Deadpool

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a wisecracking Special Forces veteran turned thug for hire, is all set to marry Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Desperate for a longer lease on life, he signs up for an experimental cure, which ends up being an illegal program for developing super soldiers. After being tortured by program alumni Ajax (Ed Skrien) and Angel (Gina Carano) to activate latent mutant powers, Wade ends up horribly disfigured, insane, and not only cancer-free but virtually indestructible. Donning a red costume and calling himself Deadpool, he sets out for revenge, but the X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hillebrand) try to steer him toward heroism instead.

Deadpool’s insanity affords him an absurdist sensibility and the ability to break the fourth wall, both of which make him a much-beloved comic book character. Unfortunately, those qualities also make him a very difficult character to adapt to film. A previous attempt – a neutered appearance in X Men Origins: Wolverine – was widely and rightly derided, and it took overwhelming fan approval of a test-footage trailer for Fox to greenlight this production. The fact that an R-rated superhero film was made at all, let alone with a greatly reduced budget compared to similar fare and by a first-timer director (visual effects artist Tim Miller) to boot, is quite a triumph in and of itself.

Of course, it also helps that Deadpool is extremely entertaining. Make no mistake about it: this is not a movie for children or for easily offended adults for that matter. It is violent, profane, and frequently crosses the boundaries of good taste. But as with many Tarantino films, those who fixate solely on the excess and the transgressiveness miss out on the artistry. Let’s start with Reynolds, who bulked up and threw everything he had into this role. His natural smarminess and ability to handle the script’s fast-paced verbal repartee make him a great fit for Wade Wilson, but his biggest achievement is lending pathos to a psychotic killer.

In addition, Deadpool is shot, edited, and scored impressively well. Whether it’s a visual pun – like Wade taking a page from Monty Python’s black knight in a failed bid to attack Colossus – or an action set piece, there is always something going on to hold the audience’s interest. The music, courtesy of Junkie XL, offers an ironic counterpoint to the shenanigans.

While there is a lot else to love here – the film mercilessly skewers Reynolds’ acting career and prior hero roles as well as its own lack of more prominent X-Men and the franchise’s confusing continuity – there are also some fairly sizable faults. Baccarin adds a splash of personality to a fairly one-dimensional role. Not giving the character her comic book powers (hint: she’s nicknamed Copycat) is one thing; not giving her more complexity makes for a waste of talent. Also, between the brutality of the torture scenes to jokes at the expense of Wade’s blind roommate, even thick-skinned viewers are likely to reach a point where the experience shifts from fun to downright unpleasant.

Despite these shortcomings, Deadpool is a riotously funny bloodbath with moments of surprising poignancy. If you have even the slightest admiration for the Merc With the Mouth or just enjoy a good slice of irreverent entertainment, this will not disappoint.

 8/10