I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never read a comic book in my life, but I also love Marvel movies. "Captain American," "Iron Man," "The Avengers," "X-Men;" I’ve seen them all. Except the two "Hulk" movies, but I feel like I can be a tiny bit forgiven for that one. So, I was highly anticipating "Deadpool." What’s not to love? There’s humor and action and Ryan Reynolds. It’s the perfect Galentine’s movie, which I casually suggested to my friends. With a rating of 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, I was a little nervous, as I tend to get when movies get over hyped.
And yet, it delivered.
"Deadpool" is at its very base a superhero movie through and through. There’s the tragic backstory, the classic villain, the action scenes, and a love interest. There’s nothing new about that. Even as anti-heroic as Deadpool is, his story is as Marvel Superhero as it can get.
That being said, this movie is still different than any other typical Marvel movie, and it all lies in the humor. Most Marvel movies derive their humor from Robert Downey Jr. one-liners; almost every other line in this movie is a joke of some sort. It’s as much as comedy as it is a superhero movie. Even the tragic backstory finds humor within itself.
The audience in the theater I was in were laughing before the movie has even really started. The credits began with poking fun at Ryan Reynolds’ Sexiest Man Alive cover and making a dig at his poorly received role as Green Lantern.
Humor is what essentially makes this movie and arguably is more prevalent and well-received than any of the action scenes in this movie. Deadpool is not a character to be taken seriously, with vulgar humor and multiple four-wall breaks. T.J. Miller is credited to be the comedic relief, but there’s hardly a part in this movie that needs comedic relief.
Not to say that this is a movie full of comedic gags and characters you can’t take seriously, because it isn’t. The story is still one you care about, and you’ll still want Deadpool to succeed as character, even as much of an anti-hero as he is. This movie is making as much money as it is and getting such positive reviews because of its humor and its story.
But unlike the other superhero movies that’ll make millions of dollars beside it, "Deadpool" doesn’t take itself too seriously. Seemingly, superhero movies have a structure and seriousness to them, especially as their franchises build. And while, technically, "Deadpool" is a part of the "X-Men" franchise, it is a movie that builds off its integration of humor and action. It’s funny, even at the times it should be serious. It’s self-mocking and comedic, while being gruesome and violent.
"Deadpool" is a good movie, because it offers a break from the abundance of serious movies surrounding us. It is funny without having to try to hard and incredibly entertaining, with all the classic Marvel nerdiness of superhero movies.
