For the past decade or so, comic book and
super hero movies have been all the rage. From the "The Dark Knight"
to "The Avengers," many have been both critical and commercial
successes. And if you asked me, the movie that kicked off this craze would have
to be 2000's "X-Men." A serious and action packed adaptation of the
comic series of the same name, the movie was a hit at the box office and
spawned many more movies. Some were great like "First Class" and
"Days of Future Past," and some were terrible such as "Origins:
Wolverine" and "The Last Stand." There have been seven films
from 2000 to 2014, all of which either follow the X-Men or the series main star Wolverine.
But for years there have been rumors regarding spin offs that would follow other
characters in the X-Men universe; and the most talked about one would have to
be Deadpool. A film about the fourth wall breaking anti-hero has been talked
about since the mid-2000s, Deadpool even had a role in "Origins:
Wolverine" and was portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. But that interpretation of
the character was panned by both critics and audiences, with particular
criticism towards basically removing his personality. After that, a future
Deadpool movie was basically dead. But in 2014, some visual effects footage of
potential movie was leaked online; with the motion capture and voice done by
Reynolds, it showed the titular hero cracking jokes while in an intense action
sequence. Reception of the test footage was overwhelming, and caused many to
call upon Fox for a full length film. Not long after that, it was confirmed
that an R-rated Deadpool movie was in the works. One of the most talked about
comic book movies in years, "Deadpool" looks to bring justice to one
of the most beloved characters in the Marvel universe; and it manages to
accomplish that goal, and then some.
Wade Wilson is a
former Special Forces operator living and working in Canada as a mercenary. He
mostly takes low risk jobs intimating people that annoy his clients. One day
while at a local bar he meets an escort named Vanessa. After making a memorable
first impression, they realize that they work well together; with them
complementing each other's crazy. They start a relationship, and he is the
happiest he has ever been. But his life comes to a halt when he finds out he
has cancer. Knowing there's no answer, Wilson goes into depression. One day at
the bar where he met Vanessa, a man Wilson refers to as Mr. Smith comes to him
offering a cure. He offers an experimental program that could cure his cancer.
Thinking of Vanessa he agrees, but after going through the treatment he is less
than satisfied with the results. A little angry and a lot crazy, he takes up
the persona Deadpool; the merc with the mouth.
Going into 2016 this
was one of the movies I was most looking forward to, but at the same time I was
rather unsure. I can't quite put my finger on what it was, but there was always
a cloud of doubt hanging overhead. But to my own pleasure, I can safely say
that "Deadpool" is fantastic. It went above and beyond all of my
expectations, and is easily my new favorite super hero movie. First off, Ryan
Reynolds. He was born to play the title character; he was so good that there is
no other actor I could see playing Deadpool. And the casting was perfect, and
every single actor gave a solid performance. The portrayals of the characters
were also respectful and well done. In some previous super hero movies, most
notably the ones Reynolds has been in, portrayals of the characters has been
all over the place; but this movie does it right with everyone. Colossus was
one of the real stand outs; for those who don't know Colossus is a member of
the X-Men whose skin turns to metal and becomes incredibly strong. In the
previous X-Men movies, the way he is shown is very different from the comics.
Not just the way he looks, but the way he acts; but the writers got both of
those perfectly here. And when you get right down to it, this is one of the
best comic books to movie adaptations made in years. And like the comics it was
based off of, "Deadpool" is absolutely hilarious. This is one of the
funniest movies I've seen in years, and had busting a gut on more than one
occasion. And with it's very fast pace; it is nonstop laughs and entertainment.
Seriously, even the opening and closing credits are probably the funniest I've
ever seen. And the post credits scene might be the best of any comic book
movie. One of the most notable aspects of the Deadpool comics would be the
fourth wall breaks, where Deadpool actually references the readers. And like
the comics, this movie does that constantly. And the references and Easter eggs
to the X-Men, the Avengers, and even the real world actors don't ever stop. I
also loved the way that "Deadpool" tied in with the X-Men, because
they do coexist. It adds an extra level of depth, and gave us some of the best
jokes of the movie. Like basically every comic book movie, this one had a lot
of visual effects work. Fortunately, they never overdue it with the CGI. And
with a mix of practical effects, "Deadpool" looks good on the special
effects front. One of the most surprising things about "Deadpool,"
would be the love story, it actually works. Reynolds and Morena Baccarin (the
actress who plays Vanessa) had really good chemistry; and by the end you really
care about their relationship. Originally I was afraid that the love story
would be forced, but they made it work. Now, I finally get to talk about my
favorite thing about this movie; its rating. "Deadpool" is rated R,
and it is a hard R. There is intense violence, blood and gore, sex, nudity, and
just about every profanity in the book. This is important because you really
can't have a Deadpool movie without it being rated R. And since at one point
Fox wanted to make it pg-13, I'm just glad they changed their mind. Someone
worth recognition would have to be director Tim Miller, who did an excellent
job with. They way characters delivered their lines, they look of the film, and
several awesome action scenes, he did a fantastic job and I hope we see more of
his work soon. I loved this movie, beginning to end I was always entertained.
If I were to nitpick I would complain that the villains weren't particularly
memorable, and that some jokes fall flat. Other than that, I was blown away. I
should have never doubted the creative team, because you could tell this was a
labor of love. And a special thanks to Reynolds himself, who fought with the
studio for years to get this movie made. If you haven't already seen
"Deadpool," go fix that. This is the movie that is worth your time
and money over Valentine's Day weekend. And I'm already counting down the days
until the sequel.
Pros: Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool, perfect casting with solid
performances, non-stop laughs, awesome action scenes, rated R, respectful representation of the
characters, one of the best comic
book to movie adaptations, well
done CGI and visual effects, excellent directing from Tim Miller, love story actually works, fast pace and always
entertaining, fantastic post credits scene, breaks the fourth wall, ties in well
to X-Men, tons of Easter eggs and
references.
Cons: Unmemorable villains, some jokes miss the
mark.
4.5/5 Stars
