Deadpool
A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
Cast
Ryan Reynolds – Wade Wilson / Deadpool
Morena Baccarin – Vanessa
Ed Skrein – Francis Freeman / Ajax
T.J. Miller – Weasel
Gina Carano – Angel Dust
Brianna Hildebrand – Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Stefan Kapičić – Piotr Rasputin / Colossus
Laugh-a-Second
Deadpool is fucking insane.
Absolutely insane. It is nothing but filth, filthy humour and filthy action. Strapped in his red spandex outfit, Reynolds flicks his funny switch and delivers a character who is both immature and hip at the same time. The more sensitive of viewer should be aware that this movie contains non-stop bad language and sexual innuendo – and sexual scenes; the lead protagonist bringing it all in full force. There is also a lot of joke value – constantly. Quite literally every other second Reynolds delivers a witty one-liner or gag, and although a perfect fit for his character, it was a bit too much. I love comedy but even I found it tedious, listening to one sick slur after the other which diluted any seriousness in the more dramatic scenes. The whole thing became a piss-take of a very serious (cancer) situation.
Perhaps the point of Deadpool as a whole was to vomit everything crude about life from the screen just for fun – which worked – but I honestly found it to be slightly insufferable. It was laugh-a-second, in often the wrong way.
Although tedious in places, I can’t fault Reynolds at all for his quality comedy skills. The actor glides through Deadpool as though filming the movie was like a night out for him, telling jokes and having a drink or two. He’s flexible and very versatile; impeccable comedic timing and physical comedy blending together to produce a pretty much perfect entertainer. Points scored here.
Wrong
Deadpool – to me – is just wrong. With its constant sexual slurs and inappropriate jokes being the foundation for some disgusting scenarios, the movie is perfect for teenage viewers. Of course most adults will enjoy it too, but the entire thing bursts with immaturity of the highest level. The ‘hero’ himself struts around delivering one vulgar joke after another (usually involving reproductive parts of the human body), throwing in swear words literally every other word. I was surprised at how much profanity was spoken, and I’m not surprised by this very often.
So young eyes and ears need to be kept firmly away from the screen if an older person is watching Deadpool. Then again, if the parent or sibling is as immature as the story (I’m talking the kind of parents who swear using the ‘F’ word at their kids in public and don’t give a crap what passers by think of them. We’ve all seen them), then it’s the perfect family night in.
Deadpool carries an air of dark humor which is similar to that of Fox’s Family Guy (a TV series Reynolds has been part of). One scene sees Wade talk to his partner about the cancer he has, and is so blasé about the subject that he somehow turns it into a joke. That’s the kind of humour you’re dealing with here.
And where there is profanity, there is blood. Yes, the movie spirals into a gore fest with various characters being shot and stabbed in up-close detail. It’s gory but very effective, adding perfectly to the overall atmosphere of this sick feature. Fans of beat-em-up style flicks certainly get their fair share.
As the movie opens, viewers are given a glimpse into a scene which unfolds later on – in freeze frame. The visuals used as the camera pans in, out and sweeps between the various characters are not bad at all. Being a car chase and crash scenario, vehicles are suspended in mid-air with the bad guys twisted in different positions. This unfolds to the sound of Juice Newton’s Angel Of The Morning, ensuring a totally mixed atmosphere. Deadpool is certainly a movie of mixed feeling.
No Threat
Ed Skrein as Ajax (Francis) has to be the most tame enemy I’ve ever seen in a movie. The actor plays an artifically-mutated weapons expert who has a part in Wade’s transformation into Deadpool, and resurfaces during certain scenes for the lead character to kick the shit out of him. Thing is, the man has about as much of an effect as a suitcase with no handles. Seriously, he strolls around looking all angry and aggressive but overall carries no threat, no dynamic. Whenever on screen the man has the appearance of any other character, just standing there with a frown expression on his face. Speaking in a heavy British thug accent, Skrein seems to throw his weight around with minimal effort and not much impact, ultimately coming across as the main enemy’s henchman.
Except there isn’t a main enemy. This is the highest level of threat viewers get. I think I’ve seen footage of Margaret Thatcher packing more of a punch.
Not good.
Smothered in vulgar language and often disgusting references, Deadpool is one to leave behind. Unless you really fancy listening to constant immature dialogue, or watching the lead character perform oral sex on his girlfriend whilst wearing a set of plastic Halloween teeth.
What we have here is a twisted superhero idea. The producers may think it’s a fresh spin on the whole Marvel genre, but Deadpool is actually just a load of continuous action – with absolutely no substance. An excuse for those producers to throw as much “fuck”, “shit”, “cunt” and vain wisecracks at the audience as possible, without having to be concerned about the outcome because with a Marvel flick anything can happen.
And complete with an arch-enemy who is as intriguing as an ashtray, who would question the plot?
Did I enjoy any aspect of this movie?
I enjoyed the blending of freeze-frame and contradictory music during the opening, and Reynolds’ impeccable comedic timing. The man certainly delivers well. But that’s it – the rest of the movie can take its foul language, chauvinism and masturbatory boyish humour and disappear into the Hollywood hills.
Definitely one I won’t be watching again.
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