Deadpool - movie review
Plot: A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
Director: Tim Miller
Rating: 15
Runtime: 1hr 48 mins
Release Date: Wednesday 10th February 2016
FINALLY! After years of waiting and one instance of complete disappointment, 'the Merc with a mouth' returns to the screen in all his glory. Following the leaked test footage released in 2012, Ryan Reynolds has been campaigning for this movie to be made. 4 years later, Deadpool graces us with his outstanding presence and I can safely say that the wait was worth it. In fact, this might be one of my favourite superhero films ever made.
Reynolds isn't exactly coy about his hatred regarding the depiction of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Some could say that this resentment fueled his ambition for this film to be made. His passion is conveyed in his performance of Wade Wilson and Deadpool. There are only a few actors who have truly embodied a superhero in a film. Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Reynolds may trump them all as this guy was born to play Deadpool. As a gigantic fan of the character, I have never been so happy or fulfilled to see Deadpool come to life and I cannot imagine anyone else in the role. Ryan Reynolds doesn't play Deadpool. He IS Deadpool. Not once did I feel him holding back with his performance. He commits completely and it is a pure joy to watch. Of course though, Reynolds was not the only actor in this film. Morena Baccarin portrays Wilson's girlfriend and she is just as good. The line from the film "your crazy matches my crazy" could not be so appropriate. She's hilarious when the movie needs her to be, sexy at other points but Baccarin is consistently captivating. Superhero romances can either be a hit or a miss. The only memorable ones that I can think of are either Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy or Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Wade Wilson and Vanessa's relationship may be the most unorthodox of them all yet I can't help but think it's the best one.
Villains can also be a significant problem in superhero movies. Some are either underdeveloped making for an uninteresting finale (Iron Man 3) or they are wasted and killed off pointlessly leaving no real impact upon the movie (Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger). I can safely say that Ed Skrein as Ajax and Gina Carano as Angel Dust were exactly what this film needed. They are mostly unknown villains to the casual movie viewer yet have a significant impact upon the story to ensure that audience members leave knowing their names. Skrein gives a fun performance as Ajax revelling in the twisted and psychotic nature of his character. I'm also glad to see that he's moved on from The Transporter Refueled and that he's choosing good projects to star in now. Carano as well was used effectively. She is most certainly not the best actress ever, but thanks to Tim Miller and his direction, the movie is structured in such a way that it instead relies upon Carano's physicality. Other supporting roles worth mentioning are T.J. Miller as Weasel, Greg LaSalle and Stefan Kapicic as Colossus' motion capture performance and voice respectively and finally Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Miller is someone who I regard as an extremely underrated comedic talent and I was so pleased to see him cast in this role. Watching the improvised banter between him and Reynolds is a delight and had me laughing my ass off. I also think, for this film to be linked back into the X-Men universe, Colossus was the perfect character to be included. His stickler to the rules attitude provides a fantastic contrast to Deadpool's way of life but the fight scenes that he is involved with are great fun to watch. And of course, the moody teenager of Negasonic Teenage Warhead was a pleasure. The deadpan delivery that Hildebrand incorporates is hysterical and she also holds her own during the action sequences.
Some may say that the story provides nothing original to the superhero genre and that it's just a rehash of already existing origin stories. In some respects I agree. The story of a guy who is struck down with an illness and has to leave the ones he loves to take a risky procedure to make him better but ultimately changes him into a superhero isn't that new or refreshing. What is however, is the way that the entire premise is executed. You automatically get a sense of what type of film you are getting into during the opening credits sequence. I won't spoil it but that alone was worth the price of admission. From that point onwards, the movie never drags or slows making for an unforgettable, perfectly paced and exceptional experience. We are immediately thrown into an action sequence and in that scene, we realise why this movie could not be rated a 12A (or if you're from America, a PG-13). The fights are brutal and unforgiving which is exactly what the Deadpool comics are like. He fights dirty and cracks jokes in the face of danger and I have never seen a truer comic book adaptation than this. Director Tim Miller also incorporates some flashbacks which allow us to garner an insight into how Deadpool came to be. This was perfectly implemented, magnificently balanced and every scene had me invested. One of my main concerns before watching the film was the joke and action scene ratio and I was worried that they would be inconsistent. I was entirely wrong and thanks has to go the writers; Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick whose previous work includes the amazing Zombieland. They nailed the character of Deadpool with his personality oozing from the screen but most importantly, they perfected his fourth wall breaking. The constant looks towards the audience and references of all things pop culture and other movies that Ryan Reynolds has starred in (Green Lantern) or other superhero movies are ingeniously crafted. There is even a fourth wall break within a fourth wall break. How much more epic can that get for a Deadpool fan? The romance was something I didn't expect from this film. As I've said before, I completely bought into the unconventional relationship between Vanessa and Wade and that is heightened by ludicrous dialogue and a side-splitting sex scene compilation filled with gross-out humour. Speaking of gross-out humour, if you have any deep and emotional connection to stuffed unicorn toys, there are a few moments which may be difficult for you to watch.
Superhero scores are something that can be recognisable. You have the classic Superman theme film the original films or the retro and classic soundtrack from Guardians Of The Galaxy. With a score by Junkie XL, Deadpool incorporates retro themes with techno bass music as well as classic and well known pop cultured songs. The music also blends into the action perfectly and it actually adds to the activity onscreen which, in my opinion is what a musical score should do. The special effects used are nothing to complain about. They may not be the most amazing effects and will not have revolutionised cinema, but with Colossus as a motion capture performance and the final confrontation between Deadpool and Ajax involving hefty amounts of CGI, there was never a moment that detracted me from the action. But the blend of jokes and fighting is what I as a Deadpool fan expected plenty of. And I was not let down. The action sequences, especially the 12 bullets on the bridge scene was impeccably filmed. The action was shown in all of its violent and bloody glory and I cannot be thankful enough that there was zero use of shaky cam. That way, the relentless brutality of this film can be witnessed in the best way possible.
This may have been one of the most fulfilling cinematic experiences I have ever had matching Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Avengers. It was the perfect adaptation of my favourite superhero that I could have asked for. Ryan Reynolds gives the most accurate depiction of a superhero of all time and for a first time director, Tim Miller surely has a huge career ahead of him. With this being the first of six superhero films released this year, 2016 could prove to be one of the biggest cinematic occasions of all time. I simply cannot fault this movie. The marketing campaign seemed to promise a phenomenal experience and it was even better than expected. All that I can say is, bring on the sequel, bring on X-Force and thank you very much Ryan Reynolds.
My Verdict: 10/10
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