First of all, I don’t like violent and gory movies, and sex jokes are not my cup of tea. However, due to my growing love of superhero movies, I decided to check out the trailer for "Deadpool," which was greatly anticipated for 2016. I recommended it to a friend of mine and we eagerly went to go watch it in theatres Friday afternoon. I did not expect to like "Deadpool" as much as I did.
Here’s my recap and review of the film.
After the failure of 2011’s “Green Lantern,” Ryan Reynolds returns to the superhero scene after fighting for the development of the film ever since a script was in the works about a decade ago. Deadpool essentially is not a hero, but rather an anti-hero. He’s a skilled mercenary killer with guns and impressive samurai swords. But that’s not all.
Deadpool is very self-aware and he even casually addresses the audience in between kills. He breaks the fourth wall which is a spectacular addition to the film, as it gives viewers a better sense of who Deadpool is. He wears a red and black suit that he sewed up himself, and he is more than comfortable in his own skin, which exceptionally makes up for the fact that he has a hideously scarred and burned exterior, that we’ll never un-see. He’s crass, sarcastic and a class-A jerk, but we like him anyway. His humor is of course not for everyone, and considering there are plenty of scenes of him being tortured, as well as a murder montage with plenty of slashing and blood, this movie is definitely for an acquired taste.
Deadpool also makes consistent references to Marvel Comics’ “X-Men” movie franchise and surprisingly enough we run into some intriguing never-before-seen members of X-Men. A metallic giant with super strength and a Russian accent arrives with a badass teenage girl who calls herself Negasonic Teenage Warhead (which apparently is a '90s reference and I had no clue what it was about). They try to convince him to join the X-Men and when Deadpool’s enemy escapes because of them, they provide much-needed aid in an epic battle at the end.
Deadpool has rapid healing powers and the fighting skills of a ninja, but he ultimately uses his humor to overcome his physical and psychological torture. He gleefully makes a game out of cutting up bad guys, and is extremely cocky, but he does everything to find the man who made him a mutant and who he thinks can cure him. He then also has to save the love of his life: a confident hooker whose personality is a perfect match to his twisted mind.
Throughout all of this, the film makes fun of superhero tropes and makes countless references to superhero movies. Deadpool makes it very clear he is not like other superheroes and he’s not trying to be one, but the circumstances are forcing him to become one. At the very end, we are once more shown what a Wham!-loving and pop-culture savvy goofball he is, and why despite all of his "bad" qualities, he is very likable.
Ryan Reynolds is absolutely amazing as Deadpool, and for devout comic book fans he really brings this multi-dimensional character to life. Yes, there is plenty of violence, profanity and nudity – that’s why it’s rated R. But believe me when I say it totally lives up to the hype.
