Deadpool Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: The merc with a mouth gains his superhuman abilities as a slew of zany antics ensue.

Review: A few caveats. Unlike every other poser, I'll admit, I was never a Deadpool fan as a kid. A friend of mine really loved the character, and I didn't get it--he was a blatant ripoff of DC's Deathstroke to me (which he is). My friend would tell me there was a lot more to it than that, but I didn't feel like wasting my time with yet another comic. The other thing is Ryan Reynolds...yeah...have never been a fan. As you know, I hate everyone else named Ryan as a matter of principle, but I was always annoyed this guy kept getting superhero gigs, including the torturous portrayal of Green Lantern. Sooo...with all of that said...I fucking LOVED this movie! This more than lived up to the hype--it surpassed it. I have also come to terms with Mr. Reynolds' career and understand why he has made the goofball decisions he's made. Other Ryan, you have earned my respect...

So why have many been referring to this as the best superhero movie? I don't know what the hell happened, but someone at Fox must have said, "Fuck it, just do whatever you want." And they succeeded! The comedic elements are pure genius, the action is intense, and, of course, Deadpool is perfectly captured--fourth wall breaks and all. No bullshit changes to the core concepts, no studio meddling, no retarded test audience re-shoots into oblivion...this is how superhero movies need to be! The jokes are raunchy and hardcore, the violence is bloody and painful, and you get some titties or other Ryan's sweet ass if that's more your pace. The pop references are golden and appeal to an older demographic than...argh, it pains me to say the name...Dis--ughhh--ney's efforts with Marvel. Not that fookin' Disney can't handle some of the characters, but they definitely want to draw in the kiddies whereas "Deadpool" has jokes and references the kiddies would not understand; well, that and the hard R-rating, nudity, Deadpool taking a strap-on to the ass, pulling a ringpop from his ass, that blue ball tease of Gina Carano's titty, etc. Meh, I saw worse as a kid. Among the best highlights were how much they make fun of Ryan Reynolds as a person, his career, and the X-Men series in general (especially Hugh Jackman). Also have to acknowledge the, surprisingly, endearing romance plot line with the beautiful Morena Baccarin. I was actually invested with these two and loved their banter; great chemistry there.

The one, kinda, major grievance I have with the story is that not a lot happens. Or maybe not enough happens would be more apropos in this case? The story could have benefited from, at least, one more action set piece and having a villain lurking in the background. Mr. Sinister or Apocalypse probably would have been good picks given that the villains shown are giving people powers for no discernible reason. Don't get me wrong, the pacing is great--never letting up--but there really needed to be another plot element at play in order to push this film closer to a 9 or 10/10. A final complaint, that is serious nitpicking, is simply that the trailers spoil far, far too much. I mean, the vast majority of film's events are depicted through the trailers. Of course, this isn't "Deadpool's" fault which is why I'm merely mentioning it but not taking anything away for it; just something to keep in mind in advance.

I could rattle on all day singing the praises of this film, but this is another instance where I think it's best you see this one for yourself. "Deadpool" is pure, unadulterated fun from the moment those ridiculous opening credits roll all the way through to that post-credit scene. Will everyone appreciate the comedy style or dangerous levels of shenanigans? No, of course not, and I'm sure plenty will conclude this was, in fact, over-hyped. However, should everyone give it a chance at the very least? In the words of Heisenberg, "You're goddamn right!" Look, if "Deadpool" made me go from hating Ryan Reynolds to respecting him...that's gotta tell you something, right?

Notable Moment: Tough call--really tough--but I'm gonna go with when Deadpool is stabbed in the head and starts hearing "You're the Inspiration" playing. Epic!

Final Rating: 8/10