"Deadpool" is the latest Marvel Comics character to make the jump from the pulp pages to the big screen, but he's not your ordinary superhero. In fact, and he'll be the first to tell you this, he's not a superhero at all.
He's an antihero through and through, and director Tim Miller's irreverent and deliciously depraved film -- violent, graphic and subversive from the brilliant, genre-skewering opening credits -- makes that abundantly clear.
Oh, Ryan Reynolds[1]' costumed title character might look like some sort of S&M Spider-Man, but make no mistake: He's no Peter Parker. Likewise, he's no "Iron Man" or "Thor," either. And he's definitely not that goody-two-shoes "Captain America."
This isn't, in other words, the sort of family-friendly superhero movie to which you should be taking your 7-year-old. ("Batman v. Superman" hits theaters March 25. Best to wait to bring Junior that one.) "Deadpool" is in every way a comic-book movie for grown-ups, and it arrives in theaters as a foul-mouthed, boundary-pushing, sex-obsessed breath of fresh air.
For starters, there's that well-earned hard "R" rating from the MPAA, for "strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity."
But that alone isn't what makes Miller's film so enjoyable. After all, any idiot filmmaker can string together enough F-bombs and full-frontal shots to guarantee an "R."
Rather, what sets "Deadpool" apart is its overall genre-busting tone, which blends a wealth of meta humor, the wisecracking Reynolds' significant skills with a one-liner, and a genuinely funny script that isn't afraid to offend anyone. In fact, it seems to take pleasure in trying to offend everyone. More often than not, it hits the intended comic mark.
That all combines to make "Deadpool" one of the most start-to-finish enjoyable comic-book movie this side of 2008's original "Iron Man."
Part of the reason is because Miller's film isn't some cookie-cutter product of the "Avengers" movie factory. The Disney-owned Marvel Films is the maker of that ridiculously lucrative franchise, which includes the aforementioned "Iron Man," "Thor" and "Captain America," among others.
"Deadpool," on the other hand, is a spinoff of the "X-Men" franchise, the movie rights to which are held by Twentieth Century Fox. And while Fox has had reasonable success with its "X-Men" movies and assorted spinoffs -- as well as the "Spider-Man" movies, to which it also owns the rights -- it hasn't enjoyed nearly the level success Disney has with its Marvel Films.
And so, while seemingly every studio in Hollywood seems to be trying to dream up a way to build an extended "Avengers"-like universe out of one franchise or another -- the recent "Star Wars[2]" and "Justice League" relaunches being two of the most notable examples -- Fox decided to roll the dice and try a new tack with "Deadpool."
In this case, at least, they came up winners. By extension, so have comic-book fans.
That's because, as popular as the "Avengers" films are, each successive installment feels more formulaic than the previous one. The end result, more often than not, is a movie that feels safe, predictable and -- for all of their moments of big-screen spectacle -- increasingly ho-hum.
None of those adjectives apply to the razor-sharp "Deadpool."
Granted, on paper it sounds like standard superhero fare: a smart-mouthed, morally challenged mercenary named Wade Wilson (no relation to the former New Orleans Saints quarterback[3]) goes on a mission of revenge after being subjected to a gene-altering experiment at the hands of a shadowy group. While that experiment has left Wilson horribly disfigured -- thus the costume -- it's also given him the power to heal with extraordinary speed, making him almost invincible.
As it works its way toward the inevitable, pull-out-the-stops final fight sequence, Miller's film admittedly checks most of the formula boxes. But where "Deadpool" differs from its superhero brethren is in its consistently twisted and self-referential tone, which makes Miller's film as much a superhero satire as anything else.
In the process, it can be counted on to rehabilitate Reynolds' reputation in the eyes of fanboys, who still haven't forgiven him for his poorly received turn in 2011's "Green Lantern."
Even better, though, the lively "Deadpool" can be counted on to separate itself from the pack and entertain comic-book fans with its brand of wild, unapologetic insanity -- which, in this day and age of superhero saturation, is a welcome thing indeed.
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DEADPOOL
4 stars, out of 5
Snapshot: An R-rated comic action film, based on the Marvel Comics property, about a wise-cracking mercenary who, after undergoing a genetic mutation as part of a forced medical experiment, sets out for a measure of revenge against the man who took everything from him.
What works: The irreverent, boundaries-crossing script, combined with star Ryan Reynolds' talent with a one-liner, help it become one of the most start-to-finish enjoyable comic-book movie this side of 2008's original "Iron Man."
What doesn't: Beneath it all, the basic plot checks off most of the formula boxes, right down to the pull-out-the-stops final fight scene.
Cast: Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hidlebrand, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano. Director: Tim Miller. Rating: R, for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity. Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes.
References
- ^ Ryan Reynolds (topics.nola.com)
- ^ Star Wars (topics.nola.com)
- ^ to the former New Orleans Saints quarterback (en.wikipedia.org)
