Thursday 18 February 2016

Today's Review: Deadpool


Superhero movies are bigger than ever, with a massive number of franchises emerging and interweaving all over the place. It's become a staple of the movie industry to see regular comic book movies each year, so there's really no better time to bring out a movie about Deadpool. I wouldn't say I'm a devoted comic book fan, but I've definitely heard and seen enough of Deadpool to know he's quite a unique character. From his quick witted dialogue to fourth wall breaking antics to, it seemed he was just the shake up the superhero movie world needed, and while it took a while for this film to be made, I thought it was probably a must see when it finally arrived.

Ryan Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, a mercenary diagnosed with terminal cancer who accepts an offer from a shady organisation to cure his illness and provide him with super powers. While the process works pretty well (making Wade immortal), it also messes up his appearance, so the newly named Deadpool dons a striking red suit and decides to make his way through the bad guys in the hopes of being fixed.

This is not your average super hero movie. It's violent, it's vulgar, but it's also damned hilarious. This movie was made with fans of Deadpool in mind, and while I can't quite place myself firmly in that crowd, it seems all the hallmarks are there. The trademark fourth wall breaking, the quick witted and crude remarks, even a "chimichangas!" thrown in for good measure. Everything is wonderfully constructed, from the fantastic take on the opening credits to the final battle. Guts fly as much as the one liners, and there wasn't a minute that went by where I didn't find myself chuckling. Be it from a retort during a fight to pointing out an obvious plot hole, Deadpool subverts a lot of the expectations of the genre, and still holds up as an action filled, hilarious movie. 

It's not without its flaws though. This being the first movie on the franchise, there is of course going to be an origin story, and while it's an entertaining one it did seem to go on a little too long. I wouldn't say I was bored watching it, but I left with the feeling that it could have been condensed and allowed for some of the funnier and action packed scenes. In the end, the resolution felt a lot more rushed than the origin, and despite the length of the flashbacks a few of the characters didn't feel quite as fleshed out as they should have been. What is there, however, is great. Ryan Reynolds makes this movie, his delivery is fantastic, and obviously there's a wonderful script to thank for that as well. You can tell a lot of love went into making this movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel that's already been greenlit. More Deadpool can only be a good thing.

My rating: 4/5

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