Despite a small cult following behind Deadpool, for many of us we went into the cinema as blind about the movie as Blind Al is blind. (See what I did there? I think that deserves a crisp high five!) In short, Deadpool is about a man who puts on a mask and seeks revenge on a British villain. Sounds boring huh? Well, actually it is quite the opposite. The main premise of the film may seem unoriginal, but there is nothing stale about Deadpool; an egotistical, crazy man who can’t die and who randomly shouts profanity. After all, there is a reason why this movie has made over 135 million in its opening weekend.
The balance of comedy to action to romance is perfect. As soon as the film begins we are thrown into a slow motion fight scene. A love ballad plays in the background. The song is juxtaposed to the brutality of the violence making the scene lighthearted, while suggesting romantic themes. Small title screens sayings things like “a British villain” sets the story. Shots of Deadpool holding on to someones underpants offers comedy. From the off we know exactly what to expect from the rest of the film; comedy, violence and romance. A comic moment in a distressing scene makes the comedy all that more powerful. Meanwhile, a romantic scene in an action packed fight makes it all that more emotive. One scene which was particularly enjoyable was when Deadpool mentions that Francis has lettuce in his teeth. It is repeated later on in the film to create more laughs and chuckles.
The more mature nature of the film means that there are no boundaries. If the film was a 12A, then Deadpools dickish charm would never have been portrayed to the extent it is. The mature themes go beyond seeing blood and hearing “fuck” once or twice. It even goes beyond sex scenes, shots of boobs and (dare I say it) even a pegging scene. Deadpools crude comments and rash actions really set him a part from other superheros. You could argue that Deadpool isn’t a hero because he swears and reacts to his own selfish agenda, but at the end of the day he is a hero because we the audience want to see him win. Deadpool is not gracious or righteous and he has very slurred views when it comes to morals. All these factors make him refreshing to watch. Deadpool is a character we love to hate or just simply love. Take away all the mature themes and you are left with a flat hollow character.
Hang on, I will be right back. I am worried I left the stove on.
Voice over and the continuous use of breaking the fourth wall are used to inform and deliver information flawlessly, meanwhile offering even more humor. At no point during the film are we wondering what the hell is going on, because everything is carefully explained. Information is directly (and bluntly) told to us by Deadpool himself, or by him interacting with other characters. We aren’t being dumped with important plot points through dodgy information dumps. At times Deadpool will just talk to us for no reason at all other than to create comedy. One funny scene in particular is when Deadpool comments “a fourth wall break inside a fourth wall break? That’s like… sixteen walls.”
On the other hand, it would have been nice to know more about the villains. We find out small snippets of information about Francis, like he is a mutant and cannot feel anything. However, we know next to nothing about Angel. How did she come to work for Francis? Why does she always chew on a match? Why is she such a bitch? We know she was once admitted to Francis’s facility and we know she is strong, but that is literally it. Lack of character detail makes her a flat character. If we took her out of the movie would the film loose anything? Just some eye candy. It feels like they shoved her into the plot because A) Francis needs a pal and B) because the film only has a few female characters in.
Overall, if you are easily offended then perhaps Deadpool isn’t the best movie for you. However, if you love watching fucked up characters in a totally fucked up situation then you will love this film. If you have never heard of Deadpool before February tenth, then now is the time to educate yourself. For a giggle and a couple of hours out of reality, Deadpool is a great watch. Oh, and Ryan Reynolds is magical.
One of the stars got smashed by Colossus and another star was melted by Negasonic Teenage Warhead. This film gets eight stars out of ten.
If you don’t trust me, then at least trust Betty White.