DEADPOOL

With Ryan Reynolds, Morena Beccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano

Written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Directed by Tim Miller

The spate of gargantuan-budget smug super hero movies dominating the box office is setting up a dire trend, having the decision makers try their best at churning out these single billion dollar earners in stead of financing multiple smaller (but more important) movies that don't follow the regurgitated template dumbing down the movie-going public.

This later generation Marvel anti-hero is an antidote to these examples of bloated Hollywood excess, an acerbic take on a theme that is still an enormous money-spinning genre, but turning into a whole lot of white noise and digital hot air. These all-ages (or for the most part younger crowd-aimed) super hero flicks are getting a real kick in the pants with Deadpool, from its violence to the language (making the older crowd cheer in unison).

Alright, the basics boil down to: An ex-special forces guy turned mercenary (Wade Wilson) falls in love with a girl, he gets cancer, is offered a cure by a secret agency, but is tortured to trigger a mutation (resulting in developing rapid healing properties, even regrowing severed limbs) - So, naturally he sets out to get the bastard who did it to him (while hesitating to let his girl know he's alive due to his disfigurement). But - this is all wrapped in a package of high-octane, violent action, rude, crude, and acerbic attitude, all with a fat dose of wise-cracking humour, loads of in-jokes and cheeky stupidity.
This is one of the least serious superhero movies of recent years (almost a polar opposite of teh Batman and Superman reboots), and all the better for it, as we need variety after all!

My first encounter with Deadpool was reviewing his PS3 game, never setting eyes on his comic book incarnation.

Far from self-effacing, Deadpool is always 'on', his wise-assed demeanour and lines on a constant role. His irreverent attitude throws a middle finger up at the 'descent' super-hero template, his snarky humour mandatory throughout, even in the few "serious" moments.
The high-impact action scenes are also peppered with one-liners and in-jokes, the standard set with the opening sequence's great frozen moment in time grabbed from the movie's first killer action scene (where Deadpool takes on a convoy of bad guys on an overpass), even the opening titles given a juvenile slant.

Amid all this it's a love story and an origin story (naturally while poking fun at both these standards)
It is in fact so aware of itself and it's non-seriousness, that it gets serious about doing so!
Jabs are taken at other super heroes, franchises and movies, with direct references, put-downs and comments, including Deadpool insulting himself (the actor Ryan Reynolds) - The fourth wall broken constantly. And, the man is in his element.

Even though the Marvel movies are all very much tied in, where Scream took the horror film tropes and brought direct attention to them, here Deadpool serves that purpose for this genre.

The press screening had the fanboys in attendance giggling non-stop, almost wanting everyone to know they catch all the in-jokes, references and jibes, resulting in the second half or actual punchlines of each sequence lost in the "I get it" guffaws. I'd hate to have seen this on a packed open weekend, crammed with them (maybe that's why people go watch these movies several times - to get the bits they missed!)

I wonder if some actors are pissed about their colleagues getting multiple superhero roles - Surely you can only be Green Lantern, Blade side-kick Hannibal King or Deadpool, not all three; either Daredevil or Batman, not both?

Producer / star Ryan Reynolds and his co-producers Simon Kinberg and Lauren Schuler Donner took a chance but hit a bullseye, the more adult slant of the R-rated movie a given to many, but an affirmation for moviemakers who were too chicken to take the plunge, now suddenly getting projects green-lit after the quarter billion dollar worldwide opening weekend of Deadpool!
Although this is hardly new, many forget more intense adult superhero film versions of comic book characters like Blade, Spawn and The Punisher - movies like The Avengers and Iron Man self-absorbed in its idea of the highest grossing demographic.

This movie may irritate the shit out of many people, but you may just have a blast in the process.

5 / B
- Paul Blom

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A: Multi-Viewing Potential B: Could Enjoy A 2nd Look C: Once Should Suffice

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