Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool (2016)

 

Release date: February 10, 2016

IT DOESN’T SUCK! PRAISE JEBUS, IT DOESN’T SUCK! I’M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!

Oh, hello. I didn’t see you come in. I hope you will forgive that display of enthusiasm on my part. You may remember the review of X-Men Origins Wolverine I wrote a while back. In it, I used the sad music running joke, but I chose a song that I felt had a hint of hope for the future to it.

Specifically, this one.

I did this because I noted at the time that Deadpool, a fan favourite character whose portrayal in that film was notoriously poorly received, would be getting his own film that would hopefully turn out better. Here we are, some months on from that, and I was right to hope. What lessons has Deadpool learned since his last film appearance? Here to help me with that today is a very special guest. Please say hello to my guest…

Whoa, hold on there! I’ll be introducing myself here. Dear readers, you are being graced with the presence of the Merc with the Mouth himself, Deadpool! Cue the theme music.

Give me a D! Give me an A! Give me…

Right, that’s enough showboating. Who better to discuss this new film than its star? Wait, the people at home will need some way of telling us apart. How would you like a red font, Wade?

Sweet! My writing’s faster than yours! I am now using the race car of words! It’s such a shame there aren’t any go-faster stripes on that keyboard of yours. Anyway, I’m here to tell you about my awesome movie about me. You should have known it would be awesome, because I’m in it! Oh, before you bring up that other movie I was in - First rule of Staying Alive Club: Do not talk about that other movie I was in. Capische? So let’s get started with this mother!

Because the film is a new release, I’m not going to do the usual plot summary. Instead, I’ll just state that the basic plot involves Deadpool seeking revenge after a procedure to cure his cancer instead gives him a healing factor, at the cost of accelerating the cancer, disfiguring his appearance and driving him insane. The stakes are lower, but this means Deadpool is more relatable as a character because his quest is one that’s more personal to him, rather than a grand epic with the entire world at stake.

Aw, you’re just saying that to suck up because they wouldn’t let me be in The Avengers.

Another thing that I liked about the film was the creative way it opened with a big set piece action sequence, then cut back and forth from that to the beginning of the story and the events leading up to Wade’s empowerment. The opening serves the purpose of establishing the character of Deadpool and the tone the film will have, before showing the backstory after getting the audience’s interest and therefore having it mean more to the viewer.

It also means the audience doesn’t get bored and walk out before they get to the good bit.

That is an excellent point, Wade.

Someone tried that in the test screening, you know. I made sure they didn’t walk.

Out of the screening?

Sure, let’s go with that.

As I’m sure you would have expected from a Deadpool film, it’s very funny indeed. It’s made clear from the creative names in the opening credits that this is a film who’s primary concern is that you have fun watching it. However, what’s more impressive is that the film is capable of stopping the jokes when necessary and taking itself seriously. The plot threads involving Wade’s cancer and his insecurity in his appearance following his disfigurement are used as joke fodder, but there are also serious scenes that show their effects on Wade and make clear that all the jokes and silliness are just a defence mechanism. Deep down, Wade Wilson is a desperately unhappy man. That’s a level of depth that I did not expect from the film, and I’m very pleasantly surprised to see it here.

What, did you think that my movie would be nothing but me being wacky for 90 minutes? That is in fact a fair assumption to make.

Deadpool himself may be the focus of the film, but the other characters are well done too. The villain may not be particularly deep, but is he enjoyable as a boo-hiss pantomime asshole with no redeeming qualities that you love to hate. Colossus has more personality here than in all the X-Men films he’s in put together, and his characterisation as the jovial, chivalrous goody two shoes straight man helps him stand out among a cast of flawed people. Naturally, him being the Paragon to Deadpool’s Renegade gets made fun of more than once. (And yes, he finally gets the Russian accent.) Deadpool’s friends are shown to like and care for him a lot even if they communicate with him almost entirely in insults, and the relationship between Wade and his girlfriend Vanessa is something I liked a lot. They have a lot of sex, but they do mean a lot to each other emotionally as well, and their relationship feels more realistic than a lot of film romances because of that. I must say that you are a very lucky man Wade.

I am, aren’t I? Not like you, who will never know the touch of a woman.

Low blow, dude. I can get insecure about feeling unattractive to the opposite sex without your help, thank you very much. I’m not in the mood to keep going now, so let’s wrap this up. Wade, would you like to do the honours?

I certainly would. My awesome movie about me earns a score of four chiminchangas out of five!

Four? But we didn’t say anything bad. Why not five?

Because I ate one of them, and now I’m hungry. I never could stop at one. Om nom nom…

Stop eating! The score goes down when you eat!

Then why did you use a chiminchanga scale if you didn’t want me eating them?

You said you wouldn’t come on to do this otherwise! I knew I should have asked Colossus or Francis instead.

 That sounds stupid. The movie’s called Deadpool, not Colossus or Francis. Besides, Francis isn’t much of a talker. It used to be that you couldn’t get him to shut up, but he just hasn’t been the same since I shot him that one time. Can’t understand why either. I asked him, but he won’t talk about it. He must be really down about something because I think he’s stopped taking care of himself. He’s really starting to stink…

This didn’t exactly go to plan, did it? Anyway, Deadpool is a film that I can highly recommend for being a superhero movie that sets itself apart from the competition with a more down to earth tone and lots of humour, creativity and originality. I’ll be back next time for more. Alone, I might add…

Bye everyone! I’ve been great.