action in the movie, it works perfectly. Other comic films have had bigger explosions or longer fight scenes, but Deadpool did not need them. For a film shot on a relatively small budget when compared to others of this type, it needed to think outside the box a little and do things differently, and it pulls it off expertly. A brilliant example of the idea that sometimes, less is more.

You may be thinking that this review is lacking a little detail, but that is because it is hard to discuss a lot of what happens without ruining some of the better jokes.

All I can say is the film had me consistently laughing both times I saw it. That’s right. I saw the film twice in the space of 16 hours! That should give you some indication of how much I loved it.

By seeing it twice, I feel I can say this next statement without people saying I am going overboard. For me, Deadpool is the best comic book film I have ever seen. It is the perfect realisation of the character and they could not do any more with it. It is a perfect introduction for newcomers. It is a perfect film for fans. Basically, check it out as soon as you can.

P.S. Stay for the end credits!