Deadpool
Released 2/12/16
The year 2016 may well go down in the annals of time as the greatest year for the superhero movie genre ever. Between the two big kahunas in the comic book world, Marvel and DC, there are no less than six films (that I know of at least) that will be released this year based on their characters. The first release has arrived just for in time for Valentine's Day. A release rich in sentimentality and poignant self reflection. Nah, it's just Deadpool, Marvel's venerable "Merc with a Mouth."
Unlike many movies released based on Marvel characters, Deadpool is the baby of 20th Century Fox and not Disney/Marvel Studios. But, it's no less important, particularly since it's one of the few attempts to take the genre into far less traveled R-rated territory. Deadpool isn't breaking new ground here. It's been done before with films like Blade, Punisher War Zone, and Watchmen to varying degrees of success at the box office (mostly not very good results). And, given the disastrous box office beating Fox took with last August's release of The Fantastic Four, the studio needs a win badly.
But, Deadpool? Why? He's not the most famous name with non-comic book fans. If anything, since Fox has the movie rights to Marvel's X-Men universe, you would think Wolverine would be a prime candidate for an R-rated release. He has a deadly ferocity about him that would transition well to more graphic territory. But, Wolverine's been done in the movie world ad nauseam. Five X-Men movies and two solo ones later, I think audiences were in the mood for some new blood. And, speaking of blood, there are few comic book characters that do death and mayhem better than Wade Wilson. And, he does it with an insane and inane flair.
So, who is the man who will be Deadpool in the new movie? Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a gun-for-hire in New York who begins the film scaring the life out of a young stalker on behalf of the stalker's would-be teenage victim. He meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), an escort, at his favorite local bar. The two share much in common (including being a bit unhinged) and become an inseparable item. That is, until he collapses on the night he proposes. Wade is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and, although Vanessa remains by his side, he fears losing her.
It's that fear that pushes him into accepting the offer of an experimental cure through the top secret Weapon X program. Reluctantly leaving Vanessa in the middle of the night, he enters the program, and he is experimented on by the program's resident enforcer, Francis, aka Ajax (Ed Skrein). Along with his partner in crime, Angel Dust (Gina Carano), Francis injects Wade with an experimental serum and regularly tortures him trying to trigger a mutation. When it finally occurs, he acquires a healing factor that not only cures his cancer, but also makes him virtually immortal. It also comes at the expense of hideously scarring his entire body, as well as, making him more unhinged if that was possible. Destroying the facility and attempting to kill Ajax for his endless torture, he falls short of the fatal deed when Ajax reveals he is the only one who can reverse Wade's disfiguration. Using the distraction to gain the advantage (with a rebar through the torso), Ajax leaves Wade for dead.
But, of course, the movie can't end there. Believing he can't reconnect with Vanessa in his condition, he adopts the familiar red and black uniform comic fans know and love to hide his disfigurement and takes the name Deadpool to hunt down Ajax and his organization in an effort to force him to reverse the disfigurement. Along the way, he will receive needed, but, often unwanted assistance from the powerhouse X-Man, Colossus, and the atomic-powered teenage X-Man trainee, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (from here on referred to as NTW).
Fox has deserved to lose some stripes over the years for many of their superhero releases. Aside from the aforementioned Fantastic Four (well, just the FF franchise in general), they flopped miserably with X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I don't know if there's any saving the FF, but, they did pull the X-Men out of the darkness with Days of Future Past. And, now, they've done the same for Deadpool. Where have you seen him before? Why, it was in the subpar X-Men Origins movie, and, ironically, the character was given life then by Ryan Reynolds as well. Needless to say if you saw that movie and were a fan of Deadpool, that was a disgraceful rendition. I think we can stop punishing Fox for that blunder now. They've clearly indicated, "our bad, here's the real Deadpool" with this film. And, there's even a "blink and you missed it" sight gag acknowledging the debacle perpetrated with the Merc's first onscreen appearance.
Gleefully and unapologetically irreverent, Deadpool captures all that makes him a favorite among his hardcore fans. You never know what he's going to say (or do for that matter), he's crazy as a road lizard, and he slices and dices his enemies with a song in his heart and smile on his face. And, the best part? Director, Tim Miller, hasn't forgotten the character's propensity for breaking the fourth wall. With his nonstop quips and senseless banter, he's pretty much Spider-Man on amphetamines.
The film hits you between the eyes from the opening credits with its silliness. What other movie do you know who introduces its cast with descriptions like "A British Villain" or it's female lead as "She's Really Hot?" Deadpool is silly to a fault, but, intentionally so because nothing else would do for this character.
As you can likely tell, I liked Deadpool a lot. No, that's not quite accurate. I loved Deadpool. But, it isn't without its faults. The one glaring one is the depiction of the main antagonists. I found Ajax and Angel Dust to be a little thin as villains. They seemed to be props for Wade's madness in many cases and I thought it was a lost opportunity not fleshing them out a bit more. I was particularly disappointed not being engaged more with Angel Dust. I found her to be more interesting than Ajax. Someone who can go fist for fist with Colossus and not only hold her own, but, best him is someone worth exploring a little more. Or, maybe I'm just a fan of Gina Carano. Haven't worked that out yet.
Speaking of Colossus, the dichotomy of philosophies between the X-Man and Deadpool makes for some of the funnier moments in the film. He seems to bring out some true crazy in Wade. Crazy like sawing off his own hand to get away from the armored X-Man. And NTW plays the perfect detached teenager who sends texts in the middle of battle instead of concentrating on the job at hand. More epic dysfunction in a movie swimming in it. Although I'm not sure why Colossus is trying so hard to redeem Deadpool. Isn't one killer prone to extreme violence on the team enough? Oh, and I would be remiss in not acknowledging that Colossus actually looks like Colossus for the first time on film.
And, last, but, not least, I want to give some love to Morena Baccarin who plays the perfect foil to Wade's manic wackiness. Reason being she's slightly off the rails herself (though nowhere close to Wade after his transformation). In many of these superhero movies, you don't necessarily feel the protagonist and the love interest belong together for varying reasons. Reynolds and Baccarin have a wacky chemistry that is one of the real highlights in Deadpool.
By all indications, Deadpool is set to be a groundbreaking film. Box office records have made the once forbidden R-rated superhero movie a viable option. A character like Deadpool can find a mainstream audience. The praise the film is receiving is very well deserved. It's the best time I've had in the theater to date in 2016. The superhero movie season is off to a scorching start. If this first entry is any indication, genre fans are in for an amazing year.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
****1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Worth a look. Better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. I'm doing my happy dance!
5 *= Pure eye candy. I have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good
