Ryan Reynolds has been working desperately to get “Deadpool” into theaters since he was cast as the Merc with a Mouth back in 2004.
After years of developmental hell and a terrible depiction in the universally panned X-Men spin-off “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Reynolds continued campaigning for a standalone film to revitalize the character. Thankfully, “Deadpool” not only brings the character back to his roots, but manages to be a great film as well.
After small-time mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds, “The Proposal”) discovers he has terminal cancer, he leaves his lover Vanessa (Morena Baccarin, “Homeland”) for an experimental process that could rid his body of cancer and give him superpowers. However, when his body becomes deformed — ruining his stunningly good looks — Wade dawns the suit of Deadpool and hunts down the man who scarred him in a quest for revenge.
If it all sounds absurd and ridiculous, it’s because it is — and “Deadpool” never once apologizes for it.
The movie becomes a gleefully violent, hilariously vulgar and enjoyably vile film that is a welcome diversion from the standard superhero genre. The action is great, the acting is spot on and the comedy is fantastic.
Reynolds’ passion for his role is incredible. He takes every second he’s on screen as seriously as he can and tries his hardest to give the best performance he possibly can. It’s admirable how well he portrays Deadpool.
The supporting cast also gives their best to make the film work. This is especially true for Brianna Hildebrand, who plays the awesome and angsty Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapicic, who voices the kind-hearted Colossus, and T.J. Miller, who plays best friend and bartender Weasel.
“Deadpool” relentlessly throws jokes — most of them hilarious, vulgar and appropriately inappropriate — from the opening credits to the post-credit scene.
The fourth wall is constantly broken as Reynolds works to ridicule everything that slowed progress for this movie. From butchering the character in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” to cutting the production budget and leaving out major action set pieces and appearances from other X-Men, nothing is off limits.
The only moment when the humor loses its edge is during Deadpool’s origin.
The film takes a dramatic and very dark turn during Wilson’s transformation. While the scenes are still quite funny, the bleak setting keeps them from dishing out the same impact the rest of the film has. This causes the film to become temporarily unpleasant to watch.
However, once the mask is donned, the comedy comes back full force, leading to a fantastic and incredibly entertaining finale.
“Deadpool” is everything it needs to be — a callous mockery of and an apology for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and a love letter to the character and his fans. It’s a superhero film that is unique because it means something to everyone involved. It demands to be seen.
Score: 8.5/10.0
