It seems so long ago that the test footage was “leaked” and the hope of comic nerds everywhere was spiked only to be squashed as though this footage was a sign only of what could have been. Then, as if pulled by Thanos himself, the film slowly went from a pre-pubescent’s dream to a full blown reality and Ryan Reynolds would be given the chance to redeem himself. Deadpool hits theaters this weekend and currently is sitting with an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes (how does that compare to other comic book movies…. Captain America: The First Avenger – 79%; Thor – 77%; Thor the Dark World – 66%; Iron Man 2 72%; Iron Man 3 79%; Avengers: Age of Ultron – 74%…just to name a few you may have heard of…).
Normally I take the time to summarize the film in my own words, but I don’t want to spoil it at all. So I’m going to quote IMDb’s description here. *cough… “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.” If you’ve seen the trailer you know what this film looks like. If you’ve read the comic’s (any of them) then you have an idea of what the character at the end of X-men Origins: Wolverine.
THE GOOD
They brought Deadpool to life! The love put into this movie is clear in all the details of the film. The references, the fourth wall breaking, the action, and the over-the-top comedy. It’s the comic come to life. I’m not going to claim to know all the books, but I’ve read enough to now I love the character. This felt like Wade Wilson and had me and the rest of the people in the theater laughing, cheering, and waiting till the end credits.
It’s not a kid friendly movie and Deadpool isn’t a kid friendly character. That’s it. Just because he wears spandex doesn’t mean he’s for kids so put your petitions away, hire a babysitter, and enjoy some adult level, super human, debauchery. That’s how Wade Wilson would want it.
The cast is great and Ryan Reynolds carries the film as expected. Director Tim Miller, his first feature directing gig too, did a great job with casting often annoying T.J. Miller as Weasel, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Ed Skrein as Ajax, Stefan Kapici as a more comic book styled Colossus, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, and Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. The characters are all interesting, especially Dopinder (Karan Soni) the cab driver.
There is a post credits scene. It takes a while of watching the names of dozens of grips pass by before you get it, but it’s worth the wait. It’s one of many nods to the fans and it’s in pure Deadpool fashion. Again, this character isn’t for everyone, but if you are a fan for any reason you’ll love this film!
There are so many things I want to say, but I think I may do my first spoiler only review separate from this one after a week or so goes by. The story is really strong in a lot of ways and the love story hinted at in the trailers works perfectly for the film, which was a concern I had going in.
THE BAD
It ended. I could have sat there for another hour easily.
Yeah, that’s really all I want to say negative about it. Lots of violence, lots of bad language, and things that make this not for everyone. However, as noted in THE GOOD this isn’t for everyone.
THE VERDICT
I’m sure the movie isn’t perfect, but it satisfied the checklist needed to make this a great time at the theater. I laughed, I cheered, I felt sympathy for my character, and I enjoyed a well written tribute to a character of which I am a fan. I give Deadpool 9 out of 10 avocados.
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