Deadpool Review

Deadpool is a movie that shouldn’t exist. Anyone that’s followed its development knows that the movie has been in development hell for years, with star Ryan Reynolds constantly pushing for the movie to be made, and never giving up on it. It’s a good thing he didn’t because Deadpool is everything that the fans could have ever wanted from a movie about the merc with a mouth.

From the moment the movie starts, it’s clear that you’re in for something that is definitely not your ordinary superhero movie. The movie is just as ridiculous, insane, and fun as the character starring in it. Rest assured, this is definitely NOT a kids movie.

The plot is pretty basic, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The movie follows mercenary Wade Wilson, A.K.A. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), a jokester and nonstop talker that is played to perfection by Reynolds. He meets a stripper named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) at the local mercenary bar, run by his friend Weasel (T.J. Miller), and they hit it off. Months later, he finds out that he has cancer and takes part in a program that will cure his cancer, led by our villain Ajax (Ed Skrein). It’s here that Wade gets his powers and becomes hard to look at, vowing revenge on Ajax for the damage done to him.

Morena Baccarin and Ryan Reynolds definitely have good chemistry for the scenes that they share together. We can buy that these are two people that click and mesh in a way that they probably wouldn’t if they were with other people. It’s their relationship that’s at the heart of the movie, and it certainly has us rooting for Deadpool to be with her again for more than just the simple fact that he’s the protagonist. We want them to be together because they love each other very much, and that’s clearly shown through their performances.

T.J. Miller is funny as always as Weasel, and he plays off of Reynolds really well. I could’ve sat and watched the two of them crack jokes back and forth for the whole movie and still be thoroughly entertained. Ed Skrein does a serviceable job as Ajax, but there isn’t much more to his character than being a villain for the simple fact that he is one. That’s not to say that he needs a deep, complex reason to be a villain, but it would’ve been nice if he was more than just the simple bad guy that causes problems.

Gina Carano doesn’t have many lines in the movie as Angel Dust, and that’s good since her acting skills really aren’t the best. She’s here doing what she does best: being Ajax’s sidekick/bodyguard and punching things. Rounding out the cast are Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Stefan Kapičić as Colossus. They make minor appearances in the film, but are certainly entertaining whenever they’re on screen.

Of course, the main star of the movie is Reynolds who does a fantastic job as Deadpool. This is the role that he was born to play, and it’s clear that he has immense passion for the role, as he gives it his all and knocks it out of the park. Any memories you have of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine version of the character will be wiped away after seeing this movie. Reynolds takes Deadpool from the comics and brings him to life, with all the jokes, insanity, and fourth wall breaking intact. I honestly can’t imagine Deadpool any other way after watching this movie. Of course this couldn’t be done without the talent of director Tim Miller, and writers Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick. The four of them come together and create something that was clearly made by fans, and give it back to the fans.

From start to finish, the movie is tossing jokes at you and doesn’t let up, just like Deadpool is known to do. Whether it be him breaking the fourth wall, insulting the many characters in the movie, all the jokes are hits and had everyone in the theater laughing out loud. I’m sure there were some jokes that I missed due to the constant laughter in the theater. There’s even humor to be found in the action, which is gory and violent in the best way possible. The action is great to watch and it isn’t hard to follow either, unlike many action movies these days, thanks to the top notch choreography.

The best thing about Deadpool is how faithful it is to the source material. This movie wouldn’t have been as good as it is if it deviated from the source material in any way. Fox learned this the hard way by sewing his mouth shut before. Giving him his traditional costume and allowing Deadpool to be himself allows the movie to have the freedom to do whatever it wants to do, since that’s what Deadpool is really all about. Kicking ass and making jokes whenever he wants to, in whatever manner he wants to. Because of this, Deadpool is someone that is best delivered in short doses, so we got to spend the perfect amount of time with him.The movie is 108 minutes long, which is just the perfect amount of time for it. I easily could’ve sat and watched it for another hour, but I can see the movie potentially start to get on people’s nerves if it was any longer.

Deadpool is a very risky movie. It’s an R-rated superhero movie, it’s main character is crazy, and it’s source material is crazy. The movie could’ve gone so wrong in so many ways, but it came out on top and proved that taking risks is something that pays off in dividends if done correctly by the right people. It’s only a matter of time before we get a wave of movies that try to emulate the success of this movie and most likely fail. For now though, let’s just enjoy this movie and be happy that it succeeded. I for one am looking forward to the sequel, and seeing how far the team takes it in the next movie now that the world is aware of Deadpool.