Deadpool
Go! Sharp enough, even if missing an edge.
Self-deprecating super-anti-hero comedy.
There was a time that an “ecosystem” was an actual, serious, scientific term. It meant bugs and flowers, predators and oceans – all that natural jazz. Since Disney inhaled Marvel Comics, the word now means “a cinematic excuse to print money”. Modern ecosystems involve tens and tens of awkwardly interconnecting movies, full of narcissistic (white, male) superheroes who waggle their proverbial genitalia around, causing the destruction of major American cities with all the subtlety and intelligence of Donald Trump hosting a rally outside a Mexican Mosque. Besides its slobbering pack of whinging Avengers, Marvel has its huffy X-Men, built on a premise of human mutation that means the number of characters and their spin-off films never needs to end. Yaaay. Deadpool is the latest entrant into the increasingly exhausting (but often entertaining) X-Mess; trying to justify his existence in both the fictitious X-World and our weary real-life one.
As his first solo outing, Deadpool is an origin story, of course, but with a difference. A much heralded R-rating and a lengthy marketing scheme drenched in innuendo launched fanboy expectation up to 11. In fact, the collective drooling of spandex-loving comic-conners might be the reason for much of the flooding across the UK this Winter. Fortunately, given all of that saliva sweeping the country and the destruction of property it caused, the film has its merits.
As his first solo outing, Deadpool is an origin story, of course, but with a difference. A much heralded R-rating and a lengthy marketing scheme drenched in innuendo launched fanboy expectation up to 11. In fact, the collective drooling of spandex-loving comic-conners might be the reason for much of the flooding across the UK this Winter. Fortunately, given all of that saliva sweeping the country and the destruction of property it caused, the film has its merits.
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds; The Proposal, R.I.P.D) is an anti-hero. A former-military-now-mercenary with a stripper girlfriend (Morena Baccarin, Homeland), he gets cancer with a terminal prognosis. In order to cure it, he turns to a suspicious man in a labcoat called Ajax (Ed Skrein, Kill Your Friends), who promises to activate his mutant genes and not only cure his cancer, but also give him superpowers in a buy-one-get-one-free style super deal. The procedure is successful, giving Deadpool strength, agility and the power to heal from any injury, but leaves his skin heavily disfigured. Driven by love, he vows to hunt Ajax down and force him to repair the damage so that he can return to the love of his life with the face of the same man she fell for. To achieve this, he kills a lot of people and makes a lot of jokes along the way. Meanwhile, X-people Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead spend their time interrupting Deadpool by trying to recruit him into the X-programme.
It is an unapologetically adult film, which marks a welcome departure from the sanitised world of most Marvel movies, where the gazillions of murders are bloodless and gentrified. From the mocking, slow-mo title sequence, Deadpool strives to present itself as a parody of its counterpart films. Reynolds is well-cast as the arrogant, wise-cracking asshole with a good heart under Deadpool’s red mask (basically, super Van Wilder); and he delivers consistently, particularly in his repeated breaches of the 4th wall (when he talks directly to the audience). There are jokes galore, making it much more “comic” than most of the super-serious X-movies to date, and without the constraints of a 12A rating, many of the gags are actually funny. The action sequences are colourful and generally well-choreographed (if often overly chaotic), with a distinct air of slapstick, and add to the clear aim to entertain that infects this film.
It is an unapologetically adult film, which marks a welcome departure from the sanitised world of most Marvel movies, where the gazillions of murders are bloodless and gentrified. From the mocking, slow-mo title sequence, Deadpool strives to present itself as a parody of its counterpart films. Reynolds is well-cast as the arrogant, wise-cracking asshole with a good heart under Deadpool’s red mask (basically, super Van Wilder); and he delivers consistently, particularly in his repeated breaches of the 4th wall (when he talks directly to the audience). There are jokes galore, making it much more “comic” than most of the super-serious X-movies to date, and without the constraints of a 12A rating, many of the gags are actually funny. The action sequences are colourful and generally well-choreographed (if often overly chaotic), with a distinct air of slapstick, and add to the clear aim to entertain that infects this film.
Nonetheless, Deadpool still feels like a missed opportunity; too constrained by its own self-satisfaction at featuring dirty jokes and sweary words. The jokes might come thick and fast, but differ little from American, frat boy style lines that have become so familiar in the past decade. They lack the dryness, eccentricity and depth of darkness that made Kick-Ass such a success in the growing niche of spoofy-but-still-serious, adult superhero films. The script – although it has its moments – is frustratingly predictable, and although disguised by flights back and forward in time, the storyline is more formulaic than David Cameron’s face. Ultimately, it is still just a bunch of narcissistic white men running around town, waggling their proverbial genitalia and destroying things; only this time, they swear and make fun of themselves at the same time.
But sometimes narcissistic white men can be fun to watch, and Deadpool just about adds up to 108 minutes of justifiable entertainment . So go, but first wipe your mouth and lower your expectations just a little. It might not Kick-Ass, but it still manages to gently tickle it.
But sometimes narcissistic white men can be fun to watch, and Deadpool just about adds up to 108 minutes of justifiable entertainment . So go, but first wipe your mouth and lower your expectations just a little. It might not Kick-Ass, but it still manages to gently tickle it.
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