Movie Review: Deadpool

By Laury Scarbro

The short-short version of the synopsis: Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, is a former Special Forces operative who turns mercenary for hire in his civilian life. He meets a girl, they eventually fall in love, and then tragedy strikes. He undergoes an experimental procedure that turns him into a hideous version of his former self, requiring him to wear a suit to hide his appearance. Then he sets out to get revenge on those responsible. And that’s when the real fun starts.

Deadpool shot onto the movie screens on February 12 of this year, and has continued to dominate the box office, edging out Kung Fu Panda 3, for the top spot every single day since its release. All said, Deadpool has made over $280 million dollars here in the US, and over $600m worldwide. All of that on a $58 million dollar budget, a much smaller budget than Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. Granted, Avengers: Age of Ultron has made nearly triple by comparison, but Deadpool is poised to be even bigger before the year is out, or at least until Captain America: Civil War comes out in May.

This movie is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie to earn an R-rating, which has given birth to many arguments, both pro and con. There are a couple of sex scenes, some nudity, loads of cussing and crude humor, and comedic violence. I wouldn’t even give this movie a “blood and gore” warning, but I might be desensitized.

In truth, it’s probably the foul language that earned that rating. Still, it’s not something I would want little kids to see. I would urge a parent to decide based on their child rather than relying on hearsay and the MPAA rating. You are the parent, not the Motion Picture Association of America.

The ratings issue is now being extended to movies such as the upcoming Death Note adaptation, and it could be that Deadpool is the standard to which all other comic adaptations will be held, if those comics employ cussing and “extreme violence” in their storytelling toolbox. We live in a world where everyone wants a reason to complain and groan, and I applaud the fact that they stuck to their guns and refused to water Deadpool down for general consumption.

For a long time, Ryan Reynolds has been at the bottom of my list of favorite actors. I have seen the error of my ways. That was completely not his fault. Between his roles as Van Wilder and Hal Jordan in the ill-fated Green Lantern fiasco, my opinion of him as an actor has not been something I cared to get into during polite conversation. But I love comic book characters. The MCU has overtaken a large part of my section of our DVD case. There’s a visible line of demarcation between “my movies” and everyone else’s, and that doesn’t even cover the merchandise I’ve accumulated.

When I heard that Reynolds was going to be Deadpool, I was skeptical. I didn’t even bat an eye at the fact that he was already in a Marvel movie, primarily because of Chris Evans as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four movies. Some actors are genetically predisposed to play these roles, and no one else will ever be Captain America to me except Chris Evans. The same holds true for Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and now Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.

So what is it about the Merc with a Mouth that draws us in? Is it the witty banter between him and the villains he faces? Is it the light-hearted moments, albeit performed in the buff, with the love of his life? Is it because he consistently breaks the fourth wall at vital moments when communication with the audience best benefits the moment? Is it the special effects, which sported some cutting-edge technology that had to be created specifically for the movie?

I can’t answer that for everyone. What I can tell you is that this is one of few movies I am glad to have spent the money to see in the theater, and would gladly do again if I had the cash. Just don’t ask me to choose between Deadpool and Captain America. (Hell, I’m still torn between Cap and Tony in the whole Civil War plotline.) Deadpool’s storyline plays on sentimentality, to be sure. We’re given a character that is, on the surface, a smartass, who has a love for older music–thank you to those responsible for not shoving a bunch of current pop music down our throats–and has no desire whatsoever to be a hero even when his actions are heroic. Beneath that, he proves to be much more and makes you start to root for him not far into the movie.

This is just his origin story. The sequel is already in the planning stages, and rumors are already circulating about an appearance by Cable, a.k.a. Nathan Summers, the timeline-hopping son of X-Man Scott Summers/Cyclops and Jean Grey’s clone Madelyne Pryor. Actor Stephen Lang (Avatar, Into The Badlands) has already begun lobbying to be cast for the role, and I think he would be absolutely perfect.

In summary: Well done, God’s Perfect Idiot, well done.