– By Cate Marquis –
Hilarious ‘Deadpool’ wreaks bloody havoc on comic book movie genre
“Deadpool” opens with a violent action sequence that features a guy in a superhero costume making hamburger out of a host of adversaries while spouting a non-stop string of wisecracks. But this wisecracking, profane, and even silly character is not the usual Marvel superhero, which we learn as soon as the goofy opening credits roll, billing its star as “God’s perfect idiot” and co-starring a “hot chick” and a “British villain.”
Yes, comic book movies themselves are the target of this violent, sexy, riotous spoof from director Tim Miller. “Deadpool,” rated R for violence and racy scenes, is definitely not for kids, but it is a hilarious treat for adults, albeit a remarkably violent one. The film is vulgar, self-referential, sarcastic, and snarky, yet Deadpool is a weirdly charming character, which Ryan Reynolds plays perfectly.
Deadpool’s red and black costume makes him look a bit like Spider-Man but this is no web-slinging, do-gooder teenager. Deadpool is billed by Marvel Comics as an anti-hero, but he is pretty much a hilarious mirror-image spoof of the usual oh-so-serious, bad-guy-fighting superheros.
A character in Marvel’s X-Men universe, Deadpool’s special skill is that he is pretty much impossible to kill, has accelerated regenerative healing powers, and is a kind of a smartass version of Wolverine (and there are plenty of Wolverine jokes to go with that). A British bad guy called Ajax (Ed Skrein) is responsible for turning Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), through a tortuous ordeal, into a disfigured guy with mutant powers called Deadpool—and that guy wants revenge.
The film is filled with bits that turn the conventions of the usually squeaky clean and noble superhero inside out. Deadpool, an ex-military Special Forces turned muscle for hire, does not give a damn about fighting evil-doers—he is out for his own revenge. His best friend is Weasel (T. J. Miller), a bartender at the raunchy mercenary bar where he hangs out, and his sexy girlfriend Vanessa, (Morena Baccarin) who works as an exotic dancer.
Despite his shady background, Reynold’s Deadpool is a surprisingly likable guy. Maybe it is because he is also an ordinary guy who forgets his backpack, and has his own sense of right and wrong which is mostly based on helping his friends. A sincere pair of X-Men mutant superheroes, Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), try to recruit him, although that does not go as they expect.
Ryan Reynolds may have found his career-making role; he is a delight as Deadpool, a man who seems never at a lost for a zinger, a character with a penchant for breaking the fourth wall. The film spoofs all kinds of comic book hero conventions, and the film proceeds at a lightning pace. Fans of the character should have a blast, and the film is sure to recruit legions of new fans.
“Deadpool” is an entertainment treat for grown-ups, so long as you are braced for the mayhem, packed with some long-needed mocking of comic book action movies. Stay after the credits for a short movie homage.
© Cate Marquis
