By Teri Bayus
With tag lines like, “With great power comes great irresponsibility” and “Witness the beginning of a happy ending,” I expected to love “Deadpool.”
The humor is crude, vulgar, and sophomoric (think “Family Guy” or “Superbad”), and it’s hilarious.
All of the superhero pokes and fourth wall jokes were splendid. The red suited, anti-hero provides a sprinkle of something a little different on a giant, Marvel ice cream.
From the opening title sequence it is clear that we are in for a ride with a film that will take a poke at itself and everything else in pop culture.
The opening credits were done “Deadpool” style with the person’s personality description instead of name. The first thing I noticed was how inventive the storytelling was.
The film throws you into the action from the first moment and then it goes back and forth in brilliant and unexpected ways to slowly unspool the story of this insane, but oddly charming antihero.
Flashbacks and fast-forwards can be annoying, but when done right, they can help render a simple story fresh and exciting. And that’s exactly how “Deadpool” felt to me right from the start — like a fresh, if somewhat dirty, jolt of energy.
Deadpool is a raunchy, excessively violent, superhero based on the Marvel Comics character. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, playing a very different version of the role, than he previously did (in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine). Here Reynolds plays a mercenary, named Wade Wilson, who’s subjected to a secret experiment to cure his cancer that gives him super-human healing powers, but it also leaves him severely scarred. Reynolds owns every second he’s on screen and you can tell he loves the character.
Deadpool is a wise cracking, all attention on him kind of crusader with eye grabbing displays of action, talent and charisma. He doesn’t try to be your every-day superhero and you need to love him for that, he manages to use any means necessary to take down his foes with creative and and sometimes questionable techniques.
The movie also stars Morena Baccarin (as Vanessa), Ed Skrein (as Ajaz), T.J. Miller (as Weasal), Gina Carano (as Angel Dust), Brianna Hildebrand (as Negasonic Teenage Warhead) and the voice of Stefan Kapicic (as Colossus).
It was directed by first-time feature filmmaker, Tim Miller, and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (based on the comic book character, created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza).
The scene after the credits shows Deadpool in a bathrobe, making fun of you, the viewer, for sticking around for so long. He also talks about the sequel, makes a few jokes about the casting, and pokes at other movies that tease future movies.
“Deadpool” scored the biggest R-rated opening of all-time, at the box office (grossing $150 million, in four days) making it one of the largest superhero film debuts ever (beating Spiderman, Batman and Iron Man). It is real grownup fun for comic book geeks and more.
Teri Bayus can be reached at: [email protected] or follow her writing and ramblings at: www.teribayus.com. Bayus also hosts Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.