‘Deadpool’ is a superhero movie for mature audiences

deadpool

By CHRISTOPHER VELGAKIS-BLANCK
SNN Staff Writer

Deadpool, the new movie based on the Marvel Comics anti-hero of the same name, is the directorial debut of Tim Miller and is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, or as the opening credits indicate, the real heroes here.

 The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as his girlfriend Vanessa, Ed Skrein as the villain Ajax, T.J. Miller as Wilson’s friend and bartender Weasel, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus, and Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

The film has a pretty basic plot that is in short about how ex-mercenary Wade Wilson becomes Deadpool and how he seeks to get revenge on Ajax, the guy who changes his life through torture and who ends up kidnapping Wilson’s girlfriend, with the help of two X-Men: Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

At this point, it’s probably a good idea to mention that Deadpool’s mutant powers give him a healing factor that make him unable to die, thus saving him from his once-terminal cancer but making him really ugly in the process. It’s kind of obvious where the story goes from there, but what makes this movie special and different is its execution.

This movie never treats the audience like idiots, but rather it brings us in on the inside jokes and lets us see things in a more raw sense. It never feels boring either. The film has a fresh storyline that weaves the full-on Deadpool fun with the flashbacks of the origin of his powers all the way until a thrilling third act.

First, the cast for the most part is all great but the obvious stand-out is Reynolds. Reynolds not only perfectly embodies Wilson, but he also served as a producer and has been attached to this project for 11 years. It’s clear that he was very passionate in bringing the character to life. The movie is also a perfect opportunity for Reynolds to flex his comedic talents. From sexual innuendos to self-aware humiliation, he does it all.

Credit also should go to T.J. Miller who stole many scenes with his comedic chops. He has a nice, dry sense of humor that provides a great contrast to all the craziness.

Another cool thing to take away from the movie is the way it handles the Vanessa character. Instead of just making a one-dimensional sex object for Wilson to save, the filmmakers actually help us understand why Wilson would be in love with this person. Both the writers and Baccarin nail the execution of the character by giving her an energy that matches Wilson’s.

The film definitely tries to be R-rated in every way - one of which is the violence within the film’s action sequences. Nothing is too extreme in this category, but it’s there. The action itself is well done for a significantly lower budget than we’re used to seeing in these superhero flicks.

Another thing to take away from this film is that Miller, the director, does such a fine job that it actually seems like the movie was directed by a filmmaking veteran, which is arguably the greatest feat a newcomer can achieve.

The movie itself is a big bag of fun for fans of Deadpool like myself with its brand of fourth-wall breaking humor and narrative structure, and the over-the-top violence and raunchiness that is absolutely needed in any movie wishing to be faithful to the character.

This movie couldn’t have been PG-13. It was an extremely smart move on 20th Century Fox’s part to let the filmmakers have their freedoms when making this movie. After seeing the film twice now it’s safe to say that this is one of the definitive iterations of the character. Even Deadpool’s creator Rob Liefeld has publicly stated that this movie’s version of the character was the best he has ever experienced.

Overall, the movie is hilarious and a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre. It’s clear that it will resonate with audiences and will be a huge success because of the no-holds barred route it takes. It’s definitely not for the whole family with all of its wonderful raunchiness, but teens and adults alike will have tons of fun. It’s not the best movie ever made, but it is the big-screen version of this insane character that fans and audiences deserve.

This movie proudly undoes any harm that 2009’s crappy X-Men Origins: Wolverine may have caused. I’m especially excited about the already-announced Deadpool sequel. With the whole origin story out of the way and the character Cable confirmed, it’s already shaping up to be a thoroughly entertaining return to the big screen for the “Merc with a Mouth.”

As for the existing movie, it is chock full of references, strangely crowd-pleasing, and is as self-aware as the talentless hack writing this very sentence.

Also, any movie that has a Stan Lee cameo in a strip club and plays the song Careless Whisper in its finale is a great one in my book.