Review of Deadpool (2016) by Lukas B — 02 Aug 2016

Wow, am I glad I saw "Deadpool" AFTER seeing "Batman v Superman." Talk about a palate cleanser. It was more than a little refreshing to go from a movie that takes itself way too seriously to one with its tongue practically piercing through its cheek.

My major complaint with "B v S" was that it seemed determined to be an utterly joyless experience; I get the sense that, if I were to tell director Zack Snyder that his movie wasn't even remotely fun, he'd probably respond with, "It's not supposed to be." On the opposite end of the spectrum, "Deadpool" seems designed to be pure escapism, albeit escapism sprinkled with a heavy dosage of wit. It's one thing to be fun, but quite another to be both fun and clever.

My aversion to Ryan Reynolds has been documented before in other movie reviews. He has a sort of smugness about him that tends to take me out of his movies, at least the comedic ones. As such, I very rarely get the sense that I'm actually witnessing him perform; it feels too much like I'm watching the actor as opposed to the character. (He tends to fare better in more dramatic roles. He was perfectly fine in films like "Smokin' Aces" and "Safe House," and he was a powerhouse in "Buried," which was essentially a one-man show.).

But with the title role in "Deadpool," he may have actually found the part he was born to play. Like Keanu Reeves in "John Wick," Wade Wilson/Deadpool seems perfectly suited to his talents. In a film like this, it's OK to come across as overly smug or detached, because that's exactly how the character is written. In the comics on which the film is based, the character of Deadpool is actually aware that he is a character in a comic book series, frequently breaking the fourth wall to address readers directly or make comments about his writers. As such, we get much of the same in the film version. He's sort of like Ferris Bueller, only far more violent and a much bigger jerk.

Wade Wilson is a former special services operative who now spends his time as a mercenary performing the occasional odd job. His life changes for the better when he meets an escort named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and they begin a happy, passionate relationship. But, as Wilson tells us in narration, life is basically an endless series of nasty surprises, and immediately after proposing to Vanessa, he discovers that he has terminal cancer.

In order to combat the disease, Wilson signs up for an experimental program run by a shifty scientist (Ed Skrein) and his lethal bodyguard (Gina Carano). The program does indeed cure the cancer, but it also has devastating physical effects on Wilson's body, giving him an appearance akin to a topographical map of Utah that had been orally violated by Freddy Krueger, to slightly paraphrase one character. As an interesting side effect, Wilson also develops accelerated healing and regenerative abilities, making him damn near impervious to all forms of harm (i.e., if he gets shot, the wound closes up almost immediately).

You know where the story goes from here. Wilson dons a red costume, takes on the scary-sounding alias Deadpool and proceeds to seek vengeance on the people who disfigured him. But what the story lacks in originality it makes up for in its brazen, impish tone. I've said countless times that it's all about execution, and "Deadpool's" wickedly humorous implementation makes the mundaneness of the plot feel fresh and exciting. Deadpool's commentary, such as when he verbally keeps track of how many bullets he has left in a gun during a firefight, adds a nice dimension to the whole thing.

Some of the best moments of the film occur when Deadpool interacts with a couple X-Men, the hulking metal man Colossus (played by several actors in motion capture, and voiced by Stefan Kapici), and his trainee, a sullen teenager named Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). Yes, Deadpool exists in the same universe as the X-Men, and they're constantly trying to get him to drop his revenge scheme and join their team. (When Colossus states that he's going to bring Deadpool to see Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, the mercenary quips, "Stewart or McAvoy?", in another amusing meta moment.) What makes this so funny to me is that Deadpool is clearly not a good fit with the X-Men squad, who are all about doing heroic deeds and saving the world, while Deadpool engages in mass slaughter and mayhem on his quest for revenge. But dang it if Colossus doesn't keep trying! Hard-headed literally and figuratively, that one.

"Deadpool" isn't a great film. Its climax is underwhelming, and occasionally the humor falls flat or is telegraphed a little too far in advance. There's also the issue of the character's near-invincibility; as is the case with the X-Men's Wolverine, it's hard to make the stakes seem high for a character who essentially can't be killed. I wouldn't even say it's the best entry of recent comic book movies. But it is undeniably entertaining, and its irreverent approach does add some intrigue to an overcrowded genre. And above all else, it's FUN, as any superhero movie ought to be...unless it's one that's directed by Zack Snyder.