Deadpool ‘Spoiler Free’ Review – Ryan Reynolds Was Born For This Role

Directed by: Tim Miller

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Stefan Kapicic (voice), Brianna Hildebrand

Way back in the yesteryear of 2009, a little known character by the name of Wolverine had his own spin-off from the X-Men series that had just finished imploding under the ‘direction’ of Brett Ratner. The origin story of the X-Men’s most beloved character is just about as equally beloved as the third standalone X film as it was filled with MASSIVE plot holes, terrible acting and very, very interesting (not good) character turns. For instance, one of the ones that stuck with audiences ever since, is that Ryan Reynolds famously his personal favourite character, Wade Wilson in the film. You know, the Merc with the Mouth? That they sewed up?

I’ve either brought up another tired story of comic book fans done wrong in the golden age of comic book fans or I’ve uncovered a memory you’ve tried to keep buried for years now. Well, Mr. Reynolds refused to try to forget it and after breaking some copyright laws and potentially putting himself up for a serious lawsuit, the true Deadpool rose from the ashes of that bastardized name thief that we were plagued with before, and a new film was born. A film that featured one of the best ad campaigns that I’ve ever had the glory of witnessing, spearheaded by the man himself, Wade Wil- I mean, Ryan Reynolds. With his name slapped on as a producer credit as well, it’s no secret that this movie, which caters entirely to fanboys and fans of Deadpool, rests entirely on those perfectly chiseled shoulders.

______________________________

“…  it’s no secret that this movie, which caters entirely to fanboys and fans of Deadpool, rests entirely on [Ryan Reynolds’] perfectly chiseled shoulders.”

But now that all the fun of the posters and the #tickpicks and funny videos is done, how did the end product turn out? Well, to be honest, pretty damn good! Is it going to make everyone happy or win any awards? Absolutely not! But for who it’s geared at and who is going to see this movie, every fan of Deadpool and even the vast majority of the people who are just seeing it for the snazzy ad campaign are going to walk away loving this movie!

Deadpool finds itself in the interesting cross section of being an origin story that is also bringing a beloved character to life that’s already been famously on screen. It also has a ton of off screen buzz and hype surrounding it due to the above mentioned championing of the character done by the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds. So, it has the task of winning over a new audience while also benefitting from having the built in audience that the hard R Deadpool character brings along with it.

This movie, as we’re informed from the get go, is a love story. It’s also a tale of revenge. It’s also still Deadpool, so it’s also about very strange character motivations. The story itself ends up being pretty by the numbers, as the usual story points and set pieces are all in the right spots, it never makes you leave the comfort of a familiar storyline. Also, the origins aspect of it is very reminiscent of Wolverine’s, though that fact will not be of much surprise to fans.

______________________________

“It’s bat shit crazy, off the wall, spits on your rules and expectations, is perverted, hilarious, incredibly violent and has a kick ass soundtrack.”

The real heart and soul of the movie though, lies in Reynolds’ ‘born to play’ depiction of everyone’s favourite amoral mercenary. Reynolds’ quippy style and fast talking comedy was always going to be a great fit for Wade Wilson, but his genuine love for the character shines through tremendously in every aspect of the film. With some great support from the talented Morena Baccarin, a couple of X-Men, the always funny T.J. Miller, and the villainous Gina Carano and Ed Skrein, the whole cast bring their A game to the irreverent and completely over the top script.

The movie is off the wall, incredibly violent, consistently funny and embraces the absurdity of the Deadpool character. Not only do they push Deadpool as far as I think they were allowed to go in the US without getting an NC-17, they did with such genuine vigor that you couldn’t help but love what they brought to the screen. In addition to it fully embracing the delicious revelry, it also decides that the much vaunted ‘breaking the fourth wall’ wasn’t just going to be a gimmick in the film. They not only had them outright breaking it by talking to the audience and playing with the camera, they peppered self references throughout the film, reminding the audience of the fact that the fourth wall has never been thinner in a theatre.

Personally, I’d love to give Deadpool a little bit more of a score boost than what I’ve given it because I absolutely loved it. It’s bat shit crazy, off the wall, spits on your rules and expectations, is perverted, hilarious, incredibly violent and has a kick ass soundtrack. However, not everyone is going to love those aspects as much as I have and, quite frankly, a lot of people are not going to enjoy this movie. Even those that kind of enjoy what it offers may end up being bothered by the story or even finding the self references and audience chats to be gimmicky. However, if you know what you want from Deadpool and you’re prepared for what’s coming your way, you’re in for a good time.

Quite frankly, Deadpool is one of the most entertaining times I’ve had in a movie theatre in a good while! Is it going to win an Oscar? Of course not. But it’s going to give you 100 minutes straight of pure, unadulterated fun and while it may not be movie of the year, I can guarantee you’ll have an absolute blast watching this one.