DEADPOOL Spoiler-Free Review; "The Merc With The Mouth Finally Gets The Movie He Deserves"
It's the movie we've been waiting for perhaps longer than any other, but does it deliver? Hit the jump for my verdict on the real big screen debut of Marvel Comics' beloved Merc with the Mouth, Deadpool...
Deadpool has been a long time coming, but with so much anticipation surrounding this long delayed adaptation, it's always been hard to say whether or not the movie would be able to live up to the hype and its A+ marketing campaign. Well, it most definitely does, and thanks to Ryan Reynolds, Tim Miller, Rhett Reese, and Paul Wernick, the Merc With the Mouth finally gets the movie he deserves.
That doesn't mean Deadpool is a perfect comic book adaptation of course. All in all, it delivers a fairly standard superhero origin story which, in fairness, does stick to the source material (making it hard to complain too much about that when so many others movies have gone in a different direction and completely botched their respective superhero's early days). However, the movie also approaches the way it's told in a unique enough way to keep you interested and you'll be split between wanting the movie to switch between Wade and Deadpool as a result. It's just a shame it didn't embrace the comics at least a little more by introducing the colourful members of Wade Wilson's supporting cast. Still, having Deadpool surrounded by a lot of normal looking people does help him stand out, but if we can have Colossus, why not an Ajax who looks the same as his comic book counterpart? That's really a very minor niggle though and didn't have any sort of major impact on my enjoyment of the movie. It just feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, but Deadpool works in the respect that it will keep fans happy while also successfully introducing the character to those who likely haven't heard of him.
In terms of action, Miller does a huge amount with a limited budget and this is just as action-packed and epic as any X-Men or Marvel Studios movie. However, Deadpool being Deadpool, things get very violent in places but never to the point where it becomes overly silly or gratuitous. Don't get me wrong, there are some moments which will really make you cringe, but the director isn't throwing buckets of blood around the place for the hell of it and these fight scenes are definitely among some of the best you'll see this year.
Reynolds is of course perfect as Deadpool and fantastic throughout. I have nothing bad to say about the supporting cast either. Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, and everyone else who makes an appearance are terrific and, if anything, I just wish we'd seen more of them. Make no mistake about it though, this is Reynolds' film, and seeing more of him in this role is essential (thank God they're making a sequel then). It's packed full of excellent Easter Eggs, hilarious references for the fans, and pretty much everything you could ever want from a Deadpool movie (kudos to the creative team for finally giving us a kick-ass Colossus too).
Wiping away the bad taste X-Men Origins: Wolverine left us with, Deadpool easily overcomes its few minor flaws to deliver a satisfying, hilarious, and action-packed adventure which allows Ryan Reynolds to show that he's both a great actor and the perfect person to play this f*cked up superhero. Oh, and BEST. AFTER-CREDITS SCENE. EVER.