Marvel’s newest movie “Deadpool” is a must-see for those who enjoy a good action movie or who just want to laugh hysterically for two hours. The film was released Feb. 12 and did not disappoint. Despite the rather formulaic plot, the R rating allowed for outrageously inappropriate humor and shocking gore that was thoroughly entertaining.
The comical dialogue, united with a bit of romance and carnage, highlights the differences between “Deadpool” and past films in the X-Men franchise. Marvel’s first ever R-rated movie demolishes the usual valiant hero construct without taking away the appealing qualities of the protagonist. Deadpool is not afraid to be brutal, cynical and reckless, which is actually quite refreshing to see in a superhero movie.
The movie follows the story of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a former Special Forces operative working as a mercenary. Wilson forces himself to leave his fiancée Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), and gains superhuman healing powers after a violent encounter with rogue scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein). He emerges as the uncontrollable Deadpool and sets out to find the evil scientist who experimented on him.
Although Deadpool first made an appearance in the 2009 film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the portrayal of the ‘Merc with a Mouth’ was unsatisfactory and disappointing. The filmmakers had stripped him of his costume and, worst of all, his snarkiness.
However, Deadpool’s own debut movie completely fulfilled fans’ desires. The film’s writers, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, embrace Marvel’s most inappropriate character and stick to his comic book personality.
To add another layer of interest, Deadpool interacts with the audience, addressing the viewers as if they were a part of the story. His constant fourth wall-breaking and absurdly funny narration had me chuckling uncontrollably.
The wheels for “Deadpool” were set in motion in 2004, but because of the unusual protagonist and the story’s brutally direct tone, the producers were unsure whether to go through with the film’s production. However, when pre-production footage that leaked in 2010 led to positive responses from fans, the movie was put back on the production companies’ radar.
The motion picture has broken numerous box office records, including the highest grossing comic book movie at $491 million worldwide, the biggest opening of an R-rated movie and the biggest opening ever for 20th Century Fox. “Deadpool” held the No. 1 spot for the first two weekends in a row and has already earned more money than any R-rated movie from last year.
Reynold’s performance as Deadpool is spot on. He portrays the comic book character flawlessly, embracing the cheeky remarks and scandalous behavior of the masked mercenary.
The rogue protagonist’s mischievous tendencies are balanced out by X-Men’s metal-man Colossus, voiced by Stefan Kapicic, and his moody trainee Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). They attempt to rein in Deadpool’s behavior and convince him to join the X-Men.
It is amusing to see Deadpool makes jokes at his own expense and everyone else’s, and even pokes fun at at the producing company itself.
The special effects are up to Marvel’s signature high-quality standards, with an incredibly detailed and well-done slow motion in the opening scene, and some impressive fights along the way.
The soundtrack compliments the humorous tone of the movie, featuring songs such as “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa, “Howlin’ For You” by The Black Keys and “GDFR” by Flo Rida.
“Deadpool” is the perfect combination of sarcasm, violence and pure amusement. But be warned: The newest Marvel movie has definitely earned its R rating.
